Mr. Lee Kuan Yew said China could become pushy.

"I don't want to sound apocalyptic but I don't see Taiwan as being able to resist the pull of the mainland. There will come a time when the 7th fleet cannot intervene." Mr. Lee Kuan Yew.

A long time ago in ancient China, there was a big village that sat on both banks of a river. One day, there was a big fight in the village and villagers living on the left bank said they wanted to have nothing to do with the villagers on the right bank. 

The village chief who was living on the right bank rejected this and called the newly appointed village chief on the left bank a traitor.

Then, there was a small village farther inland on the right bank that was friendly with the big village. Although the big village was broken into two and continued to quarrel, it had nothing to do with the small village. 

A case of domestic conflict, chief of the small village thought.

The small village was quite good at doing certain things and designing war chariots was one of them. Being small, the village didn't have room to test them and would send them to the left bank of the big village for testing. The chariots had to pass through the right bank of the big village to do so and for years that went on without incident.

Then, one day, the quarrel in the big village escalated. On that fateful day, the chariots being tested on the left bank were on their way back to the small village. 

It didn't matter that the late chief of the small village helped them before, the right bank which sought to isolate the left bank took hold of the chariots. The small village which needed the big village in more ways than one was helpless.

The small village then understood the saying:

穷不与富斗，富不与官斗。

In ancient China, the rich would pay money just to get a position in government. Being rich was good but being rich and powerful was better.

Got power, can be pushy. 

Got power, can be assertive.

Of course, it was not the first time our country's first Prime Minister, the late Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, got it right.

Related post:
Mr Lee Kuan Yew on the Eurozone crisis.

“As the case is still under investigation, no further information is available. The suspected controlled items are still kept at a customs storage place in Tuen Mun. They have been stored indoors since December 6,” a spokesman said.

At a daily press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang would only say that the Hong Kong government is handling the incident in accordance with relevant laws.

Beijing has always known about the arrangements between Taiwan and Singapore and remained silent on the issue until now, seizure of the armoured vehicles provides it with an excellent opportunity. Whether this occasion is orchestrated or opportunistic is of secondary importance. The affair gives China floor to push back against the undesirable activity, drive a wedge between Singapore and Taiwan and give a lesson to Singapore for recent statements on the South China Sea and China’s role in the dispute.