The Chinese air force's aerobatics team took extra precautions, met Singapore's criteria for health, and passed all checks before they arrived here for the upcoming airshow, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen yesterday.

That both the Chinese and United States air forces are here for the biennial event, running from next Tuesday until Feb 16, testifies to Singapore's ties with the two countries, he added. "It's really a vote of confidence. It's also a measure of how strong our relationship is," Dr Ng told reporters at the Changi Air Base (East) after meeting Chinese and American air force servicemen.

On Wednesday, Singapore Airshow organiser Experia Events said the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Ba Yi aerobatics team will be taking part for the first time as one of five flying display performances.

The Government announced on Jan 31 that all new visitors who had been in mainland China in the past 14 days were barred from entry or transit in Singapore, starting from last Saturday. The move was part of Singapore's efforts to contain the coronavirus, which originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

Asked about public concern over the exception made for the Chinese team, Dr Ng said: "I think it's natural to be concerned, and they are just as concerned as us because we have cases here, and just like other pandemics, whether it's Sars or H1N1, once it goes into the community, you can get it from anywhere.

"But we have been very careful and the PLA was particularly careful that they observed all requirements needed to be healthy, and they underwent stringent tests."

He said he was grateful to US Defence Secretary Mark Esper for accepting his invitation for the US forces to perform at the airshow.

The aerospace and defence exhibition will be held at the Changi Exhibition Centre.

The invitation to the Chinese was sent to vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission Xu Qiliang and Defence Minister Wei Fenghe when Dr Ng visited China in October last year.

This is the 30th year of diplomatic ties between Singapore and China.

Yesterday, Dr Ng was accompanied by the Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant-General Melvyn Ong, and the Chief of Air Force, Major-General Kelvin Khong, as he was given a tour of Ba Yi's J-10 fighter jets, and the US' F-22 Raptor and F-35B Joint Strike Fighter.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Dr Ng said he told the pilots to remain strong and stay focused. "Our relationships with our close friends will withstand tough times and grow even stronger."

Lim Min Zhang