Singapore may prove a tough nut for China to crack over regional security

By Greg Torode and Marius Zaharia HONG KONG/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - As the impounding of Singaporean troop carriers in Hong Kong exposes rising tensions between China and Singapore, the Lion City is unlikely to budge on core security interests concerning Beijing – its military relationship with Taiwan, worries over the South China Sea and its hosting of the U.S. military. Singaporean officials, retired military officers and analysts stress that even while Singapore publicly plays down the sp