Singapore’s HDB corridors compared with South China Sea row? US embassy slammed over video

A US embassy video likening China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea to a resident in Singapore cluttering the corridor of a public housing block has been met with ridicule by online users, with some describing it as propaganda tailored for local audiences.

The 90-second clip, posted by US Chargé d’Affaires Casey Mace and reshared across the official embassy channels on Monday, opens with a scene familiar to many Singaporeans – the façade of a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat – and a narrator intoning: “Our homes are our sanctuaries. And when we live together, it’s important to respect each other’s space and our common space.”

Viewers are then asked to “imagine coming home one day and to find this”, as the screen flashes images of shared areas blocked by household clutter, alongside headlines about disputes over corridor hoarding. “A neighbour has decided that the space in front of your door is theirs,” the narrator says, before asking: “Does this remind you of anything else?”

The video then pivots to the South China Sea conflict, showing news headlines about Philippine and Vietnamese officials accusing China of aggression, military build-ups and harassment of fishermen. “This happens right outside Singapore’s doorstep, too,” the narrator says.

The video notes that in 2016, a UN tribunal ruled in favour of the Philippines in a case against Beijing’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea, saying China’s “nine-dash line” had no legal basis. China has consistently rejected the ruling, stating that it has historic rights over the disputed waters.

The rest of the video draws out the HDB analogy, likening China’s territorial claims and assertive actions in the disputed waterway to HDB residents refusing to remove their things from public areas even after town councils have ruled against them. The video ends with the narrator saying: “It’s important to remember: we all have to use this corridor. We have to live together peacefully.”