"I don't think that China has given Singapore a public rebuke for this before," Zhang said.

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

The arrests were widely interpreted as a signal that China was fed up with the miners' intransigence over prices and as a rebuke to Rio for pulling out of the Chinalco deal.