When old man met Deng in China for the first time and successfully asked for the dismantling of the CPM. Radio. Station run by Chin Peng and his lot, he thought that he was going to be bosom buddies with Deng.
When he did not know was that CPM was treated like dirt in Beijing. The supposed CPM leadership was not even allowed to meet anyone and their contact and facilitator was an petty official. Eventually they begged to return to Singapore and all fled Beijing.
Then the. Suzhou disaster took place and he was no longer an expert of China.
Give credit to the PAP Spin Machine for creating a fictional image of Old Fart as a China expert.