Nov 5, 2009
MM LEE'S COMMENTS ON U.S.' ROLE IN ASIA
Why Chinese netizens are upset
MINISTER Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's recent comments in the United States have caused unhappiness among China's netizens. He had urged the US to remain engaged in Asia so as to balance China's military and economic clout. He also said China's 'blue-water fleet with aircraft carriers cannot just be to deter foreign intervention in a conflict between Taiwan and the mainland'.
Mr Lee had made frequent comments related to China before. Some of his remarks have seemed acceptable to Westerners, and some to the Chinese.
The background to Mr Lee's most recent remarks was US President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to four Asian nations, including China, from next Wednesday. Mr Obama said publicly that he was looking forward to hearing Mr Lee's views on Asia before leaving on his trip.
There was great unhappiness with Mr Lee among Chinese netizens. Many have a good impression of Singapore as it is a country with a majority Chinese population. They felt that since China does not harbour any ill intentions towards Singapore, there should be no occasion for the current situation.
A Chinese expert on world affairs told the Global Times that Singapore has been vacillating between the US and China, and that Mr Lee's comments may reflect the views of some South-east Asian nations. However, small nations must be extremely careful as they try to balance big nations against one another, as they risk outsmarting themselves.
What Mr Lee said
THE comments that angered the Chinese netizens were made by Mr Lee at the US-Asean Business Council's 25th anniversary gala dinner in Washington on Oct 27.
The gala dinner was attended by 'a stellar cast of the political and business heavyweights', the Singapore media noted. In a story headlined 'MM Lee urges the US to retain role in Asia to balance China', he was reported to have warned the US that it risked losing its global leadership position if it did not remain engaged in Asia to balance China's military and economic clout.
He said the rest of Asia was unable to match China on its own, so the US was needed to strike a regional balance. 'The size of China makes it impossible for the rest of Asia, including Japan and India, to match it in weight and capacity in about 20 to 30 years. So we need America to strike a balance,' he said.
He also said: 'If the US does not recognise that the Asia-Pacific is where the economic centre of action would be and it loses that economic superiority or lead that it has in the Pacific, then it would lose it worldwide.'
Agence France-Presse said Mr Lee seemed concerned over China's military build-up, which he said might not necessarily be meant for a conflict over Taiwan. He said it was a surprise that Beijing paraded high-tech weapons during the parade on Oct 1 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic. It raised the spectre of a modern high-tech People's Liberation Army in two or three decades.
Mr Lee also said that closer to home in South-east Asia, China could flex its military muscle over overlapping territorial claims to islets in the Paracels and Spratlys. 'The Chinese have built on several islets fishing outposts, and coast guard vessels patrol them,' he said. 'Later, behind these small patrol craft will be a blue-water fleet.'
Lianhe Zaobao reported that Mr Lee held a 45-minute talk with Mr Obama at the White House. The US President said he was 'looking forward to hearing Mr Lee's views on the evolving situation in the region'. On Oct 31, Lianhe Zaobao ran an editorial titled 'The strategic future of the US is in Asia-Pacific', echoing Mr Lee's remarks. With the rise of China and India, the driving force in the world's development has shifted increasingly from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and Mr Lee's Washington speech was a reminder of this trend.
The editorial said that China had also become more confident due to its growing national power. Chinese officials who visited the US recently have turned from being defensive to going on the offensive, by raising some of the major obstacles to the development of Sino-US ties.
One is US activity in China's maritime exclusive economic zone, which should be cut and eventually cease. The US military is likely to have mixed feelings upon hearing this as it has been sending its warships to the Asia-Pacific waters since the end of World War II.
According to Japan's Sankei Shimbun, Mr Lee said the US should play a key role in the concept of the East Asian Community, and asked the US to participate actively in the process.
His comments caused unhappiness among China's netizens. Several lamented that while they treated Singaporeans as Chinese, Singaporeans did not treat the Chinese as 'among their own'.
One netizen said: 'Lee Kuan Yew spoke for the feelings of those in the West who fear China's rise would harm their vested interests.' The more emotional netizens made even stronger remarks.
Mr Wang, a 32-year-old manager in Beijing, said the Chinese respected Singapore. He has not heard of anyone asking anything from Singapore when China grows stronger, so there is no conflict of interests between China and Singapore. He did not understand why politicians would make such comments (as Mr Lee did).
What experts say
MR JIN Canrong, the deputy dean of the School of International Studies at Renmin University, told reporters that Mr Lee's remarks reflected the mentality of some South-east Asian nations.
'We have to face a fact - some of the neighbouring countries are not at ease with China,' he said.
MM LEE'S COMMENTS ON U.S.' ROLE IN ASIA
Why Chinese netizens are upset
MINISTER Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's recent comments in the United States have caused unhappiness among China's netizens. He had urged the US to remain engaged in Asia so as to balance China's military and economic clout. He also said China's 'blue-water fleet with aircraft carriers cannot just be to deter foreign intervention in a conflict between Taiwan and the mainland'.
Mr Lee had made frequent comments related to China before. Some of his remarks have seemed acceptable to Westerners, and some to the Chinese.
The background to Mr Lee's most recent remarks was US President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to four Asian nations, including China, from next Wednesday. Mr Obama said publicly that he was looking forward to hearing Mr Lee's views on Asia before leaving on his trip.
There was great unhappiness with Mr Lee among Chinese netizens. Many have a good impression of Singapore as it is a country with a majority Chinese population. They felt that since China does not harbour any ill intentions towards Singapore, there should be no occasion for the current situation.
A Chinese expert on world affairs told the Global Times that Singapore has been vacillating between the US and China, and that Mr Lee's comments may reflect the views of some South-east Asian nations. However, small nations must be extremely careful as they try to balance big nations against one another, as they risk outsmarting themselves.
What Mr Lee said
THE comments that angered the Chinese netizens were made by Mr Lee at the US-Asean Business Council's 25th anniversary gala dinner in Washington on Oct 27.
The gala dinner was attended by 'a stellar cast of the political and business heavyweights', the Singapore media noted. In a story headlined 'MM Lee urges the US to retain role in Asia to balance China', he was reported to have warned the US that it risked losing its global leadership position if it did not remain engaged in Asia to balance China's military and economic clout.
He said the rest of Asia was unable to match China on its own, so the US was needed to strike a regional balance. 'The size of China makes it impossible for the rest of Asia, including Japan and India, to match it in weight and capacity in about 20 to 30 years. So we need America to strike a balance,' he said.
He also said: 'If the US does not recognise that the Asia-Pacific is where the economic centre of action would be and it loses that economic superiority or lead that it has in the Pacific, then it would lose it worldwide.'
Agence France-Presse said Mr Lee seemed concerned over China's military build-up, which he said might not necessarily be meant for a conflict over Taiwan. He said it was a surprise that Beijing paraded high-tech weapons during the parade on Oct 1 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic. It raised the spectre of a modern high-tech People's Liberation Army in two or three decades.
Mr Lee also said that closer to home in South-east Asia, China could flex its military muscle over overlapping territorial claims to islets in the Paracels and Spratlys. 'The Chinese have built on several islets fishing outposts, and coast guard vessels patrol them,' he said. 'Later, behind these small patrol craft will be a blue-water fleet.'
Lianhe Zaobao reported that Mr Lee held a 45-minute talk with Mr Obama at the White House. The US President said he was 'looking forward to hearing Mr Lee's views on the evolving situation in the region'. On Oct 31, Lianhe Zaobao ran an editorial titled 'The strategic future of the US is in Asia-Pacific', echoing Mr Lee's remarks. With the rise of China and India, the driving force in the world's development has shifted increasingly from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and Mr Lee's Washington speech was a reminder of this trend.
The editorial said that China had also become more confident due to its growing national power. Chinese officials who visited the US recently have turned from being defensive to going on the offensive, by raising some of the major obstacles to the development of Sino-US ties.
One is US activity in China's maritime exclusive economic zone, which should be cut and eventually cease. The US military is likely to have mixed feelings upon hearing this as it has been sending its warships to the Asia-Pacific waters since the end of World War II.
According to Japan's Sankei Shimbun, Mr Lee said the US should play a key role in the concept of the East Asian Community, and asked the US to participate actively in the process.
His comments caused unhappiness among China's netizens. Several lamented that while they treated Singaporeans as Chinese, Singaporeans did not treat the Chinese as 'among their own'.
One netizen said: 'Lee Kuan Yew spoke for the feelings of those in the West who fear China's rise would harm their vested interests.' The more emotional netizens made even stronger remarks.
Mr Wang, a 32-year-old manager in Beijing, said the Chinese respected Singapore. He has not heard of anyone asking anything from Singapore when China grows stronger, so there is no conflict of interests between China and Singapore. He did not understand why politicians would make such comments (as Mr Lee did).
What experts say
MR JIN Canrong, the deputy dean of the School of International Studies at Renmin University, told reporters that Mr Lee's remarks reflected the mentality of some South-east Asian nations.
'We have to face a fact - some of the neighbouring countries are not at ease with China,' he said.
