Many Chinese have a special affection for Singapore, mainly because Singapore is a predominantly Chinese country, its official language includes Mandarin, and many Singaporeans speak Mandarin fluently.
To some extent, Chinese seem to be born with a unique emotion for "bloodline", and it seems that everyone shares the bloodline of Yanhuang and forms a sense of family.
In reality, however, Singaporeans have a very different perception of this emotion. Even the Chinese are well aware that their home country is Singapore, not China.
Singapore's "Father of the Nation" Lee Kuan Yew made it clear in his later years that although Singapore is a Chinese-dominated country, it will not be able to "return to the motherland".
Lee Kuan Yew not only said this in words, but in fact he has always maintained such a position. Although he has promoted Singapore's cooperation with China to a certain extent, he has always maintained a "respectful and distancing" attitude towards China. Why is that?
Singapore, as a migrant country, has a diverse population, almost all of which are immigrants from China, India and Southeast Asian countries since the first half of the 19th century. The majority of Singapore's ethnic groups are Chinese, most of whom originated in Fujian, Guangdong and other places, and most of them came to the South Seas in the first half of the 19th century.
Today, the Chinese population in Singapore still make up about 74% of the population, while other ethnic groups such as Malays, Indians and other ethnic minorities make up a relatively small percentage.
However, many Chinese wonder that although Singapore is a predominantly Chinese-dominated country, it does not show a close relationship with China and the Chinese.
Those who have traveled or worked in the past may know that although the Chinese in Singapore can use Chinese, they show a sense of superiority in their interactions with the Chinese, and their attitude towards the Chinese is not very cordial.
This phenomenon has aroused the dissatisfaction of Chinese who deeply feel the identity of the "descendants of Yan and Huang", and some people believe that Singapore has shown an "anti-China" tendency in practice.
For many Chinese, especially the older generation of overseas Chinese, it seems to be an innate responsibility and obligation to make a living, work, earn money and support their hometown overseas. This sentiment was especially evident during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, when many overseas Chinese actively donated money and materials to do their best for China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
Singapore's friendly relations with China are not something to be taken for granted, but more to Lee Kuan Yew's leadership. In his view, Singapore's relationship with China needs to maintain a respectful attitude and maintain a certain distance. Lee Kuan Yew was very cautious in his dealings with China, and after his visit to China in 1976 and his talks with ***, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the publication of ** in our country, believing that his consent should be obtained in advance.
When Lee Kuan Yew visited China again in 1987, Wang Meng often unconsciously explained in Chinese when he visited King Gong's palace. However, whenever this happens, Lee Kuan Yew reminds him to communicate in English, and although he is proficient in Chinese, he insists that the use of English is a "principle".
Although Singapore and China had a good relationship in the 70s, Lee Kuan Yew believed that it was necessary for Singapore to become the last ASEAN country to establish diplomatic relations with China. Therefore, it was not until 1990 that the two sides formally established diplomatic relations. Lee Kuan Yew's caution may have been based on his thoughtful consideration of China-New Zealand relations.
Lee Kuan Yew's cautious approach to China in order to ensure Singapore's security and survival may stem from a "sense of crisis" about Singapore's survival.
From the very beginning of Singapore's "forced" independence, Lee Kuan Yew has always put the issue of *** at the forefront. As Singapore was "forced" to become independent due to severe ethnic conflicts, Lee Kuan Yew's hostility towards some radicals in Malaysia was evident. Although the two countries eventually parted ways, racial issues remained, with many Malays distrustful of the Chinese and Singaporeans, and even some radicals believing that a solution by force was inevitable.
Lee Kuan Yew's fears about the rise to power of Malaysia's radical leaders are not unfounded. He feared that Singapore could face a serious threat or even suffer a "catastrophe". Singapore's strategic location in the Strait of Malacca makes it a potential victim in the event of an escalation of the conflict between the great powers. As such, he sees the issue of Singapore's survival as a top priority.
In order to ensure Singapore's security, Lee Kuan Yew sought the recognition of the international community and the protection of the great powers to deter Malaysia from taking hostile actions against Singapore. This has prompted Singapore to opt for a closer relationship with the United States.
Although Singapore has long established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union, due to the decline of the Soviet Union, there is little contact with it, and the "asylum" provided to Singapore is limited. Even during Gorbachev's administration, while Singapore's relations with the Soviet Union improved, the Soviet Union's own economic woes led it to borrow money from Singapore. Therefore, in order to ensure Singapore's survival, it seems inevitable that the choice of a strong relationship with the United States will also mean that it must keep a certain distance from China.
For this reason, Singapore not only expressed strong opposition to Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia, but also decided to boycott the upcoming Moscow Olympics and announced a freeze on exchanges with relevant countries.
At the same time, Lee Kuan Yew took a series of measures to reorganize armaments in order to strengthen Singapore's defense capabilities.
In Lee Kuan Yew's view, Singapore's economic prosperity must support the cause of national defense, because any failure is an unbearable burden for Singapore, so it must have sufficient self-defense capabilities.
Under his leadership, Singapore quickly built up a solid defence force and invested heavily in advanced Western equipment, which undoubtedly made Lee Kuan Yew feel more at ease.
In addition to concerns about Malaysia's hostility and potential geopolitical crisis, Lee Kuan Yew also has concerns about Singapore's overly close relationship with China.
During his administration, China, despite being a large country, was not considered a powerful country, and even for a period of time, trilateral relations between China, the United States and the Soviet Union were quite tense and fraught with crises.
Lee Kuan Yew believes that since Singapore's Chinese are the majority, it may be easy to be regarded as China's "best people", which may bring potential crises to Singapore.
In fact, when Singapore opposed the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union had implicitly stated that overseas Chinese, including those in Singapore, were regarded as China's "best people" and organized a so-called "fifth column" in the host country, declaring that they were Chinese "spies".
From this perspective, Lee Kuan Yew's position on keeping a certain distance from China seems easier to understand.
Their homeland is Singapore, and in order to draw a clear line between Singapore and China, Lee Kuan Yew has made it clear that although Singapore is a country with a Chinese majority, it will not "belong to the motherland".
From the perspective of Lee Kuan Yew and Singapore, this position is taken for granted. At a time when Singapore had not yet risen, the homeland of the Chinese was not China. And this reality will certainly not change after the country grows stronger.
Although the Chinese make up more than 70% of the population, Singapore is an independent country and has not historically been part of China. Singapore's home country is Singapore, not China.
Lee Kuan Yew himself, because his ancestors had long since been far away from China and had received a Western education, he did not have romantic ideas about his ancestral homeland, which he took for granted. The so-called "romantic ideas" include giving back to the motherland and helping China after success, and these ideas are usually held by the older generation of overseas Chinese. They left their homeland to make a living in other countries, but in their later years, they still miss China and the place where they grew up.
Lee Kuan Yew's uncle, for example, longed to return to China and was buried there. But Lee Kuan Yew had no such idea at all, and even refused to visit his great-grandfather's house. He firmly stated that he was Singaporean and had no interest in his ancestral homeland.
Although Singapore's position is very different from China's, it is impossible for the two to be "completely integrated" without distinguishing between you and me, let alone to "return to the motherland". However, Lee Kuan Yew's "respectful and distant from China" is not the same as "anti-China". In fact, he has always supported China's reunification, and also facilitated the "Wang-Koo talks" and advised *** many times
It is worth noting that under the impetus of Lee Kuan Yew, an industrial park was established in Suzhou, which greatly contributed to the economic development of Suzhou. As a result, Lee Kuan Yew was awarded the "China Reform and Opening-up Friendship Medal".
On the whole, Lee Kuan Yew is not "anti-China", he is just from the perspective of his own country, and believes that it is impossible for Singapore to "return to the motherland". We cannot conclude that he is "anti-China" because of this, after all, he has shown a positive and supportive attitude on some matters.