In the entire Southeast Asian region, there are Chinese in many countries, and the proportion of Chinese in Singapore has reached 75%.It seems to have become a veritable "Chinese country".
And Singapore is not only inextricably linked to China historically, but also has many cultural similarities.
However, Singapore's first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, said frankly in his old age: Although Singapore is a Chinese country, it will not "return to the motherland".
Lee Kuan Yew's words have aroused heated discussions among many Chinese, what is the meaning of his words?
In the early years, Singapore was just a small fishing village in the southern part of the Malay Peninsula, and in the eyes of outsiders, Singapore was a vassal of Malaysia.
The history of Chinese immigration to Singapore can be traced back to the end of the Ming Dynasty, when Chinese society became turbulent due to warSome of the Chinese who sought stability crossed the ocean and eventually chose to settle down in Singapore.
Singapore's founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, whose grandfather moved his family to Singapore in 1863, has only taken root in the area since ......
Although most of the Chinese were dissatisfied with the rule of the Chinese feudal dynasty and chose to flee to the small island of Singapore to survive, in the minds of these Chinese, they never forgot their Chinese identity, and after the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in China, many "patriotic Chinese" in Singapore also generously contributed to the cause of the Anti-Japanese War.
StillSingapore's relationship with China has always been delicate, with a sense of imminence.
Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was personally received during his visit to China in 1976, and the two had a very happy conversation on the development of China and Singapore, and Lee Kuan Yew also expressed his respect to China on behalf of Singapore.
On the second day of his visit to ChinaWhen Lee Kuan Yew saw that "People's **" published his **, he had an unhappy expression on his face。Lee Kuan Yew believed that his consent should be sought for the publication of **, but according to China's diplomatic practice at that time, when the state leaders received important guests, they would publish ** in the People**.
As the first leader of Singapore, why is his attitude towards China always "far and near"?
However, if we look back at Singapore's development history, we may understand why Lee Kuan Yew's attitude towards China has been so uncertain......
Singapore's transformation from a dilapidated fishing village to a world-leading developed country is unimaginable.
Especially in the early years, Singapore has always been subject to Malaysia, and was even regarded as a "moth" by Malaysia for a time, and tried to make Singapore come to its knees.
In this embattled environment,If Singapore wants to seek true independence, it must find a strong backer ......
At that time, China was still unable to protect itself, so Singapore could only put its hopes on Western countries. After Lee Kuan Yew became the leader of Singapore, he took the lead in advocating for proximity to the West, which did usher in a lot of Western investment for Singapore and allowed Singapore's economy to develop rapidly.
At that time, Lee Kuan Yew knew very well that although Singapore had achieved independence, it needed more help from Western countries if it wanted to truly get rid of Malaysian influence. For Singapore, only by surpassing it economically can it have more capital to enhance its strength.
Facts have also proved that Lee Kuan Yew's approach is not wrong, and the economic leap has made Singapore recognized by the world as one of the "Asian Tigers".
After gaining a firm foothold economically, Lee Kuan Yew began to focus on developing Singapore's military strength, facing such a complex world situationHow Singapore stands is particularly important.
Compared with China at that time, the military strength of the West was naturally stronger, and Lee Kuan Yew's choice was not a betrayal, but just a matter of understanding the current affairs under the circumstances at that time.
StillAlthough Lee Kuan Yew was more politically inclined to the West, he did not commit any anti-China behavior.
Lee Kuan Yew received a Western education in England in his early years, so many of his ideas, including his Xi habits, were more Western.
As the first leader of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew's influence in Singapore is naturally self-evident, so the Chinese living there now do not have such a deep impression of China.
When the reporter asked Lee Kuan Yew,When Singapore will "return to the motherland" in the future, he will directly say ...... no
Whether it is Lee Kuan Yew or the Chinese living in Singapore, in their eyes, Singapore and China are of the same origin, but they are gradually drifting apart.
There are even many "differences" between China and New Zealand, which are not only reflected in cultural differences, dietary differences and even language differencesThe most important thing is that the beliefs of the two peoples are different, and perhaps only separation is the best state.
Of course, the roots of the Singaporean Chinese are in China after all, and this kind of "mother-child kindness" cannot be forgotten. Nowadays, as long as China and New Zealand maintain friendly diplomatic relations and do not engage in-for-tat confrontation, it is the best state of affairs.