Lee Kuan Yew hails China's reforms

Source StraitsTimes

SINGAPORE'S Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has praised China for its remarkable achievements over the past three decades, saying that its regional and international profile will increase with the higher status and respect that it has gained.
In an exclusive interview with Xinhua recently, Mr Lee credited China's success to the reform and opening up.

Mr Lee, who just turned 85, described the China's transformation since 1978 as 'extraordinary', saying its economy is providing residents ever rising standards of living and better lifestyle.

'In the 70s, big cities like Beijing and Shanghai had decaying buildings, full of bicycles day and night, poorly lighted streets, everyone in grey or blue Mao jackets,' he said.

'Now China's cities, those along the coast, have spanking new high-rises, wide motorways, bridges and tunnels across the Yangtze River to Pudong, Maglev train from the new airport in Shanghai to Pudong, colourful dresses for women and men in lounge suits or in blouses and jeans.

'The people dress like any modern city in Japan, South Korea, or Singapore.'

The new high rises built by Chinese architects, engineers, and workmen are of high standards, so are the wide roads, bridges, airports and container ports, Mr Lee said, adding that more impressive are the rising standards of education and the younger generation's understanding of free market, economics, finance, banking, law, science and technology.

MM Lee said he believed that China's focus on education, in expanded and new schools, universities, research institutes and think-tanks will raise the levels of competence of the next generation of Chinese.

In another 40 to 50 years, the gap in science and technology, economics, governance and the rule of law between the advanced countries and China will narrow, he added.

Mr Lee spoke highly of the late Deng Xiaoping's role in the process of China's reform and opening up. He said the architect of China's reform and opening up had the strength and the conviction to change the old system that did not work, said the Xinhua report.

'Deng Xiaoping during a southern tour in 1992 urged China to go forth, continue to learn from the outside world, and catch up; also to learn from Singapore where there was good order and do better than Singapore,' he said.

Since 1992, the pace of change in the country gathered speed and China has been growing at 11 per cent to 12 per cent per annum leading to a peak during the Beijing Olympics this year, he noted.

Mr Lee advised China to rev up its economy by spending more on infrastructure.

On building a harmonious society in China, Mr Lee stressed that to achieve the harmonious society, China has to spread the benefits of economic development more evenly across the provinces, and reduce income disparities, so that the less successful ones do not feel left behind. Their children must also be given equal opportunities to advance through education.

MM Lee, who visited Beijing and watched the grand opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games in August, made positive comments on the event.

'The spectacular opening ceremony of the Olympics, the greening of Beijing, with many kilometres of flowers, shrubs and trees, the well managed traffic, in spite of over 200 VIP delegations and many 40,000 athletes, they reflected the organising capabilities of the Chinese government,' he said.

He also praised the Beijing residents, especially the one million volunteers who left a good impression to all.

Mr Lee, who has travelled to China often since 1976, said that China has learnt whatever it could from Singapore, from its greening efforts to inculcating good public behaviour.

'China has surpassed Singapore in greening the city. You have kilometres of actual flowers and 40 million flower pots all in bloom along the roads. We could not have done that. I doubt if any other Asian country could have done that,' he said.