Lee's ill advice only spreads mistrust

• Source: Global Times
• [02:34 November 04 2009]
• Comments

By Wu Meng

On October 28, Lee Kuan Yew, the Minister Mentor of Singapore, met with US President Barack Obama during his visit to the US.

Lee stated that the US should stay engaged not just in China but in the whole of East Asia and India, adding that the US would risk losing global leadership if it did not remain engaged in Asia to "balance" China's military and economic might.

As the founding father of Singapore, Lee has been regarded as a friend of the Chinese people not only because he is a fourth-generation Chinese Singaporean, but also because Singapore has played an important role in Asian affairs in the last few decades. As a result, Lee's comment came as a surprise to a lot of Chinese people.

Lee, an advisor in his son Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's cabinet, expressed his concern over China's military buildup, which he said "might not necessarily be aimed at a conflict over Taiwan."

A country with many specialists and think tanks on military issues, the US does not need Lee to give it advice on its role in Asia, nor does it seem in need of Lee's warning that the US should "strike a balance" in Asia. The "China Threat" theory from a Singaporean of Chinese descent aroused much controversy and criticism in China.

As an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, Singapore plays an important role in the economy of Southeast Asia. However, Lee's comments on China's role in Asia indicate the concern and worry Singapore has toward China's increasing influence in the area.

During Lee's term as prime minister from 1965 to 1990, he was a key US ally and built a close relationship between the US and Singapore. But as a veteran politician, Lee must know that it is overall national strength that determines a country's position and influence.