Articles by Lee Huay Leng

Vibrant, vast and vital: Singapore’s quest for relevance amid China’s evolution

As the book Singapore and China: Neighbours to Friends, Friends to Partners, co-edited by Professor Tommy Koh and Lee Huay Leng, editor-in-chief of SPH’s Chinese Media Group, is launched to mark the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Singapore, we republish Lee’s introduction titled Impressions. She stresses that Singapore must continually earn its relevance with China through understanding, engagement and adaptability.

Lee Huay Leng

How Qi Faren helped launch China into space — and why it still matters

Qi Faren, chief designer of China’s Shenzhou 5, shared his lifelong dedication to China’s aerospace journey — from early missile development to manned spaceflight — with Lee Huay Leng, editor-in-chief of SPH’s Chinese Media Group, in 2004. In the interview collected in Lee’s new book,《思索的长度》(A Long Thought), Qi reflected on patriotism, self-reliance and the spirit that has driven China’s space program through adversity — values that continue to underpin the country’s pursuit of technological advancement today.

Lee Huay Leng

China's growing influence on overseas Chinese businessmen: Reflections on the 16th WCEC in Bangkok

Lee Huay Leng, editor-in-chief of SPH's Chinese Media Group, notes that she seems to have witnessed a shift in focus while attending the recent World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention in Bangkok - while earlier editions were targeted at bringing together ethnic Chinese businessmen scattered around the world, a changed world seems to have made the latest edition more China-centric, and it remains to be seen whether this will hold for future editions.

Lee Huay Leng

What Singapore can learn from the Chew Shou Zi phenomenon

Lee Huay Leng, editor-in-chief of SPH Chinese Media Group, observes that the spotlight cast on Singaporean TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi at a US Congress hearing recently is a good entry point for us to think about the role that Singapore can play in the new world order, besides the larger topics such as TikTok and China-US relations.

Lee Huay Leng

When the arts is more than politics: Reflections on the 50th anniversary of the Philadelphia Orchestra's China tour

Learning of a recent performance in the US by Suzhou musicians, SPH Chinese Media Group editor-in-chief Lee Huay Leng muses on the role that the Philadelphia Orchestra's visit to Beijing had played in US-China relations in the 1970s. While no substitute for hard diplomacy, cultural exchanges can sow seeds of friendship among different peoples, and help the world reap something beautiful in the future.

Lee Huay Leng

Does Singapore still want to play an active role in the Chinese-speaking world?

Lee Huay Leng, editor-in-chief of SPH Chinese Media Group, looks back at Singapore's active role in the Chinese-speaking world and in the 1980s and 1990s, and whether it can - or wants to - resume such a role in a changing world.

Lee Huay Leng

My memories of Jiang Zemin: Editor-in-chief, Chinese Media Group

From her time on the political desk then as Zaobao's Hong Kong correspondent and Beijing correspondent, Lee Huay Leng, editor-in-chief of SPH Chinese Media Group, recalls her impressions of the late former Chinese President Jiang Zemin. Jiang represented the ideas and workings of an era in Chinese politics, and played a great role in shaping China's domestic policies and international diplomacy.

Lee Huay Leng

What to think about when you think about China under Covid

Lee Huay Leng, editor-in-chief of SPH Chinese Media Group, believes that the personal stories of ordinary people in China during Covid times form a rich tapestry of China's story too. When all this is past, and one looks back on the present, apart from national pride, will personal dignity and feelings be remembered?

Lee Huay Leng

Building bridges through music: A young Singaporean conductor leads the way

Lee Huay Leng was touched by the live broadcast of a concert in the park put up by the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra with Singaporean conductor Wong Kah Chun at the helm and Singapore Chinese Orchestra musicians taking part. Chinese instruments found their place in Wong's arrangement of 19th century Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition". In the aftermath of Covid and an international milieu where politics meddles even in the arts, the young Wong had found a way to stay composed and build a bridge with music. Can countries learn to do the same?

Lee Huay Leng

Challenges of Singapore's Chinese community amid competing influences: Lessons from an old bookstore

Looking back on the history of Union Book Co, one of Singapore's oldest Chinese language bookstores, editor-in-chief of the Chinese Media Group Lee Huay Leng muses that Singapore has always been a crossroads of different cultures and thinking. Even today, the challenge is to remain open yet stay vigilant against competing influences. Responding with Singapore's national interest at heart is the mark of a nation's confidence.

Lee Huay Leng

Walking a tightrope to survive: Singapore's position in the Russia-Ukraine war and beyond

While the Russia-Ukraine war is geographically far from this region, the proxy US-China tussle and information war are having their impact on Singapore and the region all the same. In a recent discussion with Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, Lee Huay Leng, editor-In-chief of the Chinese Media Group of SPH Media, is reminded that the greatest test of a country's principles comes when it is most inconvenient to exercise them. And most importantly, it is precisely because countries such as Singapore are small that they must ensure that their interests are protected in the international realm.

Lee Huay Leng

What's missing from Hong Kong's anti-epidemic fight?

China's central government has repeatedly come to the aid of Hong Kong, saving the latter from financial and resources crises. It has also lent its hand to Hong Kong in the current anti-epidemic fight. However, "trust" may be missing in the trilateral relationships between Beijing, Hong Kong and the Hong Kong people, leading to problems with communication and long-term planning. Editor-in-chief of Chinese Media Group Lee Huay Leng examines the issues and discusses whether Hong Kong has what it takes to weather the pandemic on its own.

Lee Huay Leng