Lee Kuan Yew

[Photos] Witnessing history as a Taiwan reporter: Singapore in the 1980s and 1990s

How does a young Taiwanese reporter end up chasing history and love in Singapore? Historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao takes a look back at the political engineering and leaders that shaped an era in Singapore, along with his personal ties to the country.

Hsu Chung-mao

[Photos] From poverty to prosperity: A century of social transformation in Singapore

Although Singapore’s history has been extensively documented, the experiences of impoverished communities are often forgotten. In his new historical picture book, historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao looks at the process of nation building from the perspective of the poor, emphasising the spiritual and social forces that shaped Singapore’s transformation.

Hsu Chung-mao

From distrust to friendship: Chiang Ching-kuo and Lee Kuan Yew

You may have heard of Chiang Ching-kuo, Taiwan’s former president and son of Chiang Kai-shek. What you may not know is that Chiang shared a close friendship with Lee Kuan Yew, and that he faced many difficulties in choosing a successor and preserving his father’s legacy. Commentator Gu Erde tells us lesser-known stories about Chiang, which have recently come to light with the declassification and release of previously unseen historical sources, such as Chiang’s personal diary.

Gu Erde

Is there a future for Chinese dialects in Singapore?

Former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew initiated the Speak Mandarin Campaign in 1979 in an effort to bring Singapore’s ethnic Chinese community together through a common language, rather than speaking various dialects. However, there has been a resurgence of interest in dialects, and calls to relax restrictions on using dialects in public broadcasts. Eddie Kuo, Emeritus Professor at NTU, examines whether dialects still have a place in Singapore.

Eddie Kuo

[Photo story] Lee Kuan Yew and Chiang Ching-kuo

In Singapore's early days of independence, it had few diplomatic options. However, then Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew found an unlikely ally in Taiwan President Chiang Ching-kuo, as the two struck up a friendship that placed them in good stead in more ways than one. Historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao provides some valuable photographs of the two leaders.

Hsu Chung-mao

Chan Heng Chee: Small state in a turbulent world

Chan Heng Chee, ambassador-at-large and professor at the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities, Singapore University of Technology and Design, delivered a speech at the Reinventing Destiny conference on 14 August, held in commemoration of the 100th birth year anniversary of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding prime minister. She spoke about how strengthening Singapore as a nation and being part of an inclusive regional grouping like ASEAN could help the city state better survive these divisive and conflictual times. Here is the edited transcript of her speech.

Chan Heng Chee

Kissinger would miss his old friend Lee Kuan Yew in these troubled times

Former Lianhe Zaobao editor Lim Jim Koon looks back at the distinguished career of diplomat and political adviser Henry Kissinger, who had the ears of the most powerful people in the world. As Kissinger marks his 100th birthday, what insights has he offered before, and what is his current take on the state of the world?

Lim Jim Koon

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

[Photo story] Taiwanese historical photo collector: My ties to Singapore

As his three-volume set of historical photographs of Singapore, Singapore Yesterday, is rolled out this year, historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao describes his professional and personal connection to Singapore, and his impressions of Singapore, alongside a collection of old photos of Singapore.

Hsu Chung-mao

Ambassador Chan Heng Chee: The future of Singapore-China strategic collaboration

Professor Chan Heng Chee, Ambassador-at-Large and Singapore's former ambassador to the US, addressed the Lianhe Zaobao Singapore-China Forum on 4 December via Zoom. She said that there is still much that Singapore and China can work together on, such as in tightening the nuts and bolts of the recently signed RCEP, enhancing the ASEAN-China FTA, exchanging views on the CPTPP and WTO reform, and facilitating cooperation in the digital sector.

Chan Heng Chee

Beyond 30 years: History, places and images of Singapore-China relations

In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Singapore and China, Lianhe Zaobao and ThinkChina present "In the Founders' Footsteps", a pictorial retrospective of Deng Xiaoping's visit to Singapore in 1978 and of Lee Kuan Yew's 33 trips to China between 1976 and 2011. Lee Huay Leng, editor of the photobook, says she was surprised not only by how widely Lee had travelled during those years, but by Lee's steadfast belief in China's reform and opening up. His predictions of China's future and its relations to the world also struck her as visionary and prescient.

Lee Huay Leng

Can small states continue to avoid choosing between China and the US?

With the jostling between China and the US, one country that seems to have found a balance between these two powers is Singapore. In fact, other ASEAN countries are also seeking not to take sides, which appears to be the most prudent strategy. However, ISEAS academic William Choong thinks that the choice of not making a choice may not be feasible in the near future.

William Choong