No one in the domestic media or academia was without profound hopes for the mission. Ting Shou-chung, associate professor of Political Science at National Taiwan University, noted that the trip would help improve the ROC's international image and serve to season the president personally.
Foreign policy is also an extension of domestic politics, and successful diplomacy can help in molding a domestic image. And win elections. Many scholars in the ROC believe that, with year-end mayoral/county magistrate and supplementary Legislative Yuan elections and the election of the president early next year, a successful trip could be beneficial to the reputation of the ruling party as well as of President Lee.
The ever sharp media organized a press group officially with 28, who arrived in Singapore one after another up to a week before the trip to arrange interviews. Some media, fearing they would be caught short, even dispatched "unaccredited" reporters to help out.
But after all the excitement, things were by no means completely free of worries. Just before the president left the ROC, Mr. Goh Chok Tong, First Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, announced that Singapore will follow Indonesia in establishing formal diplomatic relations with the Chinese Communists. Further, the Singapore government also temporarily appointed Lim Kim San to act in place of President Wee, who was being treated for cancer in the hospital.
These two "coincidences" cast a shadow over the upbeat mood in the ROC First Deputy PM Goh's remarks were not appropriate to international courtesy; and the position of Lim is not high, giving the suspicion that ROC activities on the visit to Singapore would be "person to person exchanges" (rather than a formal visit).
"People at home misunderstand!" explained the secretary of the ROC Trade Mission in Singapore, Yang Liu-sheng, at a dinner for reporters hosted by representative Chang Hsiao-wu. In fact, Lim's political position is quite high. He served in many ministerial posts, including Defense, Interior, and Finance, and was instrumental in attracting over 200 foreign banks to Singapore, making it a financial center in Asia, and in public housing, making home ownership among people in Singapore the highest in the world. He also won the 1965 Magsaysay Prize.
As for relations with Chinese Communists, the angles taken by the media in Singapore and the ROC were greatly dissimilar. In the ROC, the news was startling. But in Singapore, it was long expected that diplomatic relations would be established with the Chinese Communists. Singapore, "a Chinese island in a Malay sea", and a multi-racial society itself, held off, however, in the interests of good relations with its mostly Malay neighbors.
President Lee Teng-hui deeply understands Singapore's position, and he boldly completed the trip. At the press conference on his return, he said that the United Nations doesn't recognize the ROC, "so inviting me to visit at this time is already no easy matter, I think."
Further, Singapore's arrangements for the visit were, in the words of one diplomat long stationed in Singapore, "perhaps the only case in the whole world" of such treatment accorded visitors from an unrecognized nation. Ivan H. Wang, deputy representative of ROC Trade Mission in Singapore, revealed that Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew verbally invited President Lee last July; there was only the program to be settled. Singapore greeted President Lee in unprecedented style, with Lim Kim San representing the president, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, and all major cabinet officers attending the airport welcome. President and Mrs. Lee were ferried to their activities in an imposing fleet of vehicles. Another precedent was set when Mr. Ong Teng Cheong, Second Deputy Prime Minister, acted as President Lee's personal minister during the trip, accompanying him throughout the itinerary.
Since Singapore would recognize Communist China sooner or later, why did it "create trouble for itself" by inviting President Lee?
Scholars of politics and foreign policy in Singapore unanimously believe that this can be viewed from the viewpoints of "traditional friendship" and "economic and trade development."
Singapore has always maintained "equidistant diplomacy" with the two sides of the Taiwan Straits, but "Singapore and Taiwan are emotionally more close," says Hsu Penchin of the Department of Political Science at Singapore National University, "Communist China is a communist country, and the gap with Singapore's ideology is too great." Not to mention that Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was the long-time friend of the late President Chiang Ching-kuo. It is said that Lee came to Taiwan over 20 times, and he led a large delegation to President Chiang's funeral last year.
"Oriental countries especially emphasize friendship between leaders," notes Hung Lien-Te, also at SNU's Political Science Department. Prime Minister Lee stresses that the next generation of leaders strengthen relation ships in Southeast Asia. And President Lee noted that one of the goals of this trip was to understand the views of the younger successor generation in Singapore.
In economics, Taiwan and Singapore are two of Asia's "Four Little Dragons." "That Singapore invited President Lee to visit is connected to your country's strength," says Hung frankly. Sino-Singaporean relations cannot avoid the tint of "dollar diplomacy." Indirect trade and financial services are two areas in which Singapore is striving to expand the Taiwan market.
Besides doing business, the two sides also have many concepts for cooperation. The two can strengthen communication and choose a common style in the face of protectionism in the U.S. There is room for cooperation in computers, petrochemicals, and biotechnology.
From the point of view of the interests of the ROC, the trip had practical results. Minister of Economic Affairs Chen Li-an revealed after discussions with Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore's Minister of Trade and Industry, that the ROC and Singapore have decided to sign "investment guarantee" and "temporary customs clearance" (giving rapid customs clearance to business people carrying samples or displays) agreements. Singapore is the second nation (after the U.S.) to sign the former and the first country in the world to sign the latter type of agreement with the ROC
As for President Lee's concern for Chinese abroad, this could be seen best in his visit on his last morning in Singapore to the fishermen at Jurong harbor. When President Lee visited the ROC's long-range fishing base there, the little dock was filled with flowers and messages welcoming the President. The fishermen specially changed to sharp uniforms. "He was right to come," said Charlie Ang, Director of Huaguo Enterprises at the port: "He showed his concern for us fishing people."
As Shaw Yu-ming, Director General of the Government Information Office, put it, "You have won their hearts." An ancient saying instructs "Win the hearts of the people, and the world will be in good order." The people now hope for President Lee to create a completely new style for the Republic of China.
[Picture Caption]
President Lee went to the Presidential Offices to call upon Lim Kim San, standing in for the ailing President. The two men held a very upbeat dis cussion, mixing English and Fukienese.
President Lee and Prime Minister Lee discussed future relations between their countries.
Before embarking on the second day's activities, President Lee took time out to visit Singapore President Wee Kim Wee, in the hospital being treated for cancer. (photo by Fu Liann Bang)
During President Lee's visit, Singapore assigned a large police force to watch over the security of the country's guest.
President Lee, who is also a specialist in agricultural economics, was quite interested in Singapore's biotechnology research. (photo by Fu Liann Bang)
On his last day in Singapore, President Lee paid a visit to the Jurong fishing harbor, where the R.O.C has a long-range fishing base.
President Lee and Prime Minister Lee discussed future relations between their countries.
During President Lee's visit, Singapore assigned a large police force to watch over the security of the country's guest.
Before embarking on the second day's activities, President Lee took time out to visit Singapore President Wee Kim Wee, in the hospital being treated for cancer. （photo by Fu Liann Bang）
President Lee, who is also a specialist in agricultural economics, was quite interested in Singapore's biotechnology research. （photo by Fu Liann Bang）
On his last day in Singapore, President Lee paid a visit to the Jurong fishing harbor, where the R.O.C has a long-range fishing base.
@List.jpg?w=522&h=410&mode=crop&format=webp&quality=80)
@List.jpg?w=522&h=410&mode=crop&format=webp&quality=80)