Davos 2012 - Lee Hsien-Loong - The Outlook for East Asia

http://www.weforum.org/

26.01.2012

The Outlook for East Asia
• Lee Hsien-Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore

Moderated by
• Fareed Zakaria, Anchor, Fareed Zakaria - GPS, CNN, USA

• Category

  News & Politics

[yinstube]

It's funny that every time a Singaporean PM is interviewed by Western media, they get asked about China.

[visa]

It's not that funny. Singapore has close ties with both China and the Western world. We function as a valuable intermediary/middleman. Singapore's a great destination for a Westerner to make sense of China, or for a Chinese to make sense of the West. That's why we survive, that's why we thrive, because we fight to remain relevant.

[rcharlesish]

Because Singapore is ethnically Chinese. It was Chinese ingenuity and organisation that made Singapore what it is today. Because dozens of Chinese officials are sent annually to Singapore to learn about governance. The West thinks Chinese are somehow incapable for first world governance. The future that China aspires to is dozens of Singapores within the country. The attitudes of Lee Kuan Yew directly reflect the Confucian governance principles that China and Chinese aspire too

[Trinh Tran]

I think he asked more about China may be China is the country has effected in Asia the most in Asia Economic

[Badass Biker]

Is the host constantly asking about China and US because he doesn't know much about Singapore or Southeast Asia?

I've been watching for 12 minutes and its the same bs. He should be asking about Malaysia and Indonesia instead of China and US.

[typhoonq]

The reason is because the Western media perceived Singapore PM has better understanding and in-depth knolwedge on Chinese politics and National Development.

This has also got to do with Sino-Singapore close relationship.

In the early 1980's when Deng Xiao Peng visited Singapore, he was captivated by Singapore Development and system of Governing. He was very impressed and on his return to China he decided to choose the Singapore model for China Development.

[文偉 王]

Maybe it is due to the role that the Sin Government played as an intermediary between the west and China prior to the restructure of the Chinese economy and the adoption of the open-up and reform policy in 1978. Or perhaps many journalists still hold the view that the official position of the Chinese governm't is not credible in most cases.

[文偉 王]

Maybe due to the role the Sin government previously played as an intermediary between the west and China before the CCP restructuring China's economy and adopting open-up and reform policy.

[cbhooi330]

Optical view not compatible with the voices .