This article is taken from a Singaporean eye, a 54-year-old middle-aged man who came to Singapore from China in 1980.
He is very low-key. Many high-ranking Chinese officials of the same level live in five-star hotels on Orchard Road, but he chose a three-star hotel. During his two weeks in Singapore, he rode in an ordinary car driven by the Singapore liaison officer himself, sometimes even by taxi or on foot.
Just a year earlier, in April 1979, Deng Xiaoping had proposed the establishment of special economic zones to encourage foreign investors to set up factories in the zones. The middle-aged official, who was originally director of the Foreign Affairs Bureau of the First Ministry of Machinery Industry, has now been transferred to the State Import and Export Commission and the Foreign Investment Administration Commission, where he is in charge of implementing the policy of opening up Guangdong and Fujian provinces.
When he arrived in Singapore, the liaison officer assigned to him by the Singapore government was a director of the Economic Development Board named Goh Botao.
Ten years later, in 1990, Wu Botao wrote a briefing on Lee Kuan Yew's impressions of key figures, which he described as follows: "This person is conscientious and diligent, he will carefully study every problem, take notes, and get to the bottom of everything." He was a frugal and incorruptible official, but he didn't seem like a politician. ”
The reason why Wu Botao wrote this brief ten years later is because the middle-aged man has just ascended to the highest position.
He is Jiang Zemin.
Jiang Zemin: There must be a secret to attracting foreign investment in Singapore
In 1980, after a two-week inspection tour of Singapore, Jiang Zemin said to Wu Botao: "If you haven't finished speaking, Singapore must still have secrets." China's land, water, energy, labor, the cost is much lower, but you can attract so much foreign investment, we can't do it, what is your secret? ”
Wu Botao is embarrassed to say that the key lies in the outside world's confidence in Singapore's politics and Singapore's own economic productivity. He brought out a report on the business environment risk index for Jiang Zemin to see. At that time, Singapore was rated as a first class on a scale of one to three C, but China at that time was not even on the scale.
Wu Botao said that investing in Singapore is safe and reliable, the currency is freely convertible, the wealth is safe, the workers are diligent, and there are few labor waves. However, Jiang Zemin was not fully convinced, so he took the Business Environment Risk Index report back to China.
Before going to the airport to return home, Jiang and Wu had a summary discussion in the hotel room. Finally, Jiang Zemin said Singapore's unique trick for attracting foreign investment is that it "promotes confidence."
(Jiang Zemin visited a semiconductor factory in Singapore in 1994)
Lee Kuan Yew: I didn't expect him to be so lively and outgoing
But it also has a strong and courageous side
Jiang Zemin visited Singapore twice in the early 80s, one in 1980 to inspect Singapore's export-oriented economy and investment attraction, and the other was only a transit short-term stop; In 1988, when Jiang Zemin was mayor of Shanghai, Lee Kuan Yew visited Shanghai. However, these few times both of them missed each other and did not meet.
(In 1994, Lee Kuan Yew received Jiang Zemin at the presidential palace, with Lee Hsien Loong standing in the background.) Source: MITA)
Lee Kuan Yew first met Jiang Zemin in October 1990 in Beijing. Jiang Zemin warmly welcomed him, saying, "Some friends come from afar, and they are happy." ”
Mr. Jiang also told Mr. Lee that when he was in Singapore, he was able to talk to ordinary people on the street in Mandarin, and it was easy to go anywhere. Moreover, he was impressed by the slogan of Singapore at the time: "Treat people and be polite".
At the dinner, Jiang Zemin's speech quoted scriptures and classics, which was very vivid. He recalled that when he was mayor of Shanghai, it was not easy to supply 2 million kilograms of vegetables to citizens every day. It is not easy for China to feed its 1.1 billion people.
Lee Kuan Yew wrote in his memoirs: "I have long heard reports about Jiang Zemin, but I was surprised when I really came into contact, and I did not expect to meet such a lively and outgoing leader. ”
Lee Kuan Yew also said that many people, including himself, would underestimate Jiang Zemin's ability because of his kindness and penchant for quoting scriptures, but Lee Kuan Yew concluded, "Jiang Zemin certainly has his strong and courageous side, his integrity and dedication, and his determination to continue to promote China's modernization process.
China should take advantage of the huge potential market
Let European and American companies "lock in the relationship of common growth"
Two years later, in October 1992, Jiang and Li were reunited.
At that time, there were still a few weeks before the US election, and Clinton and Bush were running for president, and Sino-US relations were not happy at that time.
Mr. Lee said that if Mrs. Clinton is elected, the young new president will be eager to show supporters that he has fulfilled his campaign promises, which could spell trouble for both the United States and the United States.
Jiang Zemin said: The US sale of fighter jets and other weapons to the east coast of the Taiwan Strait runs counter to the principles of the 1982 Sino-US joint communique, and China did not make a big deal out of it in order to prevent President Bush, who is seeking re-election, from feeling embarrassed during the election campaign.
(Jiang Zemin inspects the honor guard at Singapore's presidential palace in 1994)
A year later, in May 1993, the two met again in Beijing. Lee Kuan Yew said that if the United States is to weaken its role as a check and balance, China should open its market to more European multinational companies, so in order not to be left behind, American multinational companies must put pressure on the US government to prevent the US government from easily taking things that will harm the interests of US enterprises in China. Jiang Zemin agreed.
(In 1995, Singapore President Heng Teng Cheong visited China)
Lee Kuan Yew went on to say that European and American companies do not want China to follow Japan's path, which is a closed market and only exports but does not import. Lee Kuan Yew's suggestion is that China should use its vast potential market to attract foreign investment, let them sell their products in China, tie them up, and let them "lock in a relationship that grows together" with China.
Jiang Zemin agreed. He said that in such a huge country as China, it is impractical to only export and not import; China must increase exports, but it must also open its markets. He believes that China should learn from different countries, absorbing their advantages in knowledge, science and technology, and learning from their strengths in cultural experience.
A year later, in 1994, the Suzhou Industrial Park project was launched. This is the first cooperation project between the governments of Singapore and China. Later, building on the success of the Suzhou Industrial Park cooperation, the two countries launched the Tianjin Eco-City and Chongqing Connectivity Demonstration Project.
Reference reading: China's most cattle development zone, behind which is Singapore
(Lee Hsien Loong saw off Jiang Zemin at Changi Airport in 1994)
Lee Kuan Yew described his relationship with Jiang Zemin in his memoirs: "The two of us got along very well, he loved to make friends, and I was direct and frank. With Li Peng, I have to be very cautious, and I often have scruples even half-joking. Jiang Zemin, on the other hand, knew that I had no malice and never saw any surprises. The friendly understanding between us has really helped to deal with difficult and sensitive issues. ”
Lee Kuan Yew said Jiang Zemin's grandfather was a famous doctor, poet and calligrapher. His father was the eldest son, and his uncle joined the revolution at the age of 17 and became a martyr at the age of 28. Jiang Zemin passed to his aunt at the age of 13 and has a revolutionary family background. He grew up in a scholarly family, sang well, played the piano well, liked to listen to Mozart and Beethoven, and had a strong culture at home.
Media reports at home and abroad
For his passing, many media have also reported it. On the afternoon of November 30, Singapore's largest newspaper, The Straits Times, also prominently reported the news on its homepage - "Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin has passed away at the age of 96. ”
They also mentioned that Jiang Zemin led China to join the WTO and smoothly recover the Hong Kong and Macao SARs from Britain and Portugal.
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