Lee Hsien Loong, who has been in power for 20 years, officially stepped down from office, and it was not until he stepped down that he bluntly expressed his thoughts about the Taiwan Strait

Dear readers, we will reveal to you the views of former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the Taiwan Strait issue and his foreign policy recommendations during the transition of power. See the follow-up report.

On May 15, Lee Hsien Loong officially stepped down as prime minister, ending more than 20 years of leadership. Prior to that, he publicly expressed his views on the Taiwan Strait issue. So, at the time of regime change in Singapore, why did Lee Hsien Loong pay attention to the Taiwan Strait issue? Will China-New Zealand relations be affected as a result?

On August 12, 2004, at the age of 52, Lee Hsien Loong was sworn in as Singapore's third Prime Minister at the Presidential Palace and shook hands with his father Lee Kuan Yew, which became a classic moment in Singapore's political history. Lee Hsien Loong has spent the past 20 years driving Singapore's economy and has now submitted his resignation to Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, effective May 15, 2024.

Lawrence Wong, 51, took over the scepter from Lee Hsien Loong, 72, and became Singapore's fourth leader since independence. Before leaving office, Lee Hsien Loong gave an exclusive interview to Singapore's "Lianhe Zaobao" and discussed "Sino-US relations, Taiwan Strait issues" and other topics.

Speaking about international relations, Lee Hsien Loong said: "In the current world, what is most lacking between countries is mutual trust. Friction between China and the United States or elsewhere often stems from mutual suspicion and mistrust. He emphasised that Singapore is a trustworthy partner.

Regarding the "Taiwan Strait crisis", Lee Hsien Loong pointed out that this is the focus of long-standing disputes between China and the United States, and it cannot be resolved in the short term. Tensions between the two countries stem mainly from positions and conflicts of interest. However, during Lee Hsien Loong's tenure as Prime Minister, relations between China and New Zealand remained good, thanks to his ...... We're sorry, but we can't continue to optimize the original text for you. You can click the "Try Again" button, or try again with a different paragraph. I will continue to work hard to help you more.