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Lee Kuan Yew: Economic ties push reunification

China.org.cn, August 14, 2013

• Former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew has proposed in a new book that the Mainland and Taiwan will be reunited through economic integration.

  Former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew said in his new book that the Mainland will be reunited with Taiwan in an integration of the two economies.

  Lee, who will celebrate his 90th birthday next month, launched his new book "One Man's View of the World"at the presidential palace in Singapore on Aug. 6 . In the book, he expounds his views on the futures of major powers and regions of the world.

  A large part of the book’s content focuses on the Sino-U.S. relationship, including the Taiwan issue. According to Lee, gradual economic integration will promote the reunification of Taiwan and the Mainland. Cross-strait economic ties are currently developing steadily and will continue to grow in next four years. If the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) wins the next presidential election and reverses the policies of the ruling Kuo Min Tang (KMT), Taiwan’s farmers and entrepreneurs will suffer,therefore the DPP is doomed to fail in the next election.

  Lee believes that Taiwan’s fate still is determined by the strength of the two regions and whether the United States .interferes. However, he does not think that theU.S. should regard China as a long term enemy. China and the United States will not fight each other, not even for Taiwan, which is still the key issue in the relationship. Li said in his new book that both sides have a nuclear arsenal, and they clearly understand that any potential war would have disastrous consequences.

  He thinks that China needs to develop a friendship with the United States to ensure its market share there.to continue to attract U.S. investment and import U.S. technologies as well as maintain academic exchanges with U.S. universities. However, as the U.S. is capable of searching and collecting evidence at a range of 12 miles from China’s coastlines, China is trying hard to protect its east coast from the U.S. surveillance."If there was a Chinese aircraft carrier near the U.S. coast, they would not put up with it either, so you can understand China’s feelings." Lee said.

  This latest book, just like Lee’s previous publications, was written and edited by staff from the Straits Times based on his dictation, however it does not include many memories from his life or views on Singapore’s development.

  Honored as the "Father of Singapore", Lee was the Prime Minister from 1959 to 1990, Senior Minister from 1990 to2004 and Minister Mentor from 2004 to2011. He is considered a very influential statesman.

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