Like a vassal state, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong today (Sep 19) flew to China to meet China President Xi Jinping and plead for a membership to China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) project.
Speaking to Chinese state media Xinhuanet in Singapore yesterday (Sep 18), PM Lee Hsien Loong poured praises for China and their multi-trillion OBOR project:
“Singapore views China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative positively and sees many opportunities for the two nations to collaborate on the massive project. As China develops, its international influence is growing and how the country can integrate into the global community is an important issue. OBOR is a way for China to actively connect with its neighbours and economic partners, strengthen co-operation, and reap mutual benefits from better infrastructure, trade and tourism. The Initiative will help foster closer cooperation among China and its neighbouring countries as well as its trade partners in Europe, Asia and even Africa.”
China’s OBOR project excludes Singapore from it’s investment and the development of the Malaysia Penisular stopped at Johor Malaysia instead. This move is largely due to PM Lee Hsien Loong backstabbing China over the South China Sea territories dispute where he led ASEAN countries to repel against China. China then detained 11 SAF’s terrex vehicles in Hong Kong and the Singapore government eventually had to make a U-turn policy turning away from United States to China for economic assistance.
In his interview with the Chinese state media, Lee Hsien Loong offered Singapore to assist China’s OBOR project:
“Chinese companies investing in OBOR can leverage Singapore as a financial centre, a transport hub or make use of the country’s trade and services facilities.”
The Singapore dictator then poured praises saying he wants Singapore learn from China:
“I want to encourage Singaporeans to learn from your experiences. We should be able to do this too… Chinese companies – telecommunications and technology companies – are some of the best internationally. Taobao, WeChat, Huawei – not only are they large companies, but they’re also very technologically advanced.”
When asked about the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail tender, Lee Hsien Loong paid a lips service:
“I welcome Chinese companies to bid for the project. I had taken the high-speed rail in China twice and that the rides were convenient, smooth and comfortable.”
Lee Hsien Loong then tried to teach China how to govern in the next 5 to 10 years:
“In the next five to 10 years, there will definitely be challenges. China is a very big and complicated country, it’s not easy to govern. But with courage and unity, China will certainly overcome all difficulties, and continue to develop and move forward.”