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Maria Siow

During my 18 years living and working in mainland China, people who discovered I was Singaporean would usually respond with one of the following remarks:
• Singapore is efficient and corruption-free – usually said with a note of envy.
• Singapore is what it is today because of former leader Lee Kuan Yew.
• Singapore is run by the Lee family.
• Singapore is predominantly ethnic Chinese.
• Lee Kuan Yew was an admirable and amazing leader – a few would even go on to add, “if only China had an equivalent of Mr Lee”.
• China learned a great deal from Singapore during the country’s reform and opening-up process.
• Former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping admired Singapore, especially the island’s pursuit of economic success while maintaining a tight grip on politics.
• Singapore is a one-party state and tolerates no dissent.


These observations are offered in various permutations but have largely withstood the test of time. Understandably so, because these are the broad narratives about Singapore conveyed in Chinese media and books published there over the years.
Popular books about Singapore sold in China in recent years include Lee Kuan Yew: A Great Man from a Small Country and several versions of Lee biographies by Chinese authors.
At an academic level, the Centre for Singapore Studies has been established at Shenzhen University, Xiamen University, Guangxi University and Jiangxi’s Gannan Normal University.
Singapore election: the present and future of the People’s Action Party
Apart from conducting research into Singapore’s foreign affairs and efforts in tackling corruption and fighting terrorism and extremism, these institutes examine Singapore’s water policies, public administration, social and urban management, vocational training and the cultural identities of Singaporean Chinese.
Among netizens and ordinary Chinese, though, Singapore attracts less attention. The one exception came in 2017 when the feud between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his younger siblings over property owned by the late Singaporean prime minister was splashed across the headlines in China. Many Chinese regarded the dispute over a dead ancestor’s estate as “extremely Chinese” and therefore relatable.
Now, as Singapore campaigns ahead of its general election, Chinese interest has again stirred, particularly on the microblogging website Weibo.

One user expressed amazement that Singapore conducts elections, asking: “Isn’t there a saying that in predominantly Chinese societies it is not wise to engage in the backward practices of the West? Look, Taiwan elections are in a mess.”
Another asked whether the next Prime Minister of Singapore will be a “Lee”. Another user responded: “No, it will be a ‘Wang’” – referring to the Chinese rendering of Heng Swee Keat, the deputy prime minister and Lee’s designated successor. In turn, users piled on in surprise, demanding to know: “Why is it not a Lee?”
The fascination among Chinese with the Lee family is impossible to miss. Singapore’s official name in Chinese is “Xin Jia Po” but many Chinese refer to it instead as “Li Jia Po”, emphasising the Lee family’s importance. For example, they might ask: “Isn’t this Li Jia Po? Why is there the need to canvass votes?”
What’s a strong win for the PAP in a season of coronavirus and political succession?
Last month, Lee Kuan Yew’s younger son, Lee Hsien Yang, threw his support behind the opposition, creating a stir on Chinese social media. One user insisted “his father would strike his younger son unconscious if he is still alive”.
Another asked why an election was needed given “the results and outcomes are always the same”.
Yet another noted: “Ordinary people have the vote, yet Singapore politics is not messy like in the West. Perfect!”
The general lack of understanding about what makes Singapore tick and the hard issues faced during an election campaign should not come as a surprise. After all, Singapore is a small country and ordinary Chinese are generally better informed about countries that more significantly impact their own, such as the US, Japan and India.

Online, Singapore becomes a subject for serious discussion only when it adopts a position at odds with China, such as support for US engagement in the region or endorsing international law in maritime disputes, potentially undermining Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.
These discussions usually centre on Singapore’s pro-US stance and the perceived attempt to use the US as a counterweight to China’s influence in the region. Such discussions are often critical, suggesting Singapore, as a predominantly ethnic Chinese country, should be careful of inching closer to the Western camp and instead remember which side its bread gets buttered. Sometimes there is even a warning – or a threat – of repercussions and punitive measures against Singapore for not siding with China.
Fundamentally, many in China regard Singapore as a Chinese nation that should therefore understand and support Beijing’s policies.
Whatever happens in Singapore’s upcoming elections, the country’s leaders will need to manage this ongoing balancing act, pursuing their own country’s national interests without jeopardising the goodwill with Beijing that accompanies a shared lineage.


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A member of Singapore’s Worker's Party handing out flyers before the elections. Photo: EPA

*** ONE TIME USE ONLY *** Chinese president Hu Jintao, right, shakes hands with Singapore's former Singapore prime minister Lee Kuan Yew at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Nov. 16, 2007. (CNS)

FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2019, file photo, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong walks at the National Palace in Mexico City. Lee is calling for new elections to seek a new mandate during the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)

Hype beasts, fan cams: does Singapore opposition have an online edge in election 2020?

Singapore is going to the polls on Friday. Photo: AFP

Leader of the newly-launched Progress Singapore Party (PSP) Tan Cheng Bock is seen at a press conference in Singapore July 26, 2019. REUTERS/Feline Lim

epa08524147 A man walks past Singapore national flags in a residential area ahead of the general election in Singapore, 03 July 2020. Singapore prepares to go to the polls on 10 July 2020 where 93 seats are up for contest in parliament. EPA-EFE/HOW HWEE YOUNG

Singapore election: what’s a strong win for the PAP in a season of coronavirus and political succession?

Singapore goes to the polls on July 10. Photo: EPA

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of the ruling People's Action Party arrives at a nomination center ahead of the general election in Singapore June 30, 2020. REUTERS/Edgar Su TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

epa08505232 Customers wearing mask observe safe distancing as they queue up to purchase food at a hawker center in Singapore, 24 June 2020. Singapore announced the dissolution of its parliament on 23 June ahead of general elections to be held on 10 July amidst the COVID-19 and coronavirus pandemic. EPA-EFE/WALLACE WOON

Heng Swee Keat, Singapore's deputy prime minister, speaks via video link at the Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai, China, on Thursday, June 18, 2020. China Securities Regulatory Commission chairman Yi Huiman said that China would continue to implement more policies toward the goal of financial opening, in a speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the forum. Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

People cross a street in Singapore on June 23, 2020. - Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called a general election "like no other" on June 23 as the city-state struggles to recover from a major coronavirus outbreak that has swept through crowded migrant worker dormitories. (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP)

A man walks past the Elections Department centre in Singapore on June 8, 2020. (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP)

FILE PHOTO: A view of the central business district in Singapore, May 24, 2018. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

Singapore election: the present and future of the People’s Action Party

Singapore’s Prime Minister and People’s Action Party leader Lee Hsien Loong wears a mask adorned with his party’s logo as he waits to field questions from the media on June 30. Photo: AP

=== PHOTO CAPTURED FROM FACEBOOK === Mr. Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance of Singapore. FACEBOOK.

Clockwise from top left: Chan Chun Sing, Grace Fu, Heng Swee Keat, S. Iswaran, Desmond Lee, Lawrence Wong, Josephine Teo, Ong Ye Kung, Ng Chee Meng and Masagos Zulkifli. HANDOUT PHOTO

Singapore election: the parties taking on the PAP on July 10

Singapore’s Workers’ Party will contest 21 seats in six constituencies. Photo: AP

Lee Hsien Yang, the brother of Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, sits for a coffee after been presented membership to the opposition Progress Singapore Party at at an event at the Tiong Bahru Market in Singapore on June 24, 2020. - Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's estranged brother has joined an opposition group helmed by a former ruling party stalwart, as a bitter family feud reignited ahead of next month's elections. (Photo by ROSLAN RAHMAN / AFP)

(150901) -- SINGAPORE, Sept. 1, 2015 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Workers' Party (WP)'s Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang (front) leads his party members to the nomination centre at Singapore's Raffles Institution, Sept. 1, 2015. The hour-long nomination process for Singapore's general election started in nine nomination centers in the city state on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Then Chih Wey) ****Authorized by ytfs****

Chee Soon Juan, secretary-general of Singapore Democratic Party, speaks at Harbour Grand Hong Kong Hotel in North Point. 07NOV14

Pritam Singh and Sylvia Lim of the Workers' Party arrive at a nomination center ahead of the general election in Singapore June 30, 2020. REUTERS/Edgar Su

CORRECTION - Tan Cheng Bock, Secretary General of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), waves at the party's launch in Singapore on August 3, 2019. - A new opposition party backed by the estranged brother of Singapore's prime minister was launched on August 3 in a fresh challenge to the government as speculation mounts elections could be called soon. (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP) / "The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Roslan RAHMAN has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Progress] instead of [Progressive]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your a

The Elections Department centre in Singapore. Photo: AFP

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Singapore is heading to the polls. Photo: AP

In this handout photo released Tuesday, Apr. 21, 2020, by Singapore's Ministry of Communication and Information, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong provides an update on the COVID-19 situation in the city state. Singapore has announced that it would extend its lockdown by another four weeks after a sharp upsurge in COVID-19 cases in recent days. (Singapore Ministry of Communication and Information via AP)

epa08375178 A handout photo made available by the Singapore Ministry of Communication and Information shows Singapore Manpower Minister Josephine Teo speaking during a press conference of the Ministerial Task Force, appointed to tackle the COVID-19 issue, in Singapore, 21 April 2020. Singapore has extended its 'circuit breaker' lockdown period to 01 June 2020, and will further tighten existing measures to curb the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the COVID-19 disease. Singapore has seen a large uptick in the number of cases over the past week. EPA-EFE/MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION / BETTY CHUA HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

epa08476413 A general view shows the Marina Bay Sands hotel (L), the ArtScience museum (C) and the financial district across the Marina Bay in Singapore, 10 June 2020. Singapore has set up four regional COVID-19 screening centres to test essential workers such as pre-school teachers and frontline service staff. The island’s total testing capacity will be raised from 13,000 to 40,000 a day. EPA-EFE/WALLACE WOON

This Week in Asia

Politics


Weibo users are obsessed with the Lee family but bemused by the need for democracy in a ‘Chinese nation’
No matter the outcome this week, Singapore’s leaders will need to find a path that serves the national interests while keeping Beijing onside



Weibo users are obsessed with the Lee family but bemused by the need for democracy in a ‘Chinese nation’.


Singapore

China-Singapore relations

Weibo

Lee Hsien Loong

Lee Kuan Yew

Lee family feud

Asia elections

Chinese overseas

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Opinion