Much to learn from the Chinese
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By Connie Er
A CONFIDENT-LOOKING teenager strode up to the microphone at a recent forum in Singapore and asked if China's leaders had what it took to push for even greater reforms than what the legendary Deng Xiaoping accomplished.
Noting that the late paramount leader had the support of the military when he pushed through economic reforms, the Dunman High student wondered aloud how far President Hu Jintao and his likely successor Xi Jinping would be able to take reforms without a comparable military background.
Would China's economic development falter, causing instability or even the collapse of the Chinese Communist Party, asked the student.
The occasion was the first in the China Insight forum series organised by Singapore-based networking group Business China. The guest speaker was Hong Kong Phoenix TV commentator and veteran journalist Yang Jinlin.
The student's question earned him praise from Dr Yang.
'I'm very impressed that Singaporean students are of such high calibre. There's certainly great hope for Singapore!' declared Dr Yang.
The teenager replied: 'Er, sorry, but I'm from China.'
The audience roared with laughter.
The student was not the only Chinese person who spoke up. Out of eight questions from the floor, six others came from his countrymen.
It was a sober reminder that in Singapore-China networking, it is the recent arrivals from China who are taking the lead.
The forum had drawn some 500 people, mainly Business China members, working partners and university and Special Assistance Plan school students.
Many were Chinese exchange students. They were concerned about how China could win over the hearts of the Taiwanese and the world. In short, they wanted to know how China could promote its culture globally.
Resourceful young Chinese people studying or working in Singapore have been quick to link up with their countrymen and to stay abreast of new developments back home.
In a sign of the active participation of the Chinese in local networks, the April 4 inaugural forum was supported by the Xiamen University Alumni. (Dr Yang holds a doctorate in history from the university.)
Previous waves of immigrants, dating back to the 1850s, might have joined clan associations. But many of the recent arrivals from China, including students, are not from southern China. They do not speak the southern dialects of Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese or Hainanese.
They come from all over China, including mega-cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, and north-eastern provinces like Heilongjiang and the central provinces like Hunan.
Many of the newly arrived Chinese are better educated than previous generations of assimilated ethnic Chinese. They are keen to join broad-based associations organised by bilingual new migrants, like the Hua Yuan Association, reported Professor Liu Hong, formerly of the Chinese Studies department at National University of Singapore, in his book New Migrants And The Revival Of Overseas Chinese Nationalism.
The Hua Yuan Association as well as the Tian Fu Club and Tianjin Club are some of the groups formed by mainland Chinese in Singapore. The three groups have more than 4,000 members between them, many of whom are university graduates.
But the new generation of Chinese expatriates and immigrants is also keen to network through local organisations like the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) - which in fact started as a self-help group in 1906 to serve new Chinese immigrants.
To help the new arrivals integrate into society, the SCCCI set up its Immigrants Liaison Group in 2007 and it drew entrepreneurs and professionals into the fold.
Business China - a brainchild of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew - was also set up by the SCCCI, in November 2007.
It aims to help those who are interested in sharpening their bilingual and bicultural edge to engage China. The new forum series it is organising will invite academics and industry experts from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore to offer their views on issues that will have an impact on China and the world.
Business China's chief executive officer Josephine Teo, who is an MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, has said special attention would be given to helping younger Singaporeans know China better.
Judging from the response at the forum, Chinese nationals are also benefiting.
Only one question at the forum was posed by a Singaporean. It came after the forum's moderator, Ms Chun Guek Lay, specifically invited Singaporeans to speak up.
The Singaporean, who identified himself as an alumnus of Dunman High, greeted Dr Yang in Hokkien, and then asked, in Mandarin, about conflicts between old and new forces in China as it emerges as a strong power.
But it was the Chinese who had led the way in asking the questions. Singaporeans have much to learn from them - even in their own country.
After the session ended, the Dunman High student who had asked the question about Deng Xiaoping approached his teacher - also a Chinese national - who evaluated his performance.
'I think you should have got straight to the point when asking questions, instead of providing so much context,' the teacher said. 'But hey, well done,' she added, beaming.
When even a question is a teachable moment, you know the Chinese here mean business.
The writer is Assistant Foreign Editor
This article was first published in The Straits Times.
Source: http://news.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20100514-216208.html
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comments
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hahaha........HAHAHAHA.....TALKING ABOUT CHINA IN SINGAPORE!!
serves singapore right!they serve the foreigners from china ,india and elsewhere....singapore will get nuts from foreigners from china n india too.
theres no more singa[ore...its just an empty peanut shell
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Originally posted by Hitman+:
hahaha........HAHAHAHA.....TALKING ABOUT CHINA IN SINGAPORE!!
serves singapore right!they serve the foreigners from china ,india and elsewhere....singapore will get nuts from foreigners from china n india too.
theres no more singa[ore...its just an empty peanut shell
Then why the fark are you in a singaporean forum? Singaporeans would think of ways that would improve Singapore and not start putting Singapore down. You can only sing song and talk cock, no wonder Singapore is going nowhere. -
+1
Originally posted by Hitman+:hahaha........HAHAHAHA.....TALKING ABOUT CHINA IN SINGAPORE!!
serves singapore right!they serve the foreigners from china ,india and elsewhere....singapore will get nuts from foreigners from china n india too.
theres no more singa[ore...its just an empty peanut shell
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Originally posted by Hitman+:
hahaha........HAHAHAHA.....TALKING ABOUT CHINA IN SINGAPORE!!
serves singapore right!they serve the foreigners from china ,india and elsewhere....singapore will get nuts from foreigners from china n india too.
theres no more singa[ore...its just an empty peanut shell
That's why Singaporeans must get rid of PAP.
They cause too much problems for Singaporeans.
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post-communist china chinese are a hungry lot....that was the exact spirit our forefathers possess when they came over as coolies...but the modern bunch have greater hunger for the good life and branded lifestyles....even grander than us....
they are now crowding marina sands...with the Dostoevskian compulsion to win.....
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They wanna take over the world lah. We are screwed.
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Originally posted by dangerboi:
Noting that the late paramount leader had the support of the military when he pushed through economic reforms, the Dunman High student wondered aloud how far President Hu Jintao and his likely successor Xi Jinping would be able to take reforms without a comparable military background.
Would China's economic development falter, causing instability or even the collapse of the Chinese Communist Party, asked the student.
The occasion was the first in the China Insight forum series organised by Singapore-based networking group Business China. The guest speaker was Hong Kong Phoenix TV commentator and veteran journalist Yang Jinlin.
The student's question earned him praise from Dr Yang.
'I'm very impressed that Singaporean students are of such high calibre. There's certainly great hope for Singapore!' declared Dr Yang.
The teenager replied: 'Er, sorry, but I'm from China.'
Asking a cliched question also can get praises ah? Sinkies dont ask bcos they dont want to waste time asking STOOPID question. Want to ask, ask something that really requires an interesting response.
Ask STOOPID open ended question like this, sure get the usual rhetorical answer la. Like "Sure can, China can rise with the support of its proud citizen (and PAP's open door policy)"
All these ah tiongs ask question, do they rly ask those that got make sense one ah? Quality, not quantity!
And the "I'm from China" part also KNN super patriotic of them sia. Come here to SG want to show off the tiong-ness. ...claim to want to blend in but in times of praise suddenly want to stand up and announce to the whole world that he's from PRC. Like dont want praise for Sinkies, only want praise for China ppl like that.
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Hi guys,
Anyone interested to joing FHM model Singapore 2011 hunks. I think i sure can be runner up. I pretty boy
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if u are a pritty boy..then u shold be ina gay mags!waste of talent!
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herzog,
im waiting for u to organise a rebellion in spore to neutralise PAP. U GAME FOR IT?
and what did u do so far to improve things?other than saving a small part of yer skin which would end up in smoke in later years!
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Originally posted by Hitman+:
herzog,
im waiting for u to organise a rebellion in spore to neutralise PAP. U GAME FOR IT?
and what did u do so far to improve things?other than saving a small part of yer skin which would end up in smoke in later years!
Did I state organise a rebellion? More than one way to skin a kitty like PAP. Grow up lah. -
Originally posted by Hitman+:
if u are a pritty boy..then u shold be ina gay mags!waste of talent!
I only want tojoin FHM hunks. i moller catwalk lunway gut! all hail
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we are just a drop in the ocean.
if you think china threatens us then you must be crazy.
US and japan are the ones that should be worried about china.
please dont over-estimate ourselves.
remember what one taiwanese said, "鼻屎那么�的国家...." - its crude but nonetheless true.
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look at the number of wars china fought, civil ones. they were infact i say the last of the more 'civilized' country to declare independence and a country as a whole. when they do look at what they did to the world. cutting down costs with super cheap labor, throwing their cheap labor and employment problems to other countries, with compromise to quality. look at what they eat to stay warm. look at what they business men did to make a quick buck (milk powder and fake tonics with uneatable metals).
if you think what japan did to them during the sino-jap era and WW2, think now the number of people who fled instead of staying to fight the japs, think the number of traitors who wock or tip off the japanese so that they can be pay, have safe passage and food only for their own family. Now they put the blame back at japan.
china is a continent that has to be controlled. russia, US, Japan, Europe and other muslim countries all know. I am just glad that Taiwan hs her own army unblike HK, i am just gald that N.korea is there to keep everyone busy. to get to sg they have to get past MY and Indonesia first.
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These guys are hungrier, not necessarily of a better calibre though. Well, if your spurs get stuck in your hide, that's your farking problem.
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from what i see of china, only a few larger states and their captial florishing. the rest of the states many are still wayback, starving and of 3rd whole condition. that's why taiwan only need to aim their long range missles at the captial states. no need to fight tthe whole country. and i am glad US is the kaypoh selling weapons to TW.
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Originally posted by troublemaker2005:
from what i see of china, only a few larger states and their captial florishing. the rest of the states many are still wayback, starving and of 3rd whole condition. that's why taiwan only need to aim their long range missles at the captial states. no need to fight tthe whole country. and i am glad US is the kaypoh selling weapons to TW.
Taiwan i think can hit costal provinces only their short and medium range missiles.If Taiwan can hit their dams then China scared the dam burst mati. Water burst through.
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China will drown us in their pee, I assure you.