(Baonghean.vn) - Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong left behind a promising career in academia to return to Singapore and continue his father's political path. On the occasion of his official visit to Vietnam from March 21-23, Nghe An Newspaper reviews some impressive images in his life.
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| Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was born on February 10, 1952, the eldest son of the late Prime Minister and "father" of modern Singapore, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. He is on his third official visit to Vietnam as Prime Minister, from March 21 to 24. |
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| Lee Hsien Loong and his friends at his 6th grade graduation ceremony in 1963. |
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| Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, his father and family members play Chinese chess in their garden in 1965. |
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| In 1973, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong graduated with first class honors in Computer Science from Trinity College, Cambridge University (UK) and also achieved the title of Senior Wrangler. Senior Wrangler can be considered as "Top" or "Valedictorian" in mathematics at Cambridge University and is often described as "the highest academic title that can be achieved in the UK". |
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| Young Lee Hsien Loong in military uniform in 1973. He joined the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in 1971. |
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| At the age of 32, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong started his political career and was elected to parliament in December 1984. |
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| Lee Hsien Loong poses with Goh Chok Tong, then First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, while watching a rehearsal for the Independence Day parade in 1985. He was appointed by his father, then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, as Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Minister for Defence in December 1984, becoming Acting Minister for Trade and Industry in 1986, and then Deputy Minister for Defence. |
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| Mr. Lee Hsien Loong at his wedding to Ms. Ho Ching in 1985. He became Deputy Prime Minister when Mr. Goh Chok Tong assumed the position of Prime Minister of Singapore in November 1990. |
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| Mr. Lee Hsien Loong attends a conference in 2001. In 1998, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong was appointed Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and Minister for Finance in 2001. |
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| Mr. Lee Hsien Loong became Prime Minister of Singapore in 2004. Pictured is the scene of his inauguration that year. |
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| Mr Lee Hsien Loong poses with the new cabinet in May 2011 after his ruling People's Action Party (PAP) won the 2011 general election. |
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| When asked about the fact that the opposition party only holds a very small number of seats compared to the ruling People's Action Party and that Singapore is not really open on issues other than the economy, Lee Hsien Loong said: "The fact that voters voted for me and my party does not mean that our country is not open." In this photo, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visits a neighborhood during the election campaign in September 2015. |
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| Speaking about the role of ASEAN, Mr. Lee said that Singapore's membership in ASEAN is useful and essential for the country. "(ASEAN) is not as ambitious as the European Union (EU), it does not aim for full political integration or economic integration. But it is a lifeline that allows our voice to carry more weight in the world," he said. On the issue of the East Sea, Singapore's interests are freedom of navigation, international law and ASEAN cohesion. In the photo, Mr. Lee and ASEAN leaders at the summit in September 2016. |
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| Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong received President Tran Dai Quang during the President's State visit to Singapore from August 28 to 30, 2016. |
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| The Singaporean Prime Minister is known to interact with the public on Facebook. His personal Facebook page has more than 1 million "likes", combining a channel to announce important issues with everyday images of the prime minister. Mr. Lee also likes to post photos he takes himself every day and "selfies" with other leaders and the public. |
Kim Ngoc
(synthetic)
