Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore and Vietnam

In his memoir published in 2000, Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew recounted memories of the "ice-breaking" period in bilateral relations and offered optimistic assessments of Vietnam's development potential.

Former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was an opponent of Vietnam on the Cambodian issue in the 1970s and 1980s. However, relations between Vietnam and Singapore began to change from 1990 onwards.

In his memoir "From Third World to First World: The Singapore Story 1965-2000," Lee Kuan Yew recounted the thawing period in bilateral relations, as well as memories from his later visits to Vietnam.

Accordingly, at the World Economic Forum in Davos in February 1990, Mr. Vo Van Kiet, then Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers, requested a meeting with Mr. Lee and proposed that the two countries set aside past disagreements and move towards cooperation.

Former Vietnamese Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet. Photo: Telegraph.

But it wasn't until more than a year later that Vietnam-Singapore relations truly turned a new page, with the visit of Mr. Vo Van Kiet as Prime Minister. Mr. Lee Kuan Yew had by then resigned as Prime Minister of Singapore, but still held an important role in the island nation's politics.

"Although I was no longer prime minister, we still met at a reception hosted by my successor, Goh Chok Tong. As the party was drawing to a close, he (Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet) walked towards me, embraced me in the way communists often do, and asked if I wanted to help Vietnam. I asked, 'How?' He replied, 'By becoming their economic advisor.' I was speechless," Mr. Ly wrote.

Lee Kuan Yew stated that he only had experience managing a city-state, and had never managed a nation of 60 million people, ravaged by years of war and undergoing a transformation in its development model like Vietnam.

"But he was very persistent, and later sent me two more letters. I agreed to visit Vietnam, but not as an advisor, but to discuss with them, to pool our intellect, to find a way to transition to a market economy," Mr. Lee wrote in his memoirs.

In April 1992, Lee Kuan Yew made his first visit to Vietnam. On his first day, he held a full-day discussion with then-Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet and other high-ranking officials, focusing primarily on Vietnam's modernization efforts. "I suggested they study the transformation processes of Taiwan and South Korea from agricultural societies to developed industrial societies," he recalled.

Following the discussion, Lee Kuan Yew also held talks with General Secretary Do Muoi. He also requested a meeting with former Prime Minister Pham Van Dong. Furthermore, during his visit to Ho Chi Minh City, he had a conversation with former General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh.

In a brief report to the Singaporean government, Lee Kuan Yew assessed that, despite facing many difficulties, the Vietnamese people are a vibrant and intelligent nation. "I believe that in 20 or 30 years, they will revive themselves, because they are all very serious people," he commented.

Following Lee Kuan Yew's visit in September 1992, the Singaporean government sent a delegation to Vietnam to make recommendations on infrastructure development. In addition, the government decided to establish a $10 million support fund to help Vietnam train and develop its personnel.

In October 1993, General Secretary Do Muoi visited Singapore. A month later, Lee Kuan Yew paid a reciprocal visit. The Singapore Embassy in Hanoi informed Mr. Lee that a collection of his speeches had been translated into Vietnamese and was widely available in Vietnam.

During the talks, Lee Kuan Yew once again expressed optimism about Vietnam's future development, especially as peace is the major trend of the times.

"East Asia has learned a lesson from the past 40 years: war fundamentally brings no benefit," he wrote. "In fact, Vietnam is progressing. The market is more dynamic, there are more shops and hotels than before. All of this is reflected in the prosperous landscape of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City."

Lee Kuan Yew and former General Secretary Nong Duc Manh. Photo: Reuters

In March 1995, Lee Kuan Yew made his third visit to Vietnam, attending a seminar on economic reform chaired by then-Deputy Prime Minister Phan Van Khai. Lee suggested that if Vietnam wanted to attract investors, it was necessary to make the first wave of investors feel welcome.

"My view is that investors should be treated as valued friends, and someone should guide them out of the labyrinth of bureaucracy to avoid stepping on landmines or traps," Lee Kuan Yew wrote in his memoirs.

He also highlighted some of the difficulties Singaporean companies face when investing in Vietnam. "From the feedback of foreign investors, my opinion has been effective," Mr. Ly wrote. "When the CEO of a large German company told me about being provided with a mentor by them (the Vietnamese government), I smiled."

In November 1997, Lee Kuan Yew visited Ho Chi Minh City again, amidst the ongoing Asian financial crisis. According to his memoirs, he mentioned the difficulties faced by foreign investors due to changes in fiscal policy prior to the crisis and received a positive response from the Vietnamese government.

The founding father of Singapore remained optimistic about Vietnam's development potential, due to the admirable qualities of the Vietnamese people. "The skills they demonstrated in using Soviet weapons during the war, their ability to adapt and overcome material difficulties, and the achievements of many Vietnamese people in America and France—all of these remind people that they possess admirable qualities," Lee Kuan Yew wrote.

According to VNE