(Baonghean.vn) - Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong left behind a promising academic career to return to Singapore and continue his father's political path. On the occasion of his official visit to Vietnam from March 21-23, let's look back at some impressive images from his life with Baonghean.vn.
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| Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, born on February 10, 1952, is the eldest son of the late Prime Minister and "father" of modern Singapore, 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 classmates at their 6th grade graduation ceremony in 1963. |
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| Lee Hsien Loong, along with his father and other family members, played Chinese chess in their garden in 1965. |
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| In 1973, Lee Hsien Loong graduated with honors in Computer Science from Trinity College, University of Cambridge (UK), and also earned the title of Senior Wrangler. Senior Wrangler can be considered the "valedictorian" or "top student" in mathematics at Cambridge University and is often described as "the most prestigious academic title achievable in England". |
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| Young Lee Hsien Loong in his military uniform in 1973. He joined the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in 1971. |
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| At the age of 32, Lee Hsien Loong began his political career and was elected to parliament in December 1984. |
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| Lee Hsien Loong is pictured with Goh Chok Tong, then First Vice Premier and Minister of Defence, while observing a rehearsal for the 1985 Independence Day parade. He was appointed by his father, then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, to the position of Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Defence in December 1984, subsequently becoming Acting Minister of Trade and Industry in 1986, and later Deputy Minister of Defence. |
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| Lee Hsien Loong at his wedding to Ho Ching in 1985. He became Deputy Prime Minister when Goh Chok Tong assumed the position of Prime Minister of Singapore in November 1990. |
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| Mr. Lee Hsien Loong attended 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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| Lee Hsien Loong became Prime Minister of Singapore in 2004. The photo shows a scene from his inauguration ceremony that year. |
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| Lee Hsien Loong is pictured with his 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 opposition party holding only a small number of seats compared to the ruling People's Action Party and Singapore's perceived lack of openness on non-economic issues, Lee Hsien Loong stated: "The fact that voters elected me and my party does not mean our country is not open." The photo shows Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visiting a neighborhood during his election campaign in September 2015. |
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| Speaking about ASEAN's role, Mr. Lee said that Singapore's membership is beneficial and essential for the country. "(ASEAN) is not as ambitious as the European Union (EU); it doesn't aim for complete political unification or economic integration. But it is a lifeline that gives our voice more weight in the world," he said. Regarding the South China Sea issue, Singapore's interests lie in freedom of navigation, international law, and ASEAN cohesion. The photo shows Mr. Lee and ASEAN leaders at a summit in September 2016. |
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| Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong received Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang during the latter's state visit to Singapore from August 28 to 30, 2016. |
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| The Prime Minister of Singapore is seen as someone who frequently interacts with the public on Facebook. His personal Facebook page has over 1 million "likes," combining a channel for announcing important issues with images of the Prime Minister's daily life. Mr. Lee also enjoys posting daily photos of himself and selfies with other leaders and citizens. |
Kim Ngoc
(synthetic)
