Love the Tree, Love the Branch: Beijing`s Friendship with Lee Kuan Yew, 1954–1965

Abstract

1950与1960 年代李光耀建国时，中国被怀疑藉族群联系影响新加坡共产党暴动，因此中国身份认同也被认为有损新加坡的国家建构。本文检讨李光耀与中国的交往。李光耀使北京相信他正建立一个反殖亲中的国家，因此获得北京积极回应其需求。北京对李光耀重申其海外华人政策，并支持他对付反对派，包括默许李光耀镇压说华语的「共产党」。此外，中国也加强李光耀对抗吉隆坡的地位，支持新加坡独立，包括游说印度尼西亚承认新加坡。因此，中国实际上有助新加坡的国家建构。

Chinese national identity has long been considered to have been an obstacle to Singapore`s nation-building efforts. This is mainly because China was suspected of using its ethnic links to encourage Singapore`s communist rebellions during the 1950s and 1960s as Lee Kuan Yew was working towards establishing the city state. This study reviews Lee`s exchanges with Beijing and argues that he gave China the impression that he was building an anticolonial, pro-China nation. Beijing therefore responded positively to Lee`s requests for support. Reiterating its overseas Chinese policy to Lee, Beijing sided with him against his political rivals and even acquiesced in his suppression of Chinese-speaking “communists.” In addition, China boosted Lee`s position against Tunku Abdul Rahman, supported Singapore`s independence and lobbied Indonesia to recognize the territory as a separate state. China thus actually played a helpful role in Singapore`s nation building.