Transcript of PM Lee's Dialogue at FutureChina Global Forum on 17 July at Shangri-La Hotel

Moderator:  Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I am happy to see you here tonight. The stress of moderating tonight’s dialogue suddenly hit me very hard this morning when I got up and to tell you very frankly, I am experiencing the most stressful day of my life.  So, the whole dinner, in fact, I was like, you know 食不知味，meaning I do not know what I am eating.  But I think while I am sweating profusely inside right now, I am sure you must be looking forward to the next one-and-a-half hours. Surely, this must the highlight of tonight.  We are going to have a dialogue or if you think this is rather too traditional, too old-fashioned, then let us call it a group chat or 群聊. But this is not on 微信or not on WhatsApp. This is in the real world with a real person, the real PM.  So, without further ado, may I invite PM to make the opening remarks and kick-start the dialogue. 

总理：谢谢你。你不可能比我更紧张。

很高兴今天出席慧眼中国环球论坛。今年已经是第五年了。在过去四年、五年里，中国发展得很快，新加坡也改变了。我看我们两个国家之间的关系，也比以前密切了很多。经济方面的合作、贸易、投资、旅游、文化交流，各方面的合作，都跟以前不同了。

去年，中国成了新加坡第一大贸易伙伴国，超越了马来西亚，超越了欧盟，这个是第一次。我看这反映了中国的发展，中国走向世界；也反映了我们两国构建经济合作的成就。我们两个国家的政府当然也必须做我们的工作。我们有各种各样的合作框架，例如我们的JCBC，双边合作联合委员会，是两国的副总理共同主持的。我们早些时候 — 80年代、90年代开始，实行了苏州工业园计划，现在可以说是成功了，今年庆祝20周年。苏州工业园之后，我们现在正在运作天津生态城，还没有竣工，还有很多工作要做，但是已经走了好几步了。所以，我们跟中国之间的合作，政府跟政府之间有一些旗舰项目，有了很清楚的带头的作用。

民间的合作，私人企业也不少，在中国投资的，各省份、各省市都有。有些是第三产业的，比如面包物语；有些是房地产的，比如Capitaland凯德置地；有些是制造业的。我知道我们有一家公司在江苏制造很出名的一种醋，镇江，是Sam Goi（魏成辉）做的，非常成功。所以大的也有，小的也有。中国公司到新加坡来投资的也不少，并且有些上市了。有一些用新加坡作为公司走向世界的基地，因为新加坡环境是国际化的，是跟国际经济接轨的，同时是一个有东方色彩、有亚洲社会价值观，也是熟悉华语的社会。所以，我看对很多中国公司来说，这个是一个恰当的跳板。

我们当然还有很多工作要做的，所以很高兴大家今天有机会在这里跟我们交流，交换意见。也很高兴曾培炎总理来跟我们讲话，让大家了解中国领导的思想和考虑。中国，我相信，在以后的五年、10年，发展的潜能还很大。当然，挑战不少，曾总理早上也讲了一些。不过，虽然我们不能够预测下一季的经济增长率是7.3呢，或者7.5呢，或者是6.9 — 这个很难断定，不过长期的趋向，我们有信心是向上的，并且是乐观的。重要的是，中国国内能够继续改革经济，能够继续在社会和政治方面做必要的演变。而国际上，中国不但能够跟国际经济接轨，同时能够跟周边国家、跟世界的大国建立好互惠互利的、平等的、和平的合作关系，这个至关重要。在过去30年，中国能够这样做，所以有今天。以后30年，中国还是继续要一个稳定的国际环境，让中国能够关注国内的挑战，能够努力耕耘中国真正的复兴。

Moderator: 谢谢总理。PM， if I can take the cue from you, can I ask my questions in Mandarin?

PM: Yes, yes.

Moderator: 突然间觉得担子轻了很多。

PM：加在我身上。

Moderator：总理，可能第一个问题我想说把那个镜头拉得稍微远一点，我们关注一下这整个区域。在这个区域里面，中国扮演一个重要的角色。您刚刚才到美国访问，是一个很成功的访问。我想在你跟美国的交流当中，您感觉到他们关注本区的哪一些课题？那么您又这么样向他们应对？

PM：我看美国是一个超级强国，美国在世界每一个角落都有重要的利益考虑，都有重要的伙伴，有稳定的顾虑。但是美国知道亚洲是二十一世纪世界上一个很重要的地区，所以我相信美国在二十一世纪在亚洲有决心扮演积极的角色，建设新的角色。他们关注什么呢？我看他们关注亚洲的稳定，他们关注中国的发展，他们要了解在新的情况下，美国跟中国能够不能够建立好一个新的模式的中美关系。同时美国也希望跟亚洲和其他国家维持传统的良好的关系。这个关系是很多方面的。比如说，很多亚洲国家都把年轻人送到美国去读书。有些是读大学，有些读完了就在美国工作，不只是东南亚如此，甚至是中国也有很多年轻人都到美国读书，可能是不只好几万。

所以这个是一个联系。经济方面，中国是一个很大的市场，但是美国也是一个很重要的市场，因为我们跟中国的贸易我相信有某个成分，最终的消费不是在中国，而是在美国。所以美国希望跟区域搞好经济关系，我们正在讨论这个TPP的自由贸易协议。TPP这个跨太平洋伙伴协定，还没有完全敲定，可是我们希望今年能够完成这个协定。我就告诉美国人，这个是非常重要的协定，你要在亚洲扮演重要的角色，你必须言行一致，你必须愿意和亚洲促进更广的，更自由的贸易，必须有这个TPP。

我看他们了解。但是，目前美国最迫切的问题就是今年十一月将有中期国会选举，所以选举当然是头条大事，尤其是这是几个月后的事情。但是我希望他们选举之后，能够再关注亚洲的情况， 然后在亚洲继续扮演他们的角色。我们有信心他们会这么做，因为他们在亚洲是二战以后的事情，已经是60多年，一直维持下去。

Moderator：那总理，如果我们再把焦点转移到中国的本身身上，习近平主席所领导那个班子接班了之后， 推进了很多深刻的改革，无论是在社会、政治或是在经济方面， 您怎么看这些改革？

PM：我想我是旁观者，不是当事人。可是从一个旁观者身份来看，我想中国机遇很大，挑战也很不容易。过去三十年中国走到这个地方，现在回头看可能好像是平步青云，但是当时要走这一段路，走到这个地步其实每一步都是相当艰难。所以从这里向前看，一步一步是越爬越高，越难做，但是有一个有利的条件，那就是现在比三十年前有机制，有人才，有资源了，并且决心不比以前小。可是比以前困难的就是社会更开放了，声音更多了，不同的观点更矛盾没那么容易解决了。同时既得利益，要去克服它，说服 它，或者推倒它， 我看，在一个稳定的机制下很难做。如果是大革命的时代，动荡不安，那革命可以做很多事情。但是如果不是革命的时代，要稳步的改革，那个是另外一种挑战。那个是中国现在跟以后的挑战。

Moderator：谢谢总理。Well I think I should not monopolize this dialogue so I shall now open the floor. Please state your name, where you are from and please keep your question short and also please stick to the theme of tonight’s dialogue. 所以各位嘉宾，下来我们就开放让大家提问，那么欢迎大家用英语或是用华语来提问，然后让我们知道您的大名，您来之哪一个机构或是企业，那么为了确保大家问题不会太长，我们已经通过了最新的科技，让所有的麦克风一分钟就会自动切断。 开玩笑。

PM：我回答的时候也会注意一下。

Moderator：总理，那个我就不敢。我们欢迎第一个提问。来，请。

Qn: Good evening Prime Minister my name is Hee Theng Fong, a Director from Business China.  In the last 30 years of China’s reforms and opening-up policy, what have we done well for the bilateral relationship and what have we done well on the bilateral front?

PM:  Singapore?

Qn: And what are some highlights of our relationship and moving forward what would be the priorities of both countries, thank you.

PM:  Well, I think we have got off to more than a good start over the last 20 years.  In fact we started before we established diplomatic relations in 1990, 24 years ago with trade relations and a broad range of informal contacts. But in the last 20 years on the economic front, our volume of trade has increased enormously and as I said China is now our biggest trading partner.  And it is not just trade. Every year, 2.3 million Chinese visitors come to Singapore, which means one Chinese visitor for every two people living in Singapore. It is a huge number and it shows that they are aware of us, that they find Singapore interesting and that they enjoy visiting Singapore, they go back, they tell their friends to come here again. On the government-to-government side as I mentioned just now, we have started some important projects, Suzhou Industrial Park, we have the Tianjin Eco City, we have the Guangzhou 知识城，the Knowledge City in Guangzhou, which I am hoping to visit later this year in September and we have also concluded the China-Singapore FTA, the Free Trade Agreement, which has promoted and liberalised trade in services and goods and been of help to both sides.  I think that China has reached the point now that it is very different from what it was when we launched the Suzhou Project in 1994.  The openness, the degree of development, the awareness of the world amongst the Chinese population and the sophistication of the capabilities which the Chinese businesses and the cities and the government have all over the country – it is quite different from what it used to be.  But there continue to be many opportunities. I think for the government, on our part, we will continue to work to improve our bilateral relations so that business people can have confidence that they are doing business within the stable and positive framework and also we will look, we will continue to work through the JCBC (Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation) to identify new areas where we can cooperate together. One of the possible areas of course is social management because this is one area where China is focusing on now, how to manage a society which is rapidly changing and rapidly urbanising. And we are also in the process of change and we are highly-urbanised. So, I think there are areas where we can learn from one another. And beyond that I think the two governments will be working to encourage our companies to develop more projects on the other side. It is not just Singapore companies into China, it is also Chinese companies into Singapore and many of them are here, some listed, others using this as a regional or even global headquarters. And with the designation of ICBC (Industrial and Commercial Bank of China) as the renminbi clearing bank in China, I think the renminbi business in Singapore has increased considerably and that I am sure will encourage even more Chinese companies to operate here and to channel more of their business here. So I see positive things ahead of us.

Moderator: Yes, please.

Qn: My name is Brandon Mason. I am an Australian living in Beijing and working in the healthcare industry for a medical device maker. Clearly, Singapore is one the world’s greatest developed economies and Suzhou and Guangzhou industrial parks and knowledge parks are a great example of that. You treat your young people like business people. We had people looking after us this week from polytechnics and I wish we could do that in Australia. Often we fall into the trap of teaching the Chinese in China mainland many things. What can Singapore learn from China?

PM: Well, I think we can first learn the spirit of openness because if you visit China and talk to the people there, there is a great thirst for knowledge and great willingness to try new things. They are aware of what is happening outside China.  They are following ideas and developments in many countries and how others are dealing with the challenges – whether it is transportation, whether it is environment, whether it is economic development – and they are actively thinking how you apply that in China’s circumstances and try out in order to do better and I think we in Singapore very much need to do that. You said we are one of the greatest developed countries.  I think we are one of the smallest developed countries and we have to make sure that we know what is happening all round the world and try to match the best that we can do.  So for example, last month we had a World Cities Summit in Singapore and about 110 Mayors and Ministers from all around the world came and gathered here. They came to look at what is happening in Singapore but really they came so that we could look at what they were doing in their different cities so that we can learn from them.  And I think there is a lot to learn, whether it is in running the city, whether it is in environmental control, whether it is in using IT to make smart cities, whether it is how you can build communities and green the city and make it a sustainable place for developing the human spirit. And I think it is important that we always continue to do that and we never feel that we have arrived. So that is one important thing we can learn from China. 

I think the second important thing we need, we should learn from China is the drive and the energy and the compulsion to get ahead. You sense this all across the country, whether you are in Beijing talking to the Ministers, whether you are in a province talking to the Party Secretary, whether you are in a city talking to a Mayor, they all want to improve, they all want to do better than the other person, the next Mayor or the next Party Secretary and move forward in their careers, but in the process move the country ahead and I think that however developed you may be, you must have that drive in order to push forward and to achieve something different.  And to feel that sense at the end of the day that I have done something and it is more than what my ancestors handed to me. I think that is what has driven China over the last 30, 40 years since the reforms started and that is what Singapore also needs if we look forward in the next phase of our development.

Moderator: Right， and we have this gentleman and then after that followed by the other one.

Qn: Thank you.  Mr Prime Minister, my name is Tim Stratford, I manage the Beijing office of a Washington DC based law firm. A minute ago, you mentioned the importance of TPP and of course Singapore was one of the original innovators of TPP. Some of our friends in China have sometimes said that they thought TPP was an American scheme to try and contain China economically and I wonder what you would say to our Chinese friends about that?

PM: Well, I do not know if the Chinese Government takes that perspective. There are many free trade agreements in the world. There is one which America has with Canada and Mexico. It is called NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). There are many free trade agreements in Asia between Asean and China, between China and other countries in the region, China and Korea. And we are negotiating one called the RCEP, you may not have heard of it. But it is called a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and it includes many of the countries on the Western side of the Pacific - Asean, China, Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand and India. I am not sure and I do not think that the Americans would consider that containing America and correspondingly I see no reason why the Chinese should think that the TPP will contain them because all the TPP partners in Asia actually have enormous volumes of trade with China. I mean for Singapore, China is the biggest trading partner. For Australia, China is the biggest trading partner. For Japan, China is the biggest trading partner. So, in these circumstances nobody is going to say, ‘I am closing up and doing only business in the TPP and I am not doing business with China’. I think that is ridiculous. Is China ready to join the TPP?  Maybe not at this point. Will it consider it? I am quite sure China is looking at this carefully and has not ruled out any of its options. So, in the first best world, we would not be discussing this. In the first best world, we all have a WTO (World Trade Organisation) meeting. You can meet in Doha, you can meet in Geneva, you can meet in Bali, but wherever it is, everybody comes to the table, 170 countries and we make one deal, we all sign, we are free traders all around the world. But this is the real world and the WTO has not made as much progress as we would like. So, we have to have a second best solution – regional FTAs and we hope that the patchwork knits together comprehensively and without any gaps and without any contradictions. The TPP is an important part of this as one step towards the long-term ideal, which is a free trade area in the Asia-Pacific, and ideally, in the world.

Moderator: Thank you, the gentleman over there.

Qn: Mr Prime Minister, I am Claude Smadja and my firm works with the Business China to create and organise every year the FutureChina Global Forum. So, my question would be very direct. Could you tell us as candidly as possible how do you assess the way the US and Europe are dealing and addressing the challenge of the rise of China?

PM: Well, when you ask me to be as candid as possible, I straightaway have to think carefully what I am going to say. I think it is a very big challenge to the world order to have a country emerge on such an enormous scale; 1,300 million people, one quarter of, nearly one-quarter of humanity or one-fifth and going from poverty to almost middle-income level within one generation and a little bit.  It means a very big change in economic relationships, in the strategic lay of the land and in the power balance. And to do that in a peaceful, stable way, to reach a new equilibrium is not easy. I think with America it has been managed quite well. There are ups and downs and there are issues and disputes and there will continue to be, because these are two big powers and you have important interests to safeguard and to advance. But you also have very important shared interests – trade, people links, financial investments. American investments in China are in the many tens of billions.  Chinese investments in America, just counting Treasury securities, you are talking about two trillion dollars. So I do not think the Chinese want their Treasury securities to be de-rated and I do not think the Americans want their investments in China to be at risk. So, there are important shared interests. It does not mean that they will definitely prevail but it gives a powerful incentive for the two countries to work together in a constructive way. And it has to be an active engagement. It cannot be one where one side takes on the role which the other used to play. It cannot be one where you are dividing the world into a G2. I think neither side feels comfortable with the term 'G2'，and it also does not want to be the one where you are skirmishing over issues all of the time. But one where China is engaged, America is engaged, you have good bilateral relations, and you have a situation where third countries, including small ones like Singapore, can be friends with both and so far we have managed to be friends with both.

Now Europe, I think Europe’s preoccupations are more economic. You have geopolitical concerns but they have more to do with the Eurasian area and Europe, Russia, Ukraine and less so in the Far East but Europe has important economic interests in the Far East too. If you look at European leaders, whether it is David Cameron, whether it is Merkel, whether it is the French President, I think they pay a lot of attention to the Chinese market, to Chinese ties with them and to visiting China and making sure that they keep onside with China and it is not just because of Airbus but many different items. So I think that they are working at it. At an earlier phase, there was a lot of anxiety over trade because the Europeans worried about all sorts of things – shoes made in Italy, candles made in Spain, television sets made in France. I think that part of the trade issues have now subsided. The relations have grown and I think what is necessary for Europe to respond to is not just to trade with China but to realise that this is a very powerful economy coming along and it may steal your lunch and you have to upgrade, you have to reform, you have to do something to your social security and welfare systems which are quite painful to do. But in this new world, to be competitive, these are changes which have to be made and I think that argument has yet to sink home with the European electorates although it has certainly registered with the European elite and the leaders.

Moderator: Okay, next question from that lady over there?

Qn：非常感谢。我是来自《第一财经》的杨燕青。李总理，您好。首先要祝贺您，您的中文比两年前我采访您的时候，好了非常非常多。那么，在这两年发生了很多事情，比如说中国和新加坡的经贸关系越来越紧密，人民币在新加坡的存量越来越大。但是这两年也发生了一个重要的事情，刚才我们的同事已经提到了，关于TPP。事实上，在过去两年，中国对TPP的态度，发生了非常大的变化。那么我记得我两年前也问过你关于TPP的问题。现在，中国从民间到官方，大家不再认为TPP是一个阴谋，而认为是中国一个非常大的机会。那么，假如说中国政府愿意加入，目前看来已经在没有达成最终协议之前有可能加入了。如果是说，中国在初始国已经达成协议之后加入，新加坡对中国有什么样建议？您对中国有什么样的建议？中国能够更好地参与TPP这样的一种机制。那么，另外一个相关的问题：您也讲到RCEP，如何看待RCEP和TPP之间的关系？那么，加入您是习近平，你会同样看重RCEP和TPP，还是说你会在哪一个机制上倾入更多的关注和力量？谢谢。

PM：TPP的问题是假设性的问题，因为中国还没有决定它对TPP要采取怎么样的立场，什么行动。我可以想象有一天中国会考虑是不是要参加TPP，并且我可以想象中国有一天会决定想要参加TPP。当然，参加一个自由贸易协定的谈判，必须谈得好，必须得到一个好的收获，不能够就说我要参加，不管是什么条件、什么代价都签。这个条件跟代价肯定是有的。要参加自由贸易协定，原则上我们必须在某种层度上开放自己的市场。当然，我们也希望对方开放他们的市场。从一个纯粹经济角度来看，我们开放自己的市场，不管对方做什么，对自己都是好的，因为可能我们的工业、我们的出口公司受到打击，但是我们的消费者会得到好处。可以买外国货，可以享受外国提供的服务，对我们的消费者总是有利益的，我们让他们有选择。但是，从一个整体的政治经济角度来看，我要开放，你也要开放，我们必须有一个平衡，有一个互相可以接受的平衡点，那我可以对我的公司有交待，你也可以对你的选民有交待，你的工友有交待。所以双方共同开放，其实有助于双方都做对自己有利益的事情。中国进入世贸就是这个情况。世贸加在中国身上的条件，很多都是对中国好的，但是中国本身要去做不容易。所以通过加入世贸，接受了这些条件，那么兑现了中国所做的承诺，其实就使中国在改革开放的路上，再走了更长的相当一段距离。所以我看中国参加TPP的时候，那时我想应该从这个角度去谈起，不应该说我不要开放，我要你开放；应该说我需要开放，让我们一起来做，双方都有好处。

那你第二个问题，假设我是习近平的话，双管齐下。必须双管齐下，因为RCEP涵盖的国家跟TPP涵盖的国家不相同；有一些重叠，但是也有很多不相同的地方。比如说东盟国家，亚细安国家，只有新加坡、文莱跟越南三个国家参加TPP，其他国家没有参加TPP。而RCEP也包括了印度，包括了韩国，这些对中国来说都是相当重要的经济伙伴国。所以RCEP有它的重要性。并且我想RCEP的内容跟TPP的内容不完全相同，因为RCEP国家所要谈的，所想做的，所想开放的，跟TPP国家所想开放的不相同。我看中国是个大国，地广人多，人才济济，要同时商讨两个自由贸易协定，这个是轻而易举的事，不成问题。

Moderator：我不是总理的新闻秘书，不过如果有一天TPP谈成了，后来中国也加入了，欢迎您再来访问总理。刚才那边还有一位女士。是，那位，对。

Qn：好的，谢谢。那么总理，我来自湖南卫视，我叫张瑜。湖南卫视在中国还是非常有名的一个电视台。

PM：我前几年去过你们湖南卫视。

Qn：对，您到过湖南卫视。那个时候我站在您旁边的旁边还要旁边。每一年在新加坡会见您两次，一次是新春团拜，还有一次就是在论坛上面。我只是想作为粉丝，告诉您，每一次见您，您比电视上还要帅。一般我们会先说点好听的。那么，here’s my question: 新加坡希望中国在东盟会议上面扮演怎么子的角色？谢谢。

PM：我看中国对亚细安国家是很重视的。我们亚细安国家每年开峰会，中国总理就来出席，并且每一次都是有备而来的，准备了许多资料、许多建议、许多构想、许多见解跟我们共享，并且跟我们一起谋求共同的繁荣。我看这个是一件很好的事情，因为我们搞区域发展、区域合作，希望把东南亚的国家跟东北亚的国家能够连接起来。而东南亚就是亚细安国家，东北亚中国就是其中一个大国。当然，中国跟东南亚，尤其是跟亚细安国家之间，也有一些比较难解决的问题，南中国海就是其中一个。我们正在处理这个问题。我不相信南中国海问题可以在短期内解决，因为这个牵涉到领土，牵涉到海域，牵涉到海底资源，牵涉到航行自由。这些都是非常难妥协的问题，因为任何一个国家，他们说这个是我的之后，都必须坚持这是无可争议的。可是，如果对我来说是无可争议的，对你来说也是无可争议的，那就无可讨论了。所以，要解决这个问题很困难。要处理这个问题是必要的。要处理这个问题就必须要有一些行为准则，就是Code of Conduct，避免擦枪走火，避免无意中使一件小事变大事，大事变成打翻我们整个双边友好关系的一个灾难。所以这个我们还没有做到可以完全放心的地步。我们开始谈行为准则，但是其实细节都还没有敲定。我想这个双边都要做工。

Moderator：在我们邀请下一位发问者之前，我想看看左边这边是否被忽略了。我看这边至少有一个、两个哦。那么，我们先请这边的，因为刚才我答应了这边的先发问。之后就由这位先生发问。

Qn：总理，我是《联合晚报》的李慧玲。总理，今天下午我们听了一场分组的讨论，是几位中国80后的年轻的朋友谈90后。那总理， 您跟年轻人一直都有接触，我想请您谈一下，您观察到新加坡的80后和90后有怎么样的特点？那么他们成长的背景其实是国家都非常稳定，信息很多元，观点很多元的这样一个环境，而中国的80后到90后，他们成长的环境其实中国迅速地发展，而且他们离我们这么近，他们在本区域发展那么快， 这个历史上前所未有的这个现象。那么您对新加坡的80后和90后在以后跟中国的80后跟90后真正在国际舞台上他们交往的时候，对我们的80后90后有怎么样的一些劝告？

PM：老人家对年轻人说话总是要特别小心， 因为年轻人不一定会听老人家的话。不过您所说的是对的。80后90后的新加坡人，尤其是我的孩子，或是比我孩子年轻一些的年轻人，他们的成长经验跟我的成长经验，跟我的父亲的成长经验，完全不相同。我父亲的成长经验最大的一件事情，就是二战，就是占领新加坡的事情，那三年九个月的经验，我们有经历过。可是我成长时期我经历过的事是我们走向独立的路，和刚独立之后，那最早的10，20年的坎坷路。当时大家都觉得建国是人人的事情，而国家的成功并不是完全可以确定的-- 还有很多东西可以做，还有很多东西可能会发生事情，会出问题的。所以对我来说，你问我建国，我回想1965年8月9日。对年轻人来说，你跟他讲建国，他回想课室里就是国民教育的书本。所以国民教育书本的内容是好的，我们教导他们的也是正确的价值观、历史、公民意识。但是，印象不相同，而他们要把这些价值观带进的社会也跟我以前成长中的社会也不相同。 因为是二十一世纪了。当我长大的时候，我跟我的同学，如果你得到政府奖学金，有机会出国留学的，很少了。其实你在新加坡要上大学的机会也不多。所以，得到了奖学金，或者有机会上大学，以后有幸事业有成，你觉得这个是人生大幸，并且对政府、对社会有一个感恩图报的感觉，一个基本心态。

新一代人，今天很不相同了。今天每个人都希望上大学，并且很多都觉得我要上大学经济不是问题。其实政府给大家发出的讯息就是：你上大学，经济不应该成问题。不要让经济成为考虑。你只要有能力，我们会资助你，会确定你有那个机会上大学。你要出国，也可以赢到奖学金，领不到政府的奖学金，国外的大学有可能给你奖学金。尤其是美国大学，它们的资金比较雄厚。如果美国大学不给你奖学金，不少父母亲今天不穷了，父母亲的- 人家叫作“Father-Mother Scholarship”，父母奖学金。所以我看他们的期望，年轻人的期望，年轻人所觉得理所当然的，跟我们的心态很不相同。并不是说年轻人没有理想，没有热忱–是有的。不过他们的起跑点跟我们不相同，他们的目标是可能我们看不到，他们比我们看得更远，我们考虑三十年后的事情，他们考虑六十年后的事情。六十年后是怎么样一个社会，不知道，由他们去创作。

而他们是谁？他们是新加坡人。但是，其实新加坡年轻人已经在相当程度上融入一个国际年轻人的一个环球网络，因为你在互联网上跟你志同道合的，跟你有同样兴趣的，跟你要完成那种同样的目标的，不应只是新加坡人。可能在世界的另一个角落，可能在一个完全不同的国家。所以我想年轻人，他们现在在新一代的环境，我们不能希望他们跟我们一样，因为世界改变了。但是我们希望年轻人记得世界改变了，但是我们还是一个以人为本的社会，我们还是必须彼此尊重，互相合作，有一个共同的理想，创造一个更好的未来。不要以为一切都改变了，老头子讲话不用听了。

Qn：总理，您好。我的问题是，假如未来中国出现五到十年的经济调整，政治出现一些小小的危机，新加坡政府有没有评估这样的危机，这样的经济的调整对新加坡的影响，经济上的和政治上的？新加坡政府有什么应对的方案，如何应对？我的问题不算是假如，我觉得这是大概率的事件。

Qn：就是两个问题：假如经济上出现五到十年的调整，政治上出现一些动浪，动乱和危机…

PM：我看经济调整当然是好事，因为经济调整必须成功，不然的话中国要继续维持发展，继续提升人民的生活，会碰到一个极限…

Moderator：总理，他指的调整是向下调整。

PM：哦，向下调整。五到十年向下？

Qn：对。

PM：我看这个是不很可能的一个…

Qn：假如事件。您会怎样应对？

PM：假如当然是坏事了。

Qn：那我们怎么办？新加坡怎么办？

PM：怎么办呢？我们必须想办法更努力了。没办法！如果这样的事情发生的话，对中国不好，对整个区域也不好。中国发达成功，整个区域都得到好处，整个世界都共同繁荣起来。如果中国不能够继续发展下去的话，以前曾经发生过- 50年代，60年代，中国在一个世界的，从一个世界角度来看，完全不是一个举足轻重的一个经济体。我们还是能够继续生活下去，但是我想当然比中国成功差了。要怎样要去弥补它呢？我们不能解决中国的问题；只有中国能解决中国的问题。我们所能够做的是在区域里搞区域合作，跟我们的邻国跟世界上所有的国家都搞好密切的关系。所以我经常说，我们跟中国很好，但是中国不可能是新加坡唯一很好的朋友。我们世界上必须跟欧洲，必须跟美国，必须跟东南亚的国家，必须跟印度，也加强我们的经济联系。这样如果某个国家经济差一点，或者暂时有不稳定的现象，我们还有其他方面，有其他市场，可以做其他的投资。

你的是假设的问题。你问我，事情这么糟，我怎么办？我给你一个答复。如果是更糟怎么办？我必须再找另一个答复。解释是很容易解释，可是实际的情况，我看我们必须看具体的局势去做出具体的反应。

Moderator：好，时间的关系我们就最后一个问题。那位先生…

Qn：尊敬的李总理，您好。我是来自北京的一位创业者，观众众筹网CEO。刚刚前面提到的问题，就是上午讨论来自中国的80后，讨论话题的就是我们这桌的小伙伴。但不要看我的发型，我是85后。

Moderator：不要看他的发型，他其实还很年轻。

Qn：我们观众众筹网的用户快达到新加坡的人口，我们的股东也是著名的企业家李书福。然后，我知道新加坡有提供给中国很多创业的培训。但是下一步我想知道李总理，您有没有更多的政策推动中国的创业者和新加坡的创业者做更多的交流和合作？谢谢你。

PM：我们今天能够有中国环球大会，就是其中一个政策。我们政府只能够做红娘，把中国的企业家跟新加坡的企业家带在一起，那希望你们交谈之后，志同道合，情投意合，那就以后有喜事我们就很高兴。

Moderator：时间差不多了，总理您要这么样？

PM：可以最后一个问题。

Qn：总理您好。我是一位常驻北京的路透社的记者，林光耀。My dad named me after your dad because your dad was then the firebrand lawyer.

PM: 你是新加坡人吗？

Qn：没有，我菲律宾出生长大的。

PM：哦，欢迎你到新加坡。

Qn: 谢谢。我的问题就是说，能不能请总理用五个形容词描写一下习近平？另外，您可以跟我分享一下您对习近平比较深刻的印象的一个小故事吗? What left a deep impression? Thank you.

PM: 我看描写领导总是不是一件明智的事情，因为我们领导跟领导之间必须能够互相信任，互相合作。我跟你谈事情，你坦白地回答。这个是我跟你之间的事，如果过后我谈了之后去跟全世界讲：“刚才他偷偷跟我讲这件事情”，我看这个不像样。

但是，我知道习近平，我见过他好几次了，也在国际场合上看到他出席很不少的会议。我看任何人能够在中国达到中国主席的地位是很不简单的。习近平的任务是很艰巨的。他也很清楚他需要做的事情，他也知道这个事情非常不容易做，所以我只希望他成功。

Moderator: Alright, I am sure all good things must come to an end. I am sure all of you, including myself, enjoyed this dialogue with PM very much. Let us put our hands together and thank PM.