Singapore's founding prime minister and former minister mentor, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew passed away on March 23, 2015 at the age of 91. The government of the Republic of China (ROC) is deeply saddened by and regrets this news, and President Ma Ying-jeou and Premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) have each sent messages of sorrow and condolences to Singaporean President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Mr. Lee maintained a deep relationship with the ROC since Singapore's founding in 1965. He was a solid friend to the ROC and played a key role in promoting bilateral relations. Mr. Lee visited the ROC many times. His friendship with late ROC President Chiang Ching-kuo and his wise views in the development of bilateral relations solidified the foundation for long-lasting interaction between the ROC and Singapore. Friendly relations also paved the way for the cultivation of a close partnership in the political, economic, and cultural spheres. The signing of the ASTEP economic partnership agreement is testament to the deep bilateral relationship between the two countries.
Mr. Lee also played an important role in striving to promote cross-strait relations, and was instrumental in arranging the first Koo-Wang talks in Singapore in April 1993 for former chairman of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫) and former chairman of mainland China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits Wang Daohan (汪道涵). These talks opened the door to subsequent peaceful dialogue and stable exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and Mr. Lee deserves much credit.
Mr. Lee was Singapore's founding prime minister and a world leader with far-ranging vision. Under his leadership, Singapore in just 50 years developed into an important hub for economics and trade in Asia and has displayed impressive economic strength. Mr. Lee lived in an unpretentious manner and was highly self-disciplined, making him a model for Singapore itself. Singapore's universally admired clean government is an example that many nations seek to replicate, and Mr. Lee played a principal role in creating that government through his outstanding leadership. The mourning in Singapore due to the passing of Mr. Lee shows people's gratitude for the model he embodied and the outstanding contributions he made. The international community has lost a wise man and the ROC has lost a close friend. The government and people of the ROC will always remember the contributions of Mr. Lee in promoting relations between Singapore and the ROC, and peace between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.