By Dawn Tay

SHOULD China become a world power in 50 or 60 years, Singapore will not be squeezed out, said Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.

Asked in a dialogue to mark the second anniversary of Business China - a non-profit organisation that helps Singaporeans study, work or do business in China - how Singapore should cope with a rising China, he said: "There's Japan, America, we can still live, doesn't mean we'll be squeezed out. We'll find our role in other ways."

In the face of a rising China, Singapore must maintain its competitiveness and ability to provide value-added services to China, he said.

This would help it continue to be involved successfully in China projects, such as the Tianjin Eco-City and Suzhou Industrial Park.

A key sustainer of Singapore- China relationships will continue to be the large influx of Chinese immigrants that come to Singapore to work and stay, MM Lee added.

But even in the face of occasional friction in Singapore-China ties - for example, in 2004, when China expressed unhappiness over the visit of then deputy prime minister Lee Hsien Loong to Taiwan - Singapore has to retain its independent political position, MM Lee stressed.

He said: "For us to remain effective players in the world, we must have our point of view, and not be a satellite of America, Japan, China...we're not going to be in anybody's pocket.

"If every time we parrot China or American lines, we're written off."

In the dialogue, MM Lee was also asked to comment on the recent climate talks in Copenhagen, regarded by some to be a failure because of China's refusal to commit to carbon-emission reductions.

While China, like other big countries, refused to commit to percentage cuts, it is taking its contribution to global warming seriously, as evidenced by its efforts in investing in wind technology and the efficient use of coal, MM Lee said.

dawnt@sph.com.sg

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