Time flies. Looking back on the development of China-New Zealand relations, we cherish the memory of the two great men who forged China-New Zealand relations, Mr. Deng Xiaoping and Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. When I visited Singapore five years ago, I joined Mr Lee Kuan Yew to unveil the monument to Mr. Deng Xiaoping on the banks of the Singapore River. Now that the Si people have passed away, their great achievements will always be worthy of our remembrance.

-- "Deepening Partnership for a Better Home in Asia – Speech at the National University of Singapore" (November 7, 2015)

Further reading:

On the banks of the Singapore River, there is a monument to Deng Xiaoping. On the monument, the bust of Deng Xiaoping carved by the famous sculptor Li Xiangqun, with resolute eyes and a kind face, seems to be contemplative and as if he is going to travel far away. The back of the monument is engraved with a famous quote from Deng Xiaoping: "Development is the last word".

More than 90 years ago, when Deng Xiaoping went to France for work-study, he set foot on the land of Singapore and stayed for two days, and since then he has formed a relationship with Singapore. In 1978, when the tide of China's reform and opening up was brewing and gushing, Deng Xiaoping once again set foot on the soil of Singapore. During the visit, Deng Xiaoping congratulated Lee Kuan Yew on "the changes in Singapore", and Lee Kuan Yew believed that if China really caught up, it would even do better than Singapore, and there would be no problem at all. He explained: "In any case, we are only the descendants of illiterate peasants in Fujian, Guangdong and other places who have no land, but some of them [in China] are the descendants of high-ranking officials, eunuchs, scholars and scholars who stayed in the Central Plains." Deng Xiaoping was silent. In 1992, in his famous Southern Speech, Deng Xiaoping further argued: "We should learn from Singapore's experience." ”

The inscription on the monument, agreed by both governments, covers the life of Deng Xiaoping, his relationship with China's reforms, and the special role he played in the relationship. The inscription states: "Deng Xiaoping, in his famous 1992 Southern Speech, spoke of good governance and social order in Singapore. Since then, many Chinese officials have been sent to Singapore for training. Over the years, the two countries have exchanged frequent high-level visits, continuously strengthened economic cooperation, expanded people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and further deepened bilateral relations. ”

On November 14, 2010, under the verdant rain trees, Xi Jinping, then China's vice president, went to the riverside to attend the unveiling ceremony of the monument after a cordial meeting with Lee Kuan Yew.

On November 7, 2015, Xi Jinping visited Singapore on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand. In his speech at the National University of Singapore, he remembered Deng Xiaoping and Lee Kuan Yew, and recalled the unveiling of the Deng Xiaoping Monument five years ago. "Singapore's practice has provided valuable reference for China to solve some problems in reform and development, and China's development has also brought great development opportunities to Singapore." Xi Jinping said that with the joint efforts of the people of China and New Zealand, we will continue to deepen political mutual trust and expand practical cooperation, and China-Singapore relations will usher in new and greater development, and China and New Zealand will surely write a new chapter in the history of development.