At the beginning of the 15th century, the famous Chinese navigator Zheng He set sail and visited Singapore many times. The Singapore Maritime Museum has a full-size replica of Zheng He's treasure ship to commemorate this great event. At the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, many people from Guangdong and Fujian crossed the ocean to Nanyang to make a living, bringing with them Chinese culture and technology, and sowing the seeds of China-New Zealand friendship.

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

Further reading:

At the beginning of the 15th century, more than 600 years ago, a huge fleet led by Zheng He, the "Three Treasure Eunuchs" of the Ming Dynasty, anchored from Liujiagang in Taicang, China, 7 times, lasted 28 years, and visited more than 30 countries and regions in Asia and Africa by sea. This is the world-famous "Zheng He's Voyage to the West". Zheng He's feat was more than half a century before Columbus discovered the New World, and can be called the precursor of the "Age of Discovery".

In the history of Zheng He's seven voyages to the West, the "majestic" treasure ship is the focus of people's attention. Liang Qichao, a famous modern scholar who once praised "after Zheng He, there is no Zheng He", specifically pointed out that Zheng He went to the West "There are two things that should be paid attention to", one of which is the Ming Dynasty's "development of navigation weapons". According to historical records, Zheng Hebao's ship was "44 zhang 4 feet long and 18 zhang wide", which was converted to 125 meters long, 50 meters wide, 9 meters draft, and a displacement of more than 17,000 tons. In front of such a "behemoth", the flagship of the Columbus fleet (25.9 meters long) was nothing more than a "flat boat"; Four centuries later, the wooden battleship "Victoria", which Britain built with the strength of the whole country and a six-year budget, was also "slightly less coquettish". The prosperity of the Ming Dynasty at that time can be seen from this.

Although he had the largest fleet in the world at the time, Zheng He did not go to the West to invade and plunder other countries, let alone act as a "maritime hegemon". On the contrary, Zheng He has always been a "messenger of peace" for exchanges between the East and the West. Whenever he went to a country, the first thing he did was to announce the emperor's edict, expressing his hope of sharing the blessings of peace in the world; The second thing is to give gifts to the king and officials, to convey the will to establish and develop friendly exchanges; The third thing is to negotiate trade. Zheng He went to the West seven times, did not occupy an inch of land in other countries, did not plunder a single property of other countries, and treated all countries and nationalities with courtesy and equal dealings. In addition, he also brought a large number of silk, porcelain and other exquisite items to the people of the country he visited. Therefore, in many countries and regions, Zheng He's treasure ship is still regarded as a symbol of "peace", "friendship" and "exchange".

At the Singapore Maritime Museum on Singapore's Sentosa Island, there is a full-size replica of Zheng He's treasure ship. The treasure ship is three stories tall and unusually majestic. The bow of the treasure ship is also the museum's open theater, where visitors can watch animated short films on the big screen and relive the history of Zheng He's voyage to the West.

When Xi Jinping visited Singapore, the word "pro" and the word "new" were words that were frequently seen in the newspapers of China and Singapore. In his speech, he told the story of Singapore's replication of Zheng He's treasure ship, which not only expressed the friendship between the two countries that are "close to each other", but also conveyed the expectation of writing a "new chapter in history" together.

Xi Jinping's visit to New Zealand, Singapore's people from all walks of life are full of the feeling of "relatives" coming home. Locals said with emotion that Xi Jinping has worked in Fujian for many years, while the vast majority of Singaporean Chinese come from Fujian and Guangdong, so they have a special affinity for Xi Jinping. In fact, as early as the eighties and nineties of the 20th century, Xi Jinping came to Singapore three times. He has also met with President Tan Kenh Yen and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on many occasions and are old friends. Xi Jinping is not only a witness but also a promoter of China-New Zealand friendship. Xi Jinping's words at the end of his speech in Singapore were sincere and profound: "Looking ahead, Asia is once again at the forefront of leading the development of history. We were born and grew up in Sri Lanka, and our future and destiny are maintained in Sri Lanka. "Words that come from the heart are often more deeply rooted in people's hearts. This is an important reason why Xi Jinping has repeatedly triggered "China whirlwinds" during his visits.