Foreword, Henry A. Kissinger

Superior intelligence, discipline, and ingenuity would substitute for resources.

When Lee Kuan Yew Talks, Who Listens?

never stops thinking, never stops looking ahead with larger visions.

Chapter 1 The Future of China

• Theirs is a culture 4,000 years old with 1.3 billion people, many of great talent — a huge and very talented pool to draw from. How could they not aspire to be number 1 in Asia, and in time the world?
• It is China’s intention to be the greatest power in the world.
• China can impose economic sanctions simply by denying access to its market of 1.3 billion people, whose incomes and purchasing power are increasing.
• Economics sets underlying trends. China’s growing economic sway will be very difficult to fight.
• In the geopolitical sense, they are more concerned now with using diplomacy in their foreign policy, not force.
• While Singapore shares with China many of the core philosophical tenets of Confucianism, we worked over the past 40 years to establish English as our first language, and Chinese as the second. Why? Certainly not by accident or without provoking strong opposition. We did so to open ourselves to the world and allow ourselves to engage and embrace the main forces of discovery and invention and creativity that occur not only in the language but also in the mentality of English.
• Their two main reasons are their belief that the Communist Party of China must have a monopoly on power to ensure stability; and their deep fear of instability in a multiparty free-for-all, which would lead to a loss of control by the center over the provinces, with horrendous consequences, like the warlord years of the 1920s and ’30s.
• Their great advantage is not in military influence but in their economic influence… They have the manpower to do things cheaper in any part of the world economically. Their influence can only grow and grow beyond the capabilities of America.
• A person with enormous emotional stability who does not allow his personal misfortunes or sufferings to affect his judgment.

Chapter 2 The Future of the United States

• What has made the U.S. economy preeminent is its entrepreneurial culture… Entrepreneurs and investors alike see risk and failure as natural and necessary for success.
• America has a clear advantage over China, because its use of the English language enables America to attract millions of English-speaking foreign talent from Asia and Europe.
• unless we have a steady stream of high-quality people to serve as PM [prime minister] and ministers, Singapore as a little red dot will become a little black spot… To find able and committed people of integrity, willing to spend the prime of their lives, and going through the risky process of elections, we cannot underpay our ministers and argue that their sole reward should be their contribution to the public good.

Chapter 3 The Future of U.S.-China Relations

• military presence does not need to be used to be useful. Its presence makes a difference, and makes for peace and stability in the region.