Lee Kuan Yew and the Singapore "Model": Foreign Statesmen and Their Statecraft
Abstract
Singapore's Senior Minister and elder statesman emerged on the international scene in 1965 following Singapore's split and subsequent de facto independence from Malaysia. Lee Kuan Yew crafted a grand strategy that resulted in Singapore's development as a great city-state. More than a "bank with a flag," Singapore's economy grew in just a few years to rival the colonial power to which it was once subservient. The continued implosion of the British Empire and diminution of U.S. prestige in the post-Vietnam period provided Singapore with added impetus to exploit the power vacuum in the Pacific rim. Toward this end, Lee Kuan Yew formulated a cogent and prescient strategy for the nascent nation of Singapore. He was the true visionary who used independence from Malaysia as the catalytic event that launched a previously unimportant nation successfully onto the world scene. Early success vaulted Lee into international prominence and prompted strategic analyses of Singapore's central theme that was essentially to first gain, then project, economic power. The goal for a strong economy was complemented by a commitment to nation, the region, and the international community. Lee has risen in recent years to become a global statesman and his formula for successful National Security Strategy and penchant for economic brinksmanship have made him a popular, if not controversial, international figure. Lee's innovations are largely responsible for his nation's early development and emergence as one of the most significant transnational economies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 18, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA441374
Entities
People
- William M. Jacobs
Organizations
- National War College