By the time Deng left Singapore on November 14, the two leaders had developed a special relationship that, like that between Zhou Enlai and Kissinger, enabled them to communicate with mutual respect on a common wavelength. Lee and Deng had both come of age fighting colonialism, and both had lived abroad in a colonial power. Both had been bold leaders during their countries’ revolutionary struggles, and both understood what it took to build order from a chaotic situation. Although Lee had received an English education, he had also studied Chinese history and could sense where Deng was coming from. They were both straightforward realists, utterly dedicated to their nations, who had risen to responsible positions at a young age and believed in the need for strong personal leadership. They understood power and thought strategically, taking into account long-term historical trends. Only one other person outside mainland China, Y. K. Pao (Yue-Kong Pao, founder of Hong Kong’s World Wide Shipping Group), and no other political leader, had bonded with Deng the way Lee did. Deng had close ties with many foreign leaders, but his relationship with Lee reflected a greater depth of mutual understanding. From Deng’s perspective, what made Lee and Y. K. Pao attractive was their extraordinary success in dealing with practical issues, their first-hand contacts with world leaders, their knowledge of world affairs, their grasp of long-term trends, and their readiness to face facts and speak the truth as they saw it. Lee considered Deng to be the most impressive leader he ever met—one who thought things through, and, when something went wrong, was ready to admit the mistake and set out to solve it.
Interesting anecdote that I saved from this book. Last excerpt that I’ll be sharing. What I think was interesting was the parallels between Deng and Lee in their practical approach to leading the country, speaking truths in a direct manner and despite this trait, still being able to have strong relationships with foreign world leaders. As we can see in today’s climate, generals or political leaders speaking in a direct fashion doesn’t necessarily endear you to foreign leaders or the local populace.
