Lee Hsien Loong was interviewed and talked about the moment of handing over the baton. What should be done has been done: countdown to leaving office, no regrets

How do you feel about the upcoming handover? What do you think of the fourth generation leadership team? Do you have any regrets after being in power for 20 years? What are your plans after leaving office? What do you think about involution and lying flat? …

According to the website of the Prime Minister's Office of Singapore, as the countdown to the handover of power on May 15 begins, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has recently been interviewed by many media in the country in Chinese and English.

The two interviews, which lasted approximately 4 hours, covered a wide range of topics including Singapore’s politics, economy, diplomacy, social safety net, and personal thoughts on governance. The relevant interviews were broadcast on May 10.

After taking over the power of governance 20 years ago, in a few days, Lee Hsien Loong will usher in another historic moment. He will solemnly hand over the power to Singapore's fourth generation leader.

How does he feel when the baton is handed over?

"It's very plain. You can take it up and put it down. What should be done has been done." Lee Hsien Loong said calmly.

He admitted that for many countries, it is not easy to achieve a smooth transition. Singapore has had two successful handovers, and now it is the third time. We hope it will be equally smooth and stable.

What role will Lee Hsien Loong play in the transfer of power?

As the next leader, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong previously stated that current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will serve as State Counselor after retiring.

In the interview, he expressed his own expectations: he hopes to help the next prime minister successfully take over, establish his prestige, mingle with Singaporeans, and be able to govern the country in his own way and with his team.

So, how does Lee Hsien Loong evaluate the performance of his successor and his team?

"I have full confidence in Lawrence Wong."

Lee Hsien Loong did not deny that it is too late to hand over the job. In his view, the next leadership team has been working in the government for a period of time, can handle many important departments, and has dealt with difficult crises, such as the new crown epidemic.

"They are ready to take over. Everything is ready, there is no need to wait."

Compared with when Lee Hsien Loong took office in 2004, Singapore's domestic and international environment has undergone profound changes, posing new propositions and tests for Singapore's national construction, economic development, domestic and foreign affairs.

Lee Hsien Loong was deeply touched by this. In the interview, he admitted that the environment is more difficult and there are more challenges: the world has changed from peace to injustice, confidence and free trade have been shaken, and protectionism is prevalent...

"We are facing a very difficult world," he said.

What tips has Lee Hsien Loong, who has been at the helm of Singapore for 20 years, left behind for the new generation of leadership?

In terms of national construction, Lee Hsien Loong mentioned the keyword "cohesion" many times.

He said that after 20 years of hard work, Singapore is more diverse than before, with a stronger sense of cohesion and identity. However, the changing environment will pull different ethnic groups in different directions, causing Singapore to face cohesion challenges. Therefore, in the long run, maintaining cohesion, unity, and openness will remain one of the key tasks of nation-building.

Regarding economic development, Lee Hsien Loong pointed out that Singapore faces internal and external challenges such as economic transformation, labor shortage, and lack of mutual trust between countries.

In this regard, Lee Hsien Loong's attitude is: rather than resting on one's laurels, it is better to move forward.

He used the word "absolutely" to emphasize the necessity of bringing in foreign workers and talents - "We absolutely must bring in foreign workers and bring in foreign talents." Singapore needs them and can accommodate them.

Lee Hsien Loong reiterated that Singapore must continue to consolidate the virtuous cycle of good politics, continue to create favorable conditions to benefit the people, and make society more capable of coping with various economic headwinds and technological disruption.

In terms of domestic affairs, Lee Hsien Loong was challenged by reporters on a sensitive question: In your lifetime, do you think you will one day see a scene where the People's Action Party is not in power?

Lee Hsien Loong said he hoped not, but he did not deny the possibility.

"This will happen if the People's Action Party lets the people down and the opposition becomes stronger, better and offers better alternatives," he said, so the People's Action Party must continue to work hard to win the people's trust.

At the diplomatic level, Lee Hsien Loong pointed out that Singapore’s foreign policy must adapt to changes in the situation.

What remains unchanged is the goal and method: safeguarding national interests and achieving this goal by making friends, building relationships, and seeking consensus.

At the same time, ASEAN, as the cornerstone of Singapore's foreign policy, will not change.

Talking about Sino-US relations, Lee Hsien Loong commented: The meeting of heads of state in San Francisco eased the tension between the two countries, but the potential conflicts between the two sides are profound and the tension may exist for a long time. However, Singapore maintains good relations with both countries and is also a friend of other major countries. It hopes that major countries can play a constructive role in the Asia-Pacific region.

After 20 years in power, Lee Hsien Loong has left a profound mark on Singapore. In the eyes of reporters, he will be remembered as a pragmatic, tenacious and tenacious Prime Minister of Singapore.

When asked whether he had any regrets or reluctances after serving in politics for 20 years, Lee Hsien Loong bluntly said that he had no regrets and that what had to be done had been done.

“I don’t try to run faster than anyone else, I try to get everyone to run with me.”

He also expressed his gratitude to Singaporeans for their efforts and support.

"The old take care of it, the friends trust it, the young cherish it", the Chinese sage Confucius once said of his ambition.

During the interview, Lee Hsien Loong spoke from the bottom of his heart to the three generations of Singaporeans, old, middle and young, and choked up at one point.

To the elderly and middle-aged people, the most common word he said was "thank you", and he hoped that the elderly would enjoy their old age peacefully and the middle-aged people would not have to worry about the next stage of life, and he would help everyone go together;

He has full confidence in young people, believing that they have a bright future and will lead Singapore into the new world.

In addition, some Internet hot words such as 996, involution, lying down, etc. have also attracted Lee Hsien Loong's attention.

"We don't want everyone to be 996, working from 9 to 9 o'clock every day, 6 days a week... But don't lie down or roll in, because if you lie flat or roll in, you may not be able to stand up. That’s it.”

He likes to share his daily life on social media and likes to challenge difficult math problems when he is free. Will Lee Hsien Loong continue these hobbies after leaving office? Are there any other things you particularly want to do?

He has listed a series of priorities on his "plan": continue to play social media, learn artificial intelligence, learn photography, read more, spend time with his granddaughter...

Lee Hsien Loong claims to be "just a small celebrity", "a dwarf" compared to internet celebrities. He also hopes and believes the new prime minister will build his own fan base on social media.

Lee Hsien Loong showed a strong interest in learning and had the drive to "live and learn".

He said he was going to take classes to learn AI and photography.

Speaking of AI, Lee Hsien Loong said that he has accumulated some basic knowledge, but he still does not understand how advanced AI can produce unimaginable capabilities based on its operating principles.

He also said that after leaving office, he will have more opportunities to read, think, and absorb new knowledge.

As a grandfather, Lee Hsien Loong also hopes to spend more time with his granddaughter after leaving office.

He also mentioned that he and his granddaughter all spoke in Chinese, and he himself is also a traditional Chinese media reader.

Lee Hsien Loong said that in Singaporean society, although bilingual education in English and Chinese is implemented, Chinese is still very important, and there is no need to be pessimistic about the control ability and status of Chinese.