What Singapore’s new ambassador Lui Tuck Yew means for China
- City state is sending a message to the Asian giant that it means business in boosting the bilateral relationship, experts say
- Appointment of a politician of Lui’s stature will go down well with Chinese officials as Beijing navigates the challenges of China’s rise
Singapore’s appointment of a former cabinet minister as its next ambassador to China adds significant weight to the city state’s efforts to show Beijing that ties with the increasingly assertive Asian superpower are a key priority, analysts in the Lion City have said.
Lui Tuck Yew, a former navy chief turned top bureaucrat who joined the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) in 2006 and served as transport minister from 2011 to 2015, was made the country’s next ambassador in Beijing on Thursday.
Lui quit politics in 2015 – in the aftermath of severe criticism of Singapore’s then decline in public transport standards – and served as the nation’s envoy to Japan from 2017 to September this year.
Chong Ja Ian, a National University of Singapore professor who closely tracks Singapore-China ties, said Lui’s stature would be appreciated by a China that was increasingly parsing how its neighbours viewed it.
He said Lui’s experience would help him navigate a China that was “much readier to take offence at a range of issues” as well as “growing pressure from Chinese nationalism”.
