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Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
SM Lee receives Australia's highest civilian honour for advancing bilateral ties
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SM Lee Hsien Loong with Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn at the ceremony where he was made an Honorary Companion in the General Division of The Order of Australia. Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong has received Australia's highest civilian honour, the Order of Australia, for his contributions toward growing its bilateral relationship with Singapore. Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn, who is on a state visit to Singapore, conferred on Mr Lee the award of Honorary Companion in the General Division of The Order of Australia at an investiture ceremony on Aug 5. A citation from the Prime Minister's Office, Australia, said that 'throughout his 40-year political career, and particularly as Prime Minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2024, Mr Lee has made significant contributions to advancing Australia-Singapore relations'. 'He has been a strong and influential advocate for closer ties between our two countries and has consistently driven agreements and initiatives which encourage stronger and mutually beneficial relationships,' the citation added. The economic relationship between Australia and Singapore has grown enormously during Mr Lee's term as PM, the citation said, with Singapore becoming Australia's largest trading partner and investor in South-east Asia. The citation noted how Mr Lee oversaw and drove six revisions of the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) – Canberra's first bilateral FTA with an Asian country – to keep it up to date and 'anticipate change through new technologies and supply chain vulnerabilities'. He oversaw the development of the 2015 Australia-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which serves as a broad-ranging agreement to deepen collaboration between both countries, it said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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It added: 'Mr Lee's eminent service to the Australia-Singapore bilateral relationship is thoroughly worthy of formal national recognition'. Mr Lee was accompanied by Mrs Lee at the ceremony, held at the residence of the Australian High Commissioner. Also present were Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sim Ann, and North West District Mayor Alex Yam, who is also chairman of the Singapore-Australia Parliamentary Friendship Group. In a speech after the investiture, Mr Lee thanked the Australian government for the honour and said he was 'deeply humbled to receive the award'. 'I do so on behalf of the generations of Singaporeans and Australians who have worked hard to strengthen the partnership between our two nations over the past six decades,' he added. He noted that Australia had been a steadfast friend to Singapore over the years, being among the first to recognise the Republic's independence, and the first to establish diplomatic relations with it. The bonds have only deepened, he said. Security relations, which began with the Five Power Defence Arrangements in 1971, have grown over the years, with Australia welcoming the Singapore Armed Forces to train in the country. This year is the 35th anniversary of Exercise Wallaby, the SAF's largest overseas unilateral exercise, in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland. And as both sides celebrate the 10th anniversary of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025, Mr Lee said he looks forward to its next bound and upgrade, when Prime Minister Lawrence Wong visits Australia for the 10th annual leaders' meeting later this year. Australia and Singapore have achieved a lot bilaterally and regionally, despite being very different countries, added Mr Lee, who cited former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's description of the two as 'a wide brown land and a little red dot'. 'It is fundamentally about our shared values, our compatible perspectives of the world, and a deep reservoir of trust built up over the years. We both believe in the importance of an open, inclusive and rules-based multilateral order,' said Mr Lee. 'Our societies are multicultural, diverse, and pragmatic. Australian leaders from both sides of the political aisle appreciate that Australia's future is deeply intertwined with our region's, while Singapore has consistently sought to be a steadfast partner and pathfinder for Australia's engagement in Southeast Asia.' Mr Lee added: 'These deep and extensive ties did not come about by chance. They are the fruit of sustained hard work, political will, and mutual trust built through weathering tough times together. 'I am privileged to have played a modest part in strengthening this relationship. I am confident that Singapore and Australia's friendship will continue to blossom and grow.' Former Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong was awarded the Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia in 2005, for his contribution to Australia-Singapore ties. Former foreign minister George Yeo, Stamford Land Corporation executive chairman Ow Chio Kiat and former police commissioner Khoo Boon Hui are among past recipients of the award of Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia, for their contribution to relations between the two countries.
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
SM Lee awarded Honorary Order of Australia for 'eminent service' to Singapore-Australia ties
SINGAPORE: Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong was appointed an Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia on Tuesday (Aug 5) for his 'eminent service' to bilateral ties between both countries. The Order of Australia, including honorary appointments, recognises Australians and citizens of other countries for their outstanding service or exceptional achievement. It is the highest award Australia can confer. There are two divisions of the award – military and general – and it has four levels: Companion of the Order, Officer of the Order, Member of the Order and Medal of the Order. Mr Lee's award falls under the general division. The award citation highlighted Mr Lee's "eminent service" to the bilateral relationship between Australia and Singapore. 'Throughout his 40-year political career, and particularly as prime minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2024, Mr Lee has made significant contributions to advancing Australia-Singapore relations," it read. "He has been a strong and influential advocate for closer ties between our two countries and has consistently driven agreements and initiatives which encourage stronger and mutually beneficial relationships." It added that the economic partnership between both countries 'grew enormously' during his term as prime minister, with Singapore now Australia's largest trade partner and investor in Southeast Asia. In his acceptance remarks at the investiture ceremony at the Australian High Commissioner's residence, Mr Lee said he was 'deeply humbled' to receive the award. "I do so on behalf of the generations of Singaporeans and Australians who have worked hard to strengthen the partnership between our two nations over the past six decades," he added. "I would also like to thank the governor-general for her warm and very generous words, which brought back memories of many fond interactions, exchanges and visits to Australia over very many decades." He recalled how Australia was one of the first countries to recognise Singapore's independence and the first to establish diplomatic relations. In 1971, Australia also extended security support under the Five Power Defence Arrangements, which remains in effect. Bilateral bonds have deepened over the years. Mr Lee noted that Singapore and Australia are marking the 35th anniversary of Exercise Wallaby, the Singapore Armed Forces' largest overseas unilateral exercise held in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland. He also highlighted the signing of the Singapore-Australia free trade agreement in 2003 – Australia's first bilateral FTA with an Asian country – and the recent inking of the Singapore-Australia Digital Economy Agreement and the Green Economy Agreement. The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, launched in 2015, is also expected to be upgraded when Prime Minister Lawrence Wong visits Australia for the 10th Annual Leaders' Meeting later this year, said Mr Lee. Beyond bilateral ties, Mr Lee pointed to Australia's important role in the region, including becoming the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN) first dialogue partner in 1974. Reflecting on the ties between both nations, Mr Lee hailed the shared values, compatible perspectives of the world, as well as the 'deep reservoir of trust built up over the years'. "We both believe in the importance of an open, inclusive and rules-based multilateral order. Our societies are multicultural, diverse, and pragmatic," he said. "Australian leaders from both sides of the political aisle appreciate that Australia's future is deeply intertwined with our region's, while Singapore has consistently sought to be a steadfast partner and pathfinder for Australia's engagement in Southeast Asia." He added that these "deep and extensive ties" did not come about by chance, but were the "fruit of sustained hard work, political will, and mutual trust built through weathering tough times together". "I am privileged to have played a modest part in strengthening this relationship. I am confident that Singapore and Australia's friendship will continue to blossom and grow," he said. Another Singaporean who has been appointed an Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia was former Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in February 2005.
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Commentary: The crisis of the Chinese family
BEIJING: News stories about China nowadays largely focus on geopolitical developments, particularly the Sino-American rivalry. But China's 1.4 billion people, while aware of these issues, are more preoccupied with a problem that hits much closer to home: their shrinking families. For millennia, Confucian values have defined the family as essential to social order and harmony, with family relations playing a central role in confronting challenges such as competition for land and resources. Sons managed farms and businesses, and cared for elderly parents. Daughters expanded the family through marriage, creating large extended networks that carried out critical economic and social functions, such as building schools and resolving disputes – functions that in Europe might have been carried out by the church. This basic economic and social structure survived even the dislocations of the 1950s to 1970s, when the new Communist regime encouraged people to live in dormitories (away from their families, including their spouses) and to send their children to state-run nurseries and boarding schools in order to boost labour productivity. Today, however, the Chinese family is in crisis, owing to plummeting fertility rates, which declined from 7.51 children per woman in 1963 (its modern peak) to just one per woman in 2023. This demographic collapse is putting China's economy, society and polity at risk. The roots of China's fertility struggles are deep. China's population more than doubled between 1900 and 1979, from 400 million to 969 million. Food shortages were so common during this period that China became known as the 'land of famine'. Between 1959 and 1961, China endured the worst famine in recorded history, with 20 million to 45 million people dying as a result of both high population density and deeply flawed government policies. So, beginning in the 1970s, China's government introduced strict family-planning laws that, for decades, restricted most Chinese households to one child. A CRISIS THAT RUNS DEEPER THAN THE LAW But family-planning laws are only part of the story. Though China's now infamous one-child policy was loosened in 2016, to two children, and then in 2021 to three, fertility rates have not increased. And unlike other countries grappling with low fertility rates, such as Japan and South Korea, China is still a poor country. According to the most recent data (from 2022) China's median per capita disposable income is US$6,224 (US$17 per day) for the 944 million people living in urban areas, and just US$2,777 (US$7.60 per day) for the 465 million in rural areas. In the United States, that figure is US$63,589. Even accounting for America's higher prices, the difference is huge. Add to that limited economic opportunities for young people – including those with university degrees – and Chinese households simply cannot afford more children. The newest generation of Chinese parents face an additional psychological hurdle, rooted in their lack of firsthand experience of big families. The vast majority of them grew up as only children in households with two only children as parents, as well as four grandparents. They did not have cousins or siblings to play with, but they did have a large number of adult caregivers. As a result, many do not value large families and find the notion overwhelming. But all those caregivers imply heavy dependencies as generations age. A small and shrinking cohort of working-age Chinese, operating in a job market characterised by sparse opportunities and low wages, is now supporting a larger and growing population of retired individuals, who have limited access to pensions and health care. And their responsibilities extend beyond finances to include physical and emotional support. As if that were not enough, each young person is also the only source of pride for their parents and grandparents, who have collectively dedicated their lives – their time, energy, and money – to setting the child up for success. Young adults now have to earn all the sacrifices their caregivers made for them, effectively compensating their parents and grandparents for the children and grandchildren who were never born. This burden of responsibility is felt starting in childhood. Playgrounds are largely empty, and parks are populated mostly by retirees, even after school and on weekends. Children are more likely to be at home studying than outside playing. All this pressure may well be fuelling rising rates of depression and suicide among youths and young adults. CHINA'S LONELY FUTURE The situation is set to worsen. Slower economic growth – which has already driven youth unemployment to historic highs – will continue to constrain the job market, intensifying already-fierce competition for limited opportunities, and will impede the government's ability to increase pensions. China's government has a strong interest in addressing the crisis of the country's families. Economic and social problems tend to evolve in unpredictable ways, and they can easily spiral into political instability. Although the government has implemented a broad range of policies aimed at encouraging families to have children, including monetary incentives, fertility remains low. How will a civilization built around family units and networks fare as a nation of individuals without siblings and cousins? What will the lives of the elderly be like when there are few young adults to care for them? Can ordinary Chinese, to whom family represents both a virtue and a way of life, feel content without children? As the spectre of social and economic upheaval looms, these questions must be answered.
