Published : 2024-05-10

On May 10, 1976, the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, embarked on his first visit to China, which was also an "ice-breaking trip" in the bilateral relations between China and Singapore.

Upon Lee Kuan Yew's arrival in Beijing, he was greeted at the airport by the then Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee and Premier of China's State Council, Hua Guofeng.

During Lee's visit, he also met with Mao Zedong, who was 83 years old at the time and in less than ideal health, but still personally met with Lee face to face.

Lee Kuan Yew also visited Beijing, Dazhai in Shanxi Province, Xi'an, Shanghai, Wuxi, Guilin, Guangzhou, and other places.

Lee didn't visit many places during his first trip to China, and his contact with the public was limited, but it already diluted his political doubts about China.

Upon returning to his country, he immediately relaxed the restrictions on citizen travel, allowing people over 60 years old to travel to China for tourism.

Since this trip, Lee Kuan Yew has launched frequent mutual visits between the leaders of China and Singapore for the past 30 years.

Lee himself visited China 33 times in 37 years, accounting for about 10% of all his overseas activities.