Summary of CLUB LUNCH - "A Lunch with Former Singaporean Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo"

00:00:00 - 00:55:00

Former Singaporean Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo was the subject of a Club Lunch interview, where he discussed various topics, including the importance of press freedom in Singapore and the benefits of having two strong cities, Singapore and Hong Kong, in China. He also discussed the rivalry between Hong Kong and Singapore and how each city made use of the other's strengths during the pandemic. Yeo shared his thoughts on the nature of the world as a multipolar place and how China has been able to thrive in this environment. He predicted that the Ukraine conflict would help crystallize the multipolar world faster than expected. Other topics covered included the changing nature of the Saudi government, Singapore's relationship with China, and the Bishop Principle which forbids members of different groups from fighting each other.

• 00:00:00 In this section, the speaker talks about former Singaporean Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo, who is one of the speakers at the FCC. George Yeo talks about the events that will be happening on Monday, the 13th of July, and the 16th of July, as well as the upcoming Club Screening of the film "Noordinary Life" on the 3rd of March, and the Battle Box screening of the film "Hong Kong: A History in Pictures" on the 3rd of March. He also discusses the importance of press freedom and the reputation of journalists in Singapore.
• 00:05:00 In this section, George Yeo, former Singaporean Minister for Foreign Affairs, discusses the benefits of having two cities in China - Singapore and Hong Kong - and how they can help each other stay strong.
• 00:10:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the rivalry between Hong Kong and Singapore, which is "more alike than they are different". The speaker also describes how during the pandemic, Singapore made use of Hong Kong being closed to drop its mass mandates and attract people down for family offices. While Singapore was not motivated by what Hong Kong did, it did make use of Hong Kong's being trapped in between to survive. The internal Universe was free and open, which was a departure from the norm in China. However, due to the back gate not being open, China was able to take advantage of Hong Kong for a period of time. However, since Hong Kong could not clean up completely, it had to resort to using Shanghai as its back gate. The rivalry between Shanghai and Hong Kong will continue to play different roles for China.
• 00:15:00 In this section, the author discusses the difficulties in dealing with local populations in Hong Kong and how this has led to a rise of Chinese influence in the city. He also discusses how the Chinese role in Hong Kong has been revised, but in the opposite direction of what was expected.
• 00:20:00 In this section, George Yeo, the former Singaporean Minister for Foreign Affairs, tells a workshop audience that the world is a "multipolar world" and that the Western world is in a "defensive" state. He discusses how China has been able to stay in the multipolar world for many years and how the West has been unable to maintain its dominance. Yeo predicts that the Ukraine war will help to crystallize the multipolar world faster than expected.
• 00:25:00 In this section, the speaker discussing former Singaporean Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo says that the Russian Federation will move by the end of 2020 if the war doesn't fall, and that if the war does fall, NATO will be forced to escalate. He also says that the stopping point will lead to a partition of Europe of Ukraine.
• 00:30:00 In this section, the speaker provides an overview of how the Saudi government has changed over the years, and how this has had a significant impact on the country's foreign policy. They also discuss how the recent openings in Saudi Arabia led to a tense relationship with the United States.
• 00:35:00 In this section, the speaker discussing Singapore's relationship with China discuss the current state of the relationship, as well as the potential for further growth. They also mention the importance of maintaining cultural and ethnic affiliation, and the challenges that this poses for Singaporeans.
• 00:40:00 In this section, George Yeo, a former Singaporean Minister for Foreign Affairs, tells a Hong Kong audience that, while he is not a PRC citizen, he admires and respects Singapore and its ability to produce people like him who can speak authoritatively about world affairs. He goes on to say that, because the South China Sea has been the commons for centuries, the Chinese claim it should be divided into two halves, with the Chinese side having full access to the sea and the other side having only limited access. He also argues that, if the Taiwan Strait were open to navigation, China would haveClaimed it as well.
• 00:45:00 In this section, the speaker interviews former Singaporean Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo about the future of Singapore. Yeo predicts that Singapore will still be around in 100 years, and that it will be a "constructive paranoia" to think otherwise.
• 00:50:00 In this section, the speaker discusses how Singapore has benefited from the experience of the pandemic geopolitics climate change and the need for a strong Asia. They also discuss how the Singaporean president election is expected to be in the second half of this year and how there are rumors that the general election will be this year or next year. They ask the speaker how Ukraine has a right to assert its own language culture and similar issues in the Kosovo case.
• 00:55:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the concept of "Bishop Principle". He says that it is a principle that forbids members of different groups from fighting each other. He also says that it is a principle that can be difficult to apply in real life.