'He often saw what others could not see'

A veteran Chinese diplomat has observed that "everyone values Lee Kuan Yew's insight no matter whether they agree or disagree with him" although Lee, the founding father of modern Singapore, often attracted debate because of his comments on China, regional or world issues.

Zhang Jiuhuan, Chinese ambassador to Singapore from 2000 to 2004, told China Daily that Lee's great vision may stem from his "nonstop pursuit of new knowledge" as he was a quick learner, surfing the web early on and chatting with the public online.

"Why have people always paid great attention to his insights and referred to him for advice on hot spot issues around the world? Because he often saw what others could not see," the former ambassador said. "He did not just follow up on points that had been made by someone else."