Most of the Chinese people have a good impression about Singapore, which is a small state but boasts a clean government, healthy environment and a well-disciplined citizenship. Many Chinese officials have learned or are to learn from their Singaporean counterparts in terms of government management thanks to the similar Chinese-dominated culture. Chinese students are also flocking to the city state to take advantage of its advanced bilingual academic courses. The number of Chinese arrivals in Singapore is huge, second only to that of Indonesians. Bilateral trade relations are booming too and the Suzhou Industrial Park is a case in point.

However, Singaporean leaders have often disappointed the Chinese people either because of their short-sightedness or the lack of due respect for China's national sovereignty.

Chinese people are still annoyed when think about the response from Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong to the SARS outbreak in the mainland early last year. He became the first foreign leader who canceled a scheduled visit to Beijing and imposed restriction on the entry of Chinese nationals.

At a regional conference in Thailand in late May last year, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao's proposal to establish an anti-SARS fund received positive response only from Thailand and Cambodia. Other nations cold-shouldered the idea, following Singapore's rejection. Mr. Goh took pride in boycotting the constructive suggestion. He reportedly said that other southeast Asian leaders turned to him and it is him who took the lead to reject the Chinese idea.

Furthermore, he even suggested foreign companies to withdraw from the mainland, saying it would take Beijing at least two or three years to bring the virus under control and foreign investors should avoid putting their eggs in one basket.

In sharp contrast to what the Singaporean leader had done, the French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin and former Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes both braved the SARS outbreak and went ahead with their planned China visit, which stood for a powerful moral support to China when the country were deeply in crisis.

We are grateful to those countries, which had shown trust in the Chinese people and offered much needed assistance to us. We admire them for their long-sightedness in handling bilateral relations. And they were proved correct that China controlled the spread of the virus in a relatively short period of time.

Despite the SARS threat, Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase also came to China in the middle of May last year. Both Chinese President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao expressed their gratitude with a proverb: A friend in need is a friend indeed.

As to the Singaporean leader, however, we can't help but wonder whether Singapore is a friend at all?

To make it worse, Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, despite Beijing's strong warning, insisted on a visit to Taiwan, causing an uproar among the Chinese people.

The visit has come at a time when the independence-minded Taiwan government attempts to expand its international living space, a time when the US increases weaponry sales to the island, a time when Taiwan gains a boost from US Congress in its bid to gain a position in the World Health Organization. Whether Mr. Lee's visit at such a sensitive time is private or official makes no difference as the visit inevitably makes those people, who do their utmost to split China, more than happy.

Taiwan question is a question of national sovereignty and territorial integrity. For a peaceful reunification and the peace and stability in the region, China has worked strenuously to build a diplomatic Great Wall against foreign invasion of the Taiwan issue.

Now Singapore's upcoming leader has taken the lead in breaching the Great Wall.

If Singaporean leader can go to Taiwan, why can't leaders of other countries do the same? If Singapore's leader can go to Taiwan and leave "unscathed," should other countries bother to observe the One China policy?

Clear warning and concrete actions has to be taken against Singapore to help its leadership understand what a blunder the visit has been. The foreign ministry has warned that Singaporean government should take full responsibility for results from the event. Chinese central governor Zhou Xiaochuan has canceled a keynote speech in Singapore. A group of Chinese officials also postponed their study plans there.

Seeing the angry reaction from the Chinese government over the visit, some Singaporean friends complain that China should understand the concern and interest of their small state.

Yes, Singapore is a small state and China is a large country. But they need to understand the Chinese as well: what the Chinese has done is no more than begging for the respect the country deserves.