李资政谈中国改革开放面对的挑战 MM Lee: The Obstacles to China's Success

李光耀资政是我所敬仰的一个当代伟人。新加坡能出现这样一个伟大的领导者，为我们的繁荣与进步，奉献了他的一生，真是新加坡人的福气。

李资政对世界局势的观察，高瞻远瞩，一针见血。资政日前接受亚洲新闻台专访，对中国改革开放，发表了精辟看法。这里节录今日联合早报有关资政对中国所面对的挑战谈话的报导。

联合早报：中国所面对的挑战，李资政认为主要在两方面。第一是提升民众的教育水平，尤其是大专教育，第二则是改变多数民众内向型、不关心外国事务的旧观念。
他解释，尽管中国沿岸的大城市及省会城市的教育水平已到了一定程度，但其他小城市和村落的教育水平却参差不齐。他估计中国要赶上美国的水平仍需两三代人的时间。

同样的，他指出除了上海和大连等有过同外国人互动的经验等少数城市之外，中国大多数民众的心态仍属于内向型，欠缺接受外国事务的国际观。此外，他们喜欢搞小集团的做事方式也不利于发展。

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Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew was interviewed by Channel NewsAsia recently. The interview was first broadcast on 9 Jul 08. Here is the extract of MM Lee's view on some of the obstacles to China's success, as reported by The Straits Times today.

MM Lee: Their biggest difficulty is educating the whole population. It will take them two to three generations to catch up with US standards al all levels, from primary to tertiary level. In the main cities along the coast and in the provincial capitals, the standards are good. But in the villages and the interior, standards are very patchy because, like everybody else, their best teachers don't want to go there.

Next is the mindset. There are very few Chinese cities like Shanghai or Dalian that are international settlements where people can learn to interact with foreigners and their corporations. So they are more inward-looking and they work in factions. Whether the politics or business, your progress depends on how fast your faction leaders rises. That is difficult habit to break.