CHINA'S 80TH ANNIVERSARY MILITARY PARADE - HIGH ON CHINESE PRIDE, LOW ON GRATITUDE

"The big question is... whether or not President Xi will mention the massive amount of support and 'blood' that the US gave to China to help it secure its freedom. Many Americans died in China's quest for victory and glory."
Donald Trump.

During WWII, Philippines offered to take in 10,000 Jews when no one would. Only 1,000+ refugees arrived as the evacuation was interrupted by Japanese occupation of the country. In 1947, Philippines was the first Asian country to vote for the UN Partition Plan for the state. The Israelis never forget.

In 1965 when Singapore gained independence, we sought foreign assistance to help build up an armed force. No one bothered except Israel. They helped built the SAF and for many years on, Singapore never forgets. But that gratitude is fast eroding in present days under pressure from growing liberalism amongst the educated younger generation and as religious sentiments grew louder.

When China first stepped onto the world stage under Deng Xiaoping, it was like a young debutante at her coming-out dance. It was Singapore that first took Deng by the hand, showing the steps of modernization could be learnt without losing one’s footing. Small but confident, Singapore served as both partner and guide, offering China a model of governance, pragmatism, and global engagement at a moment when Beijing was learning how to move in rhythm with the wider world.

When Deng Xiaoping took over China, the first country he visited was Japan in 1978 where he left Tokyo and on to the tiny island of Singapore. Singapore gave Deng a living example of disciplined governance, global openness, and ethnic Chinese success. Over the next decades, it played a mentorship role in China’s reform, especially in training officials and urban/economic development. Specific areas where Singapore provided China the source code for good governance:
- Governance Model - While China did not copy Singapore wholesale, the “strong state, gradual liberalization” model influenced how Beijing thought about reforms.
- Singapore showed Deng that authoritarian politics could coexist with globalized markets.
- Special Economic Zones (SEZs) - Deng’s team studied Singapore’s urban planning, port management, and industrial parks.
- Training of Chinese Officials - From the 1990s, tens of thousands of Chinese officials went through training programs in Singapore on urban planning, anti-corruption, public administration, and economic management.
- Urban Development Guidance - Singapore helped China design eco-cities and modern townships (e.g., the Suzhou Industrial Park in 1994, a flagship joint project).
- Diplomatic & Cultural Bridge - Singapore acted as a neutral, trusted bridge between China and the West, especially in the early years when Beijing was still isolated.

To appreciate the crucial role played by Singapore, one needs to understand how Russia nearly collapsed and economically raped by the dance instructors that Boris Yeltsin got with complements from Bill Clinton who dispatched the infamous "Boys from Harvard" to assist them transform from central planning to open market economy. (One of these discredited 'boys", Prof Jeremy Sachs, has a regular presence on videos criticising Trump's economic policies). History surely records the critical role tiny Singapore played in the massive success of China eventually establishing themselves as world class economic powerhouse.

Singapore expects no accolades. Lee Kuan Yew once said, in time, Singapore will in turn learn from China. We did what we did knowingly, expecting nothing in return. In 1970s, China was toddlering into the open world and Singapore David held the Goliath China's hand. China's non-invitation to Singapore for a seat at the parade is a snub that leaves nothing to speculation. They lack Israeli-type capacity for gratitude.

What was Trump saying? Trump-haters who never learn history would of course cry lies and sour-grapes. Those interested in history for a better perspective, here are some facts:

Financial & material aid:
* Land-Lease program (1941-45) - US provided US$1.6b aid  to China (4th largest after UK, USSR and France). Additionally US provided supplies - trucks, planes, radios, medical supplies, weapons and fuel.
 * Burma Road & the "Hump" - Before Japanese occupation, US moved supplies via Burma roads (Rangoon to Kunming). After Japanese occupation, supplies were airdropped via dangerous "Hump" route - airlift over Himalayas. This was a very perilous route and many planes went down. 650,000 tons of supplies were airlifted despite extreme weather and Japanese interception.

Military training and Equipment - US trained and equipped Chinese Nationalist armies for the China-Burma-India theatre. 33-36 divisions were trained and equipped with modern US arms, including Sherman tanks, artillery, transport vehicles and small arms.

Air support - Even before entering the war, US provided 100 American volunteer pilots who fought for China from 1941. These were famously known as the "Flying Tigers". Their P-40 fighters downed Japanese planes at high kill ratios and boosted Chinese morale. After US entered the war, the USAAF took over from the "Flying Tigers". The 14th Air Force carried out bombing raids, interdiction missions, air defence, protected supply routes and supported Chinese ground Forces.

Infrastructure projects - US engineers and Chinese labourers constructed the Ledo Road, a new supply road from India through Burmese forests into China. Many Americans died from Malaria. In Operation Matterhorn, US engineers built airfields in China for B-29 bombing runs against Japan.

Diplomatic & strategic role - US recognised Chiang Kai Shek's China as one of the Big Four allies -- China, UK, USSR & US. The US secured for China a seat in the Security Council at the UN.

It is estimated about 3,500-4,000 Americans died fighting for China. Japan lost about 750,000 in China. So US casualties translate to a very high kill rate on the enemy. All the large scale conventional battles against the Japanese were fought by Chiang's Nationalist Forces who lost 3 million soldiers and millions wounded. Mao's CCP forces left the real fighting to Chiang. They went into the rural areas and engage only in guerilla warfare. The communists lost about 500,000 men but mostly due to battles against the Nationalists.

Almost all of the US aid went to Chiang Kai Shek' force. The US did not trust the Communists and feared arming them for a post-war confrontation with the Nationalists. Mao's strategy was to withdraw inland to conserve his strength, build a rural power base, and prepare for the civil war that was to come after WWII.

The story has been told by many that the great Chinese contribution to WWII was that at great human sacrifice, China bogged down 1 to 2 million Japanese soldiers fighting in China which prevented them from more active participation in the Indo-Pacific theatre, India and Russia. Japan had expected a swift victory over 6 months due to their superb weaponry and modern army over the Chinese. But they ended up stuck in China in a long drawn out war. But the history that most people forget, is the role played by the Americans that sustained Chiang's men. Trump was trying to remind everyone.

WWII is not the end of American assistance to China. Post 1978, American assistance contributed massively to help China turn into an economic powerhouse. In summary, these were:
* Diplomatic Normalisation - Nixon broke the ice, Carter normalised the US-China relationship. This allowed China to gain access to Western capital, technology and know-how. China took loans from IMF and World Bank to the tune of US$180b in 1970s-1980s. US backed China's entry into the WTO and granted it Most Favoured Nation trade status, giving it global trade leverage.
* US universities took in hundreds of thousands of students that Deng sent overseas which facilitated a transfer of knowledge. These universities trained generations of Chinese economists, engineers, policymakers etc.
* Economic integration - US opened its markets to absorb Chinese exports which fueled China's export-led growth.
* RMB pegged to USD - Most importantly, which has seldom been written about, the US accommodated the pegging of RMB at a very low rate which favoured their exports and helped China become the world's factory. Before opening, China was a controlled economy. It had artificial exchange rates to conduct international business. China first pegged RMB at Yuan 1.5 to USD. It was totally out of wack to the strength of RMB at the time and priced for political reasons - Chinese pride. Hey the RMB is as strong as the dollar! It did not hurt Chinese nationals then since no one dealt with the outside world at the time. Realism sets in and in the 1980s and 1990s, China depreciated the RMB all the way down to Yuan 8.28, China had flipped to undervaluing the RMB against the USD which the US tolerated for decades and which helped the Chinese export boom.
* Allowing tech transfers through joint ventures, research and even military sales before 1989. US allowed their big brands to offshore manufacturing in China which created global supply chains that transferred skills and infra capacity.

Israel and China have markedly different gratitude cultures.

In the core WWII narrative - with regards to Holocaust and survivors, Israel emphasises on those who rescued Jews. In the War against Japanese, China emphasises its own endurance and eventual victory.
Tone of gratitude - To Israelis, "We never forget" is a moral and diplomatic principle. Chinese do express gratitude, but always framed it within China's own heroism.
How it is commemorated - Israelis have specific and concrete memorials, eg Open Doors Monument honouring Philippines, Yad Vashem for "Righteous Among Nations" for those that helped them. China also has museums and plaques for foreign helpers but framed within Chinese suffering.
Diplomacy - Israel weaves gratitude into foreign policy (always special praise to Philippines, Poland, Denmark, Bulgaria, Albania,etc). China makes selective reference to foreign help often in vague terms such as "international friends", seldom crediting individual nations.
Honoring foreign individuals - Israel names thousands as "Righteous Among the Nations", making personal stories the central narrative. China honours selective foreign figures, praised as friends of China, but stories are tied to CCP's larger narrative.
Strategic purpose - Israel reinforces moral legitimacy, bonds with countries that helped, strengthen Jewish identity as a people who remembers. China reinforces nationalist legitimacy, highlights China's role as a great power, avoids appearing dependent on outside saviours.
Education - Israeli school curriculum emphasise helpers' names and deeds as Holocaust memory. China emphasises Chinese suffering and sacrifice, foreign aid is a side note.

In short, Israel makes gratitude a pillar of national memory and foreign policy. China acknowledges foreign help, but only within a narrative of self-reliance and CCP-led victory. Never allow gratitude to overshadow nationalist pride. (Hence my article title).

President Xi will never express gratitude for American assistance. Firstly, the admittance of assistance in WWII will serve to expose the Communists deserted the Chinese people to the atrocities of the Japanese in WWII. Chiang's Nationalists took on all the large scale conventional battles against the Japanese and needed all the help America could provide. The CCP escaped to the rural areas to conserve their strength and build a rural base, making token ambushes on the Japanese forces in guerilla warfares, such exploits blown totally out of proportion in the communist propaganda movies I saw as a kid in the 1950s-1960s. Secondly, an admission that China owes its transformation from a backward country into the modern world due to American assistance takes the sheen off the CCP halo for the economic miracle.

There is no doubt Chinese discipline, absorptive ability at short learning curves, and capacity to apply knowledge are the internal foundational pillars for their economic miracle. Deng Xiaoping lit the fuse for the explosive growth of China, but it was little Singapore that provided the match and the US that provided the oxygen. Both Singapore and US were not invited to the Sep 3 military parade.

Confucius said:
“When a drop of water is received, it should be repaid with a gushing spring.”
(受人滴水之恩，当以涌泉相报)

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