In the local business community, “hitching a ride” from China and gaining a better understanding of the emerging economic powerhouse are now both much-talked-about topics. The focus, however, tends to be on present-day China, with hardly any interests in its past.

　　As I see it, it is impossible to understand today’s China without knowing its history.

　　Many do not buy this. Well, good luck to them. When they have had enough of banging their heads against the wall - they will become smarter and humbler. For one thing, when the Chinese ask, out of politeness, for “guidance”, they will be less prone to rush into offering advice.

　　Is an insight into China’s history really so important? Let me cite a real-life example to convince the sceptics.

　　I have interviewed several Singaporean businessmen who have invested in China’s western region in the course of my work. They told me an instance when the local government of a remote and backward part of China became really excited with some Singaporean investors who pledged to pump in money and management expertise.

　　All was fine until these Singaporean businessmen proposed that “since you like Singapore so much, shall we develop a mini-Singapore? Everything will be the same as in Singapore except for the national flag. What do you think?” The suggestion, of course, put an end to the conversation.

　　Well, the Chinese still regard such Singaporeans as friends - “little friends” who know nothing about China’s past or “children who do not understand what they say”. But they have also decided to be totally frank with these friends. “Your proposal reminds us of the territories that the foreign powers used force to ‘lease’ from us. That is part of a long and sad history that still hurts us,” they said.

　　This is a good example of how ignorant some Singaporeans can be. Of course, we have plenty to boast when it comes to corporate management or computer literacy. But what we do not even have an inkling of is the history of China, especially after the 1840 Opium War.

　　Not knowing the past of the Chinese people makes it difficult to understand their present and their sensitivities. Just a little carelessness on our part may be enough to hurt their feelings.

　　The point I am trying to make is hardly profound. Don’t we know that to truly get to know another person, we would need to know something about his past? The same goes for a country.

　　China is fast catching up with us in terms of standard of living, yet many Singaporeans have not shed their outdated view - quite a number still have a condescending attitude towards the rapidly growing economic dynamo.

　　One reason for this, I think, is that these Singaporeans have not studied (or have never studied) the history of China, in particular, its modern history.

　　If they are willing to make a serious effort to learn the history of China, they would come to know how since the Opium War, China had been bullied, trampled, looted and carved up by Western powers and Japan. By putting themselves in the shoes of the Chinese to empathise with them, they could attempt to appreciate the burning desire of Chinese to rise again in the world stage. This could be the beginning of a new understanding of China.

　　Besides knowing how to “hitch a ride” from China, we need to be more knowledgeable than what we are now about the roaring economy - we need to know both where the juggernaut comes from and where it is heading.

　　(The writer is a correspondent of Lianhe Zaobao. Translated by Yap Gee Poh)

　　现在大家在谈赶搭中国的顺风车，认识中国成了热门话题，谈得较多的是认识今天的中国，谈得较少的是了解昨日的中国。

美丽的上海外滩，当年曾经有一段伤心的历史。

　　我认为，不了解昨日的中国，根本就无法深入认识今日的中国。

　　很多人不信，只好让他去碰壁，鼻子碰扁了，学费也交了，就会学得聪明一点。谦虚一点，去到中国，人家客客气气地请我们“指点”，我们就不会动不动对人家“指指点点”。

　　了解昨日的中国真的那么重要吗？这里讲个实际情况。过去我采访过好多位到中国西部地区投资的本地商人。他们说，有些新加坡人在跟中国人接触时，说是要在中国那些不发达的地方搞开发区，要投入多少多少资金，说得眉飞色舞，中国人听了心花怒放。

　　中国好多边远地区的政府是求“财”若渴，他们要把自己管的那一大块落后地方的经济搞起来，第一缺钱财，第二缺人才，新加坡人能把“财”和“才”都带来，还能不高兴？

　　但是，接下来一番话有如一盘冷水泼下来:“你们那么喜欢新加坡，我们就在你这个地方搞个小新加坡怎么样？这里除了升中国国旗之外，什么都跟新加坡一样好不好?”此语一出，举座无欢 ！

　　中国人还是把这些新加坡人当朋友，而且是对中国的过去一无所知的“小朋友”，童言无忌嘛。既然是朋友，当然要坦诚相待，中国人说了：“您的说法使我们想起了当年列强强加在中国身上的‘租界’，那可是一段很漫长、很令中国人伤心的历史。”

　　不是常常听到人家说“新加坡人无知”吗？这只是一个例子。所“无”的是什么“知”？现代企业管理、电脑知识吗？有的是。“无”的是中国的历史知识，特别是对1840年鸦片战争后的中国无知。

　　你不知道人家的过去，就无法了解人家的现在，也无法了解人家的心态，一个不小心就会伤害人家的感情。

　　其实，这不是什么深奥的大道理，谁都知道，要真正了解一个人，就必须知道他的过去。为什么要了解一个国家就不需要知道它的过去呢？

　　今天，我们跟中国人在物质水平上的差距越来越小，但在心理上的差距却没有多大的缩小，新加坡还是有不少人瞧不起中国，看轻中国人，我认为，其中一个重要原因是，这些人没有好好学一学（或根本就没有学）中国历史，特别是中国近代史与现代史。

　　如果他们肯认真学习中国的近代史与现代史，知道中国自鸦片战争以来被西方列强及日本百般欺负、践踏、掠夺与宰割的史实，如果他们愿设身处地为中国人想一想，尝试理解中国人振兴中华的强烈愿望，那么，他们对中国就会有新的认识。

　　我们要赶搭中国的顺风车，除了要晓得去哪里买车票之外，也应该知道这部车是从哪里开来的，要开到什么地方去。否则，我们就是既不聪明、精明，也不高明。

　　(作者是本报执行级编辑兼记者)

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