On April 21, Ho Ching, the wife of former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, shared on her personal Facebook page an article from the Singaporean commentary platform “Critical Spectator,” written by Polish commentator Michael Petraeus. The article criticized Xi Jinping, saying that during his 12 years in power, Xi “has behaved like a mafia boss,” and now, in the face of a tariff war, his “charm offensive” across Southeast Asia appears particularly ridiculous and laughable.
On April 23, Ho’s husband Lee Hsien Loong posted a photo showing a large group of people, but what stood out was his wife beside him, with a radiant smile.
On April 24, Ho Ching shared another article, featuring a very striking and rare image: a highly insulting photo of Xi Jinping sitting alone under the sun, wearing a mask, looking drowsy. The headline above read: “China Falls into Isolation.”
Given the relationship between Singapore and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and considering Ho Ching’s prominent status, commentators suggest that this was likely not an unintentional “mistake.” If this were a mistake, Singapore would likely move quickly to contain the impact under pressure from the CCP. The fact that multiple such incidents have continued to happen suggests there may be significant political considerations behind them.
Sources:
1. Radio Free Asia, April 22, 2025
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/zhengzhi/2025/04/22/singapore-ho-ching-xi-jinping-godfather-us-china-trade-war/
2. Epoch Times, April 25, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/4/25/n14491230.htm