Buddhism in Singapore-China Relations: Venerable Hong Choon and his Visits,

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1 Cornell University From the SelectedWorks of Jack Meng-Tat Chia December, 2008 Buddhism in Singapore-China Relations: Venerable Hong Choon and his Visits, Jack Meng-Tat Chia, Cornell University Available at:

2 864 Buddhism in Singapore China Relations: Venerable Hong Choon and His Visits, * Jack Meng Tat Chia ABSTRACT Venerable Hong Choon ( ) made eight visits to China between 1982 and During these visits, the Venerable met national and religious leaders, made pilgrimages to sacred Buddhist sites, helped to restore the monasteries associated with his master Venerable Hui Quan, and officiated at religious ceremonies. This study aims to examine the diplomatic significance of Venerable Hong Choon s visits to China. It positions these religious exchanges within the broader context of Singapore China relations since the reopening of China in the late 1970s, and argues that Buddhism played a role in fostering international relations between the two countries in the period prior to the official establishment of diplomatic ties. In the absence of formal diplomatic channels between Singapore and China, Venerable Hong Choon s religious visits could thus be seen as a form of informal diplomacy with the aim of confidence building. Venerable Hong Choon ( 宏船, ), president of the Singapore Buddhist Federation (Xinjiapo fojiao zonghui 新加坡佛教总会, SBF) and Abbot of Kong Meng San Phor Kark See (Guangmingshan pujuesi 光明山普觉寺, KMSPKS), made eight visits to the People s Republic of China between 1982 and During these visits, he met national and religious leaders, made pilgrimages to the sacred Buddhist sites, helped to restore the monasteries associated with his master Venerable Hui Quan ( 会泉 ), and officiated at religious ceremonies. In 1988, the Venerable invited Zhao Puchu ( 赵朴初 ), chairman of the China Buddhist Association (Zhongguo fojiao xiehui 中国佛教协会, CBA) and vicechairman of the Chinese People s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), to make a groundbreaking visit to Singapore. These nine years of mutual religious exchanges had contributed to a cordial relationship between Singapore and China in general, and between the two countries Buddhist organizations in particular. The CBA commended them as the continuous enhancement of * This article is based on my unpublished honours thesis and was presented at the Second SSEASR Conference in Bangkok in May I am grateful to Thomas DuBois, Huang Jianli, Quek Ser Hwee and Yang Bin for their many helpful suggestions. I also wish to thank Guo Jing Yu, Kuah Khun Eng, Mok Mei Feng, Gina Phang, Melissa Sim, Soh Gek Han and Yap Ching Wi, as well as my informants, Venerable Seck Kwang Phing, Venerable Sik Kwang Sheng and Lee Bock Guan for their encouragement and support. # The China Quarterly, 2008 doi: /s

3 Buddhism in Singapore China Relations 865 religious ties and friendship between the Buddhists and people of China and Singapore. 1 This study seeks to position Venerable Hong Choon s visits from 1982 to 1990 within the broader context of Singapore China relations since the reopening of China in the late 1970s. It argues that Buddhism played a role in fostering Singapore China relations in the period prior to the official establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries in In the absence of formal diplomatic channels between Singapore and China, these religious visits could thus be seen as a form of informal diplomacy with the aim of confidence building. Literature Review Political relations and economic and trade co-operation are the two major themes that dominate the literature on Singapore China relations since the reopening of China in the late 1970s. Hence political scientists have been at the forefront of research efforts. Chin Kin Wah suggests that Singapore China relations can be likened to two layers: the lower layer of economic/commercial relations and the upper layer of political relations. 2 Yuen Foong Khong takes a similar approach. He argues that Singapore has adopted a three-pronged approach economic engagement, political engagement and fall-back position to engage China. 3 Michael Leifer, one of the leading scholars in South-East Asian international relations, arrives at a similar conclusion. Citing Chin and Yuen, Leifer points out that Singapore s guarded relationship with China has been driven by economic, geopolitical and cultural concerns. 4 In contrast to these academic writings, the commemorative magazine jointly published by the Singa Sino Friendship Association of Singapore and China- Singapore Friendship Association of China in 2000 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Singapore and China looks at the educational, sports and entertainment dimensions of Singapore China relations in addition to the political and economic ones. 5 1 You Xiang, Zhongxin liangguo fojiaojie de gaoceng jiaowang: yi Hong Chuan fashi yu Zhongguo fojiao xiehui ( High-level China Singapore Buddhist interactions: remembering Venerable Hong Choon and the China Buddhist Association ), in Zhongguo fojiao xiehui chengli sishi zhounian jinian wenji (Commemorative Volume on the 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of the China Buddhist Association) (Beijing: Zhongguo fojiao wenhua yanjiusuo, 1993), p Chin Kin Wah, A new phase in Singapore s relations with China, in Joyce K. Kallgren, Noordin Sopiee and Soedjati Djiwandono (eds.), ASEAN and China: An Evolving Relationship (Berkeley: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, 1988), p Yuen Foong Khong, Singapore: a time for economic and political engagement, in Alastair Iain Johnston and Robert S. Ross (eds.), Engaging China: The Management of an Emerging Power (London: Routledge, 1999), p Michael Leifer, Singapore s Foreign Policy: Coping with Vulnerability (New York: Routledge, 2000), p See Commemorative Souvenir in Celebration of the Tenth Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of Singapore and the People s Republic of China ( Commemorative Souvenir) (Singapore: Singa Sino Friendship Association of Singapore and China Singapore Friendship Association of China, 2000).

4 866 The China Quarterly, 196, December 2008, pp However, this magazine still placed its emphasis on political-economic ties. None of the existing literature on Singapore China relations has explored the role of religion in general and Buddhism in particular. Theoretically speaking, the role of religion in the study of international relations, formerly an under-explored area, has recently received an increasing amount of attention from a handful of scholars. As the title of his article suggests, Jonathan Fox considers religion as an overlooked element of international relations. He therefore attempts to examine why it is often overlooked by policy makers and academics and explores how religion influences international politics. 6 K. R. Dark argues that the approach to religion and international relations is based on two premises: first, that religious factors can affect human decision-making and actions; and second, that all states, nations and other organizations taking part in world politics comprise people whose religious beliefs and affiliations may affect their decisions and actions. 7 In addition, Scott Thomas suggests that there is a growing saliency of religion in the politics of countries throughout the world. 8 Hence, he maintains that coming to terms with this large-scale religious change taking cultural and religious pluralism seriously will be an important part of the international politics of the 21st century. 9 In his book, Scott Appleby contends that religious peacebuilding is able to contribute consistently to the peaceful resolution of conflicts. Therefore, the peacebuilding potential of religious actors and communities should not be underestimated. 10 Fox furthers his argument in a recent book co-authored with Shmuel Sandler. They contend that no understanding of international relations can be complete without bringing religion into the discipline. 11 What then is the role of religion in the international relations between Singapore and China? This study, by making use of Venerable Hong Choon s visits to China as a prism to examine the contributory role of Buddhism in Singapore China relations, attempts to fill in some of these gaps. Methodology A range of Buddhist publications from both Singapore and China constitutes the basis of this study: commemorative magazines and volumes, periodicals, and 6 Jonathan Fox, Religion as an overlooked element of international relations, International Studies Review, Vol. 3, No. 3 (2001), p K.R. Dark, Introduction, in K.R. Dark (ed.), Religion and International Relations (New York: St. Martin s Press, 2000), p. ix. 8 Scott M. Thomas, Taking religious and cultural pluralism seriously: the global resurgence of religion and the transformation of international society, Millennium: Journal of International Studies, Vol. 29, No. 3 (2000), p Ibid. p R. Scott Appleby, The Ambivalence of the Sacred: Religion, Violence, and Reconciliation (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2000), pp Jonathan Fox and Shmuel Sandler, Bringing Religion into International Relations (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004), p. 2.

5 Buddhism in Singapore China Relations 867 biographical sketches of Buddhist figures in hagiographies. The most important and useful source is the Special Commemorative Volume in Memory of Venerable Hong Choon (Hong Chuan fashi jinian tekan 宏船法师纪念特刊 ). This was published by KMSPKS in 1993 to commemorate the third anniversary of the death of Venerable Hong Choon, and includes essays, letters, newspaper articles and photographs. Two Buddhist periodicals, The Voice of Dharma (Fa yin 法音 ) and Nanyang Buddhist (Nanyang fojiao 南洋佛教 ) published by the CBA and SBF, respectively, provide useful reports and the speeches delivered during the religious exchanges. A limitation of these sources is that they tend to be hagiographical in their depictions of Venerable Hong Choon and the Buddhist leaders. Nevertheless, they remain useful materials for this study. In addition to the Buddhist publications, I conducted interviews with two ordained and one lay disciples of Venerable Hong Choon who visited China with him. These informal and loosely structured interviews offer valuable insights and provide more breadth than written sources. Research was also conducted at the newly opened Venerable Hong Choon Museum in KMSPKS. 12 The period covered in this study is from 1982 to 1990; 1990 was selected because it was the year in which Singapore and China established formal diplomatic relations, as well as the year that Venerable Hong Choon died. This study has three sections. It first sets the context through an examination of Singapore China relations after Deng Xiaoping announced a new open door policy in The reopening of China parallels a shift in its domestic religious policy, resulting in a revival of Buddhism in the country. Venerable Hong Choon s connections with the CBA and his first two visits to China are set against the backdrop of Singapore China relations in the open door era, the relaxation of religious policy and the Buddhist revival. The second section examines the shift in the focus of Venerable Hong Choon s visits. On his third visit, the Venerable had audiences with important political and religious leaders in China. On his fourth visit in 1985, he invited various religious leaders from the Inter-Religious Organization (IRO) to participate in a multi-religious exchange. In these two visits, Venerable Hong Choon played the role of an unofficial and non-political diplomat, using religion as an instrument to bridge and foster friendly ties between the two countries. The final section discusses Zhao Puchu s groundbreaking visit to Singapore in At the invitation of Venerable Hong Choon, Zhao Puchu led a CBA delegation on a mission to Singapore during which they had audiences with prominent Singaporean political and religious leaders. This visit could hence be regarded as Singapore s effort to reciprocate Venerable Hong Choon s earlier visits, and it contributed to the fostering of foreign relations between Singapore and China. The study concludes that Buddhism indeed had a role to play in promoting Singapore China relations prior to the official establishment of diplomatic ties. 12 I am grateful to KMSPKS for granting me access to the photo archive of the museum and allowing me to publish some of the pictures in this study.

6 868 The China Quarterly, 196, December 2008, pp Dharmic Links across the Seas: Establishing Singapore China Buddhist Ties The Singapore government did not follow Malaysia s lead when it established diplomatic relations with China in May Singapore was highly sensitive to Indonesia s negative disposition towards China and made it a policy not to establish official diplomatic ties with China until after the Indonesian government had done so. 13 Hence, Singapore only formalized relations with China in October 1990, a year after Indonesia. 14 Nevertheless, following the normalization of Malaysia China relations, Singapore s foreign minister S. Rajaratnam led the first official visit to China through an act of political reconnaissance in March Rajaratnam s visit paved the way for Singapore s prime minister Lee Kuan Yew ( 李光耀 ) to undertake his first visit in May 1976 during which he met an ailing Mao Zedong. After Mao s death, Deng Xiaoping became the new political leader of China. Deng made major modifications in policies and established crucial new trends. In domestic politics, the most important and obvious change was the replacement of Mao s radicalism with Deng s pragmatic moderation, and the corresponding shift of focus from politics to economics. The open door policy began with the Third Plenum of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in December Internationally, this open door policy meant opening the door to foreign economic investment, technology transfer, trade and training. 16 Deng Xiaoping s visit to Singapore in 1978 was a turning point in Singapore China relations. 17 Yuen Foong Khong has argued that Singaporean officials knew that Deng had seen China s economic future in Singapore and that Singapore was Deng s preferred model because it showed that rapid economic growth was not inconsistent with tight central government control. 18 By the 1980s, the Singapore government had began to play both advisory and investment roles in China s economic modernization. 19 Economic interests and interactions contributed to a multitude of contacts between the Singaporean and Chinese leaders, with Lee Kuan Yew visiting China in 1980, 1985, 1988 and his final visit as prime minister in Chinese foreign and religious policy underwent enormous changes in the period from the 1950s to the 1980s. In the early 1950s, religious organizations, 13 Leifer, Singapore s Foreign Policy, p For Indonesia China relations, see e.g. Rizal Sukma, Indonesia and China: The Politics of a Troubled Relationship (New York: Routledge, 1999) Commemorative Souvenir, p Leifer, Singapore s Foreign Policy, p Thomas W. Robinson, Chinese foreign policy from the 1940s to the 1990s, in Thomas W. Robinson and David Shambaugh (eds.), Chinese Foreign Policy: Theory and Practice (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994), p Leifer, Singapore s Foreign Policy, p. 114; Yuen Foong Khong, Singapore, p Yuen Foong Khong, Singapore, p Ibid. 20 For a list of visits by Singaporean leaders to China in the 1980s, see Commemorative Souvenir, p. 11.

7 Buddhism in Singapore China Relations 869 leaders and followers faced many restrictions on their freedom to conduct religious activities under the communist government. Nevertheless, Buddhism had a pragmatic role to play in China s foreign policy from 1952 to The CBA, established in 1953 as China s national Buddhist organization, played host to Buddhist visitors from other countries, and tried to create the impression that Buddhism was flourishing in China. By doing so, the Chinese government hoped to win the support of these visitors and score a gain for Chinese foreign policy. 21 Holmes Welch suggests that when there was a need to influence public opinions abroad, [Buddhism] helped to have developed friendly relations through the exchange of visits with politicians, students, businessmen, and other social circles, all of whom could be called upon to cooperate in agitation and propaganda. 22 The Chinese authorities could use the religion as a tool to develop relations with other Asian Buddhist countries. With the onset of the Cultural Revolution in 1966, the Chinese government banned all religious activities. Churches, monasteries and temples were closed and even converted to other uses. Some experienced savage attacks and depredation, while many others were completely destroyed. 23 Buddhism suffered severe suppression during the Cultural Revolution and lost its relevance in China s foreign policy. The Chinese authorities occupied monasteries, confiscated lands, forbade ordinations and displaced religious practices with productive labour and political movements. 24 The open door policy in the late 1970s led to a relaxation in China s religious policy. Following the Third Plenum of the Eleventh Central Committee, the new Constitution adopted in 1982 included article 36 on religious freedom. In the same year, the CCP centre circulated Document 19, which provided correct and effective guidelines for carrying out the policy on religion. 25 This shift in policy under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping inaugurated a new period of religious tolerance. Buddhism was not only revived but is flourishing especially in parts of South China. 26 The Chinese government has again revived Buddhism as an instrument for its foreign policy, with the CBA playing a crucial role in promot[ing] friendly exchanges with Buddhists from various countries. 27 Hence, the context of the reopening of China, the relaxation of religious policy, and a revival of Buddhism created a politically favourable environment for Venerable Hong Choon to make his visits to China in the 1980s. 21 Holmes Welch, Buddhism under Mao (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1972), p Ibid. p Donald E. MacInnis, Religion in China Today: Policy and Practice (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1989), p Welch, Buddhism under Mao, p See MacInnis, Religion in China Today, pp For Buddhist revival in China since 1979, see Yoshiko Ashiwa, Dynamics of the Buddhist Revival movement in south China: state, society, and transnationalism, Hitotsubashi Journal of Social Studies, No. 32 (2000), p MacInnis, Religion in China Today, p. 148.

8 870 The China Quarterly, 196, December 2008, pp Venerable Hong Choon and the CBA Venerable Hong Choon was born in 1907 in China, in Xiafu village, Jinjiang county in Fujian province. 28 He was the only son in a family of six children. The Venerable started to become interested in Buddhism under the influence of his grandmother and aunt. In 1922, Venerable Hong Choon received his novice ordination from Venerable Hui Quan at Quanzhou Chengtian Monastery. One year later, he received his Bhikkhu ordination from Venerable Ben Ru ( 本如 )at Putian Guanghua Monastery. After the Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937, Venerable Hong Choon and his master fled for refuge in South-East Asia. Venerable Hui Quan and Venerable Hong Choon visited Singapore in 1941, and stayed at the KMSPKS. 29 Venerable Zhuan Dao ( 转道 ), the ailing founder and abbot of KMSPKS, was worried that there would be no successor to take over the monastery, and decided to transmit the Dharma (chuan fa 传法 ) to Venerable Hong Choon. 30 This made Venerable Hong Choon a disciple of the he yun ( 喝云 ) lineage. 31 When Venerable Zhuan Dao died in 1943, Venerable Hong Choon was called upon by five Buddhist organizations in Singapore KMSPKS, Putuo Monastery, Longshan Monastery, Singapore Buddhist Lodge (Xinjiapo fojiao jushilin 新加坡佛教居士林, SBL) and Chinese Buddhist Association (Zhonghua fojiao hui 中华佛教会 ) to become the abbot of KMSPKS. 32 The determined abbot progressively developed and expanded the monastery, making it the largest in Singapore. By the 1980s, Venerable Hong Choon was recognized as one of the most eminent monks in Singapore. He was acknowledged by all Chinese Buddhists in Singapore as their highest religious leader and held in high esteem by Buddhists of other ethnic groups including the Thais and Sri Lankans For a biography of Venerable Hong Choon, see Yu Lingbo, Zhongguo fojiao haiwai hongfa renwu zhi (Annals of Overseas Propagators of Chinese Buddhism) (Taipei: Torch of Wisdom, 1997), pp ; Hong Chuan fashi jinian tekan (Special Commemorative Volume in Memory of Venerable Hong Choon) (Singapore: Guangmingshan pujuechansi, 1993), pp For a history of KMSPKS, see Y.D. Ong, Buddhism in Singapore: A Short Narrative History (Singapore: Skylark Publications, 2005), pp ; Shi Chuanfa, Xinjiapo fojiao fazhan shi (A History of the Development of Buddhism in Singapore) (Singapore: Xinjiapo fojiao jushilin, 1997), pp The Dharma is often transmitted from monk to monk without any reference to the abbotship of the monastery, but simply as a private transaction to signify approval or cement a personal connection. However, an abbot who has taken a disciple on this private basis might later decide that no one else is better qualified to succeed to the abbotship. If his colleagues agree, the succession is so arranged. Transmission of the Dharma as a seal of office is the practice at most Chinese monasteries. See Holmes Welch, The Practice of Chinese Buddhism (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1967), p Li Muyuan, Xuefo hufa de xinde ji dui fofa weilai de zhanwang: Xinjiapo fojiao jushilin Li Muyuan jushi zhujiang 1998 nian 8 yue 23, 24 ri ( Personal experience in learning and protecting the Buddhadharma, and visions for the future development of the Buddha-dharma: speech delivered by Li Muyuan at the Singapore Buddhist Lodge, August 1998 ), Shicheng chaoyin, No. 23 (2002), p Special Commemorative Volume in Memory of Venerable Hong Choon, p IRO-40: Inter-Religious Organisation Singapore 40th Anniversary Commemorative Book (Singapore: The Inter-Religious Organisation Singapore, 1990), p. 13; For a full listing of Venerable Hong Choon s appointments in both Singapore and overseas Buddhist organizations, see Special Commemorative Volume in Memory of Venerable Hong Choon, pp

9 Buddhism in Singapore China Relations 871 Figure 1: Venerable Hong Choon (photo courtesy of Venerable Hong Choon Museum, KMSPKS) Throughout his successful religious career in Singapore, Venerable Hong Choon never forgot his zuting ( 祖庭, ancestral hall) ties to Buddhism in China. 34 He was very concerned with the development and state of Buddhism in China in general and his zuting in particular. 35 With the reopening of China in the late 1970s and the relaxation of religious policies, the Venerable was considering the possibility of embarking on a trip to China. In the early 1980s, he sent his disciple Liu Chuangmin ( 刘创民 ), together with several lay disciples from Hong Kong and Macau, to establish contact with Zhao Puchu, the chairman of the CBA, which they successfully did. 36 After some discussions among the leaders of the CBA, they decided to extend their invitation to Venerable Hong Choon and made arrangements for him to meet Zhao Puchu. This allowed the Venerable to make his first two visits to China in 1982 and A successful beginning: the first two visits In July 1982, Venerable Hong Choon, in his capacity as the president of the SBF and the Abbot of KMSPKS, led a delegation of six Buddhists from Singapore to visit China. The delegation arrived in Guangzhou and received a warm welcome 34 The term zuting literally means ancestral hall. In Chinese Mahayana Buddhism, zuting ties refer to the relationships between the Sangha and their lineage monasteries. This religious kinship can be based on tonsure, Dharma and ordination. See Welch, The Practice of Chinese Buddhism, pp Lee Bock Guan, interview by author, 2 August 2006; Seck Kwang Phing, interview by author, 7 August 2006; Sik Kwang Sheng, interview by author, 1 August You Xiang, High-level China Singapore Buddhist interactions, p For a biography of Zhao Puchu, see e.g. Zhu Hong, Zhao Puchu zhuan (A Biography of Zhao Puchu) (Beijing: Remin chubanshe, 2004).

10 872 The China Quarterly, 196, December 2008, pp from Zhao Puchu and his wife Chen Bangzhi ( 陈邦织 ). Venerable Hong Choon s meeting with Zhao Puchu in Guangzhou was a highly symbolic one. As both the Venerable and Zhao Puchu were born under the Chinese zodiac sign of the goat and Guangzhou was known as the Goat City (yangcheng 羊城 ), the historic meeting between the two religious leaders was regarded as the auspicious encounter of the three goats (sanyang kaitai 三羊开泰 ). 37 Their first meeting marked a new beginning of a series of exchanges between Buddhist leaders in Singapore and China. A year after the first visit, Venerable Hong Choon was again invited by the CBA to visit China. The Venerable and his 15-man delegation arrived in Beijing on 16 June 1983 and were cordially welcomed by Zhao Puchu and Buddhist leaders from the CBA. A grand reception was accorded to Venerable Hong Choon on the following day. The director of the Religious Affairs Bureau, Qiao Liansheng ( 乔连升 ), was invited to grace the reception dinner. Two days later, Venerable Hong Choon had an audience with the Panchen Lama, the second highest-ranking lama (after the exiled Dalai Lama) in Tibetan Buddhism, and the Honorary President of the CBA. As the Tibetan puppet leader installed by the Chinese government, the Panchen Lama expressed his happiness towards the Venerable s visit to China. He introduced him to China s religious policies and shared with him the state and development of Buddhism in the country. The Panchen Lama also hoped that Venerable Hong Choon would visit China more frequently, and offer more advice and assistance to the development of the country and Buddhism in particular. 38 A link established Venerable Hong Choon s visits have to be understood within the context of Singapore China relations in the 1980s. China s open door policy accompanied by a relaxation in the country s religious policy and a revival of Buddhism made it possible for the Venerable to establish communications with the CBA. Motivated by his zuting ties, Venerable Hong Choon, on the invitation of the CBA, made two successful visits in 1982 and These two thriving exchanges allowed the Venerable to establish links with Zhao Puchu, the Panchen Lama, and other Buddhist and low-level political leaders in China. It is notable that Zhao Puchu and the Panchen Lama were simultaneously political and religious leaders. Zhao Puchu was the vice-chairman of the CPPCC and the Panchen Lama was a puppet leader installed by the Chinese government to replace the exiled Dalai Lama. Meeting and establishing rapport with these important leaders allowed Venerable Hong Choon to set a precedent and paved the way for his subsequent visits. 37 You Xiang, High-level China Singapore Buddhist interactions, p. 174; Seck Kwang Phing, interview by author, 7 August Ibid.

11 Buddhism in Singapore China Relations 873 In her study of the Buddhist revival movement in South China, Yoshiko Ashiwa suggests that Venerable Hong Choon s visits were an example of resources moving through transnational Buddhist networks. 39 In an article coauthored with David Wank, she examines the Venerable s visits to China in the context of the institutional process of the globalization of Chinese Buddhism. 40 While the religious dimension of Venerable Hong Choon s visits did contribute to the movement of resources in transnational networks and can be examined in the context of the globalization of Chinese Buddhism, their diplomatic implications have yet to be explored. As the following sections illustrate, Venerable Hong Choon s visits to China did have a role to play in promoting Singapore China relations in the period before the two countries established official diplomatic ties in Meeting the Chinese Leaders After two successful visits, which had built a strong rapport between Venerable Hong Choon and the Chinese Buddhist leaders, the CBA again invited him to visit China. In his third and fourth visits in 1984 and 1985, the Venerable and his delegation had audiences with several important Chinese political and religious leaders. Venerable Hong Choon played the role of an unofficial and nonpolitical diplomat in both visits, using Buddhism as a tool to bridge and foster ties between Singapore and China. These two visits were indeed of great significance to the informal diplomatic relations between the two countries. An audience with the vice-chairman A year after his second visit, Venerable Hong Choon received an invitation from the CBA to visit China. The Venerable and his 15-man Singapore KMSPKS Pilgrimage and Tour Delegation (Xinjiapo Guangmingshan pujuesi zhu xintu Chaoshan guanguangtuan 新加坡光明山普觉寺诸信徒朝山观光团 ) embarked on their third visit to China in August Venerable Hong Choon appointed Lee Bock Guan ( 李木源 ), one of his lay disciples, as the secretary of the delegation. One of the secretary s tasks was to order and prepare Buddhist robes (haiqing 海青 ), Buddha statues and incense to be donated to the Chinese Buddhist organizations. The robes were ordered from Hong Kong and Taiwan, and were to be collected in Hong Kong and shipped to Xiamen. Venerable Hong Choon and his delegation hence travelled first to Hong Kong to collect their order before going to mainland China Yoshiko, Buddhist revival movement in South China, pp Yoshiko Ashiwa and David L. Wank, The globalization of Chinese Buddhism: clergy and devotee networks in the 20th century, International Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 2, No. 2 (2005), p Li Muyuan, Personal experience in learning and protecting the Buddha-dharma, p. 8; Ershi nianqian pobingxing: 1984 Xinjiapo Guangmingshan pujuechansi fu Zhongguo Chaoshan Guanguangtuan zhuiji ( An ice-breaking visit 20 years ago: remembering the 1984 Singapore Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Pilgrimage and Tour Delegation ), Shicheng chaoyin, No. 28 (2005), pp. 6 12; Lee Bock Guan, interview by author, 2 August 2006.

12 874 The China Quarterly, 196, December 2008, pp The highpoint of the visit was undoubtedly the meeting with Ulanfu ( 乌兰夫 ), China s vice-chairman, at the Great Hall of the People on 2 September This was the first time a Buddhist monk from Singapore had had the opportunity to meet a high-ranking Chinese politician. Ulanfu praised Venerable Hong Choon for his contribution towards promoting friendly relations between Buddhist organizations from Singapore and China. He told the Venerable that he sincerely hoped that such friendly relations between the religious bodies could be extended to foreign relations between the governments of the two countries. 42 Venerable Hong Choon s third visit was a marked departure from the first two and was highly significant in two ways. First, it symbolized the beginning of the politicization of his mission to China. After meeting Ulanfu and other Chinese political leaders, his remaining visits to China were no longer solely religious. Issues concerning politics and foreign relations between Singapore and China were often tied to religious issues, and were even introduced and discussed in those visits. Second, Chinese political and religious leaders recognized the Venerable as the most eminent Buddhist monk in Singapore. They viewed him as the key Singaporean religious representative who was able to foster religious ties between the two countries in the absence of official diplomatic relations. As the fourth visit illustrates, Venerable Hong Choon was prepared to play the role of a religious diplomat as he invited an inter-religious delegation on an exchange to China. The Inter-Religious Organization s mission to China The CBA invited Venerable Hong Choon to visit China for a fourth time in This time, the Venerable decided to extend the invitation to various religious leaders of the Singapore IRO. 43 The IRO is an inter-faith organization founded in 1949 by the British colonial authorities and a group of religious leaders. Its main purpose is to prevent misunderstandings among the various religious groups and races in Singapore. It is therefore to a large extent a semistate organization. On the one hand, it serves to promote the government s policy of inter-religious harmony. On the other, it belongs to neither a government ministry nor a statutory board. As the longest surviving member who was even present at the birth of IRO, Venerable Hong Choon was probably one of the organization s most influential members. 44 For this reason, it came as no surprise that members of the IRO readily accepted his invitation. The Venerable generously provided the funding for the IRO delegation on their first ever multi-religious exchange to China Wu Lanfu fuzhuxi huijian Xinjiapo fojiao chaoshan guangguantuan: Hong Chuan fashi yixing chaobai sidamingshan gongde yuanman ( Vice-chairman Ulanfu meets Singapore Buddhist pilgrimage and tour delegation: Venerable Hong Choon and his delegation s successful pilgrimage to the four famous mountains ), Fa yin, No. 22 (1984), p For a history of the IRO, see IRO-40, pp Ibid. p Ibid. p. 45.

13 Buddhism in Singapore China Relations 875 Venerable Hong Choon and the IRO delegation s audience with the vicechairman, Ulanfu, was probably the most important moment of their mission to China. 46 This was the first time an inter-religious delegation from Singapore had travelled to China and they were honoured to be given an audience with such an important Chinese politician. Ulanfu met the Venerable and the IRO delegation at the Great Hall of the People (See Figure 2). He expressed his appreciation for the IRO delegation in general and Venerable Hong Choon in particular for the concern [he had] for China and its prosperity. 47 State, semi-state and non-state actors in Singapore China religious exchanges Venerable Hong Choon s third and fourth visits in 1984 and 1985 demonstrate the collaboration between state, semi-state and non-state actors in the fostering of Singapore China relations. The two visits have to be analysed against the Figure 2: Venerable Hong Choon and the IRO delegation in China 46 Hong Chuan fashi disici laihua fangwen ( Venerable Hong Choon s fourth visit to China ), Fa yin, No. 29 (1986), p IRO-40, p. 48.

14 876 The China Quarterly, 196, December 2008, pp backdrop of the broader development in such relations. Following the establishment of a Singapore Trade Office in Beijing in 1981 and Lee Kuan Yew s prolific visit in September 1985, Singapore China relations were heading towards formal recognition. Chinese state actors were keen to use religion as a tool to further the positive foreign relations between the two countries. Taking place at such a juncture, Venerable Hong Choon and the IRO delegation s meetings with Ulanfu and other political and religious leaders were certainly not coincidental. They were, in fact, well organized and planned by the Chinese government. The CBA was a state agency and the religious exchanges it promoted were diplomatic instruments for Chinese foreign policy. 48 Venerable Hong Choon s third and fourth visits were therefore deliberate arrangements made by the Chinese government in order to use religion as a tool to bridge and foster ties with Singaporean religious leaders. The IRO delegation, despite it being their first visit to the country, had an audience with high-ranking Chinese politicians and many other religious leaders. The attention and importance given to the delegation illustrates that the Chinese authorities looked upon the IRO, a semi-state actor, as the most representative religious body in Singapore. By extending a warm reception to the delegation, the Chinese government probably hoped that these important religious representatives from Singapore could help to strengthen the informal ties between the two countries at a cultural and religious level. Religious exchanges took place hand-in-hand with the Singapore government s official policy towards China, and were an important complement to political and economic relations. Venerable Hong Choon, for instance, encouraged a wealthy Singaporean devotee to invest in Xiamen, which resulted in the founding of the Yinhua Tile Factory, one of the largest overseas Chinese investments in Xiamen in the 1980s. 49 This demonstrates that religious ties did have an effect on economic relations. For this reason, Venerable Hong Choon s visits need to be contextualized within the wider political and economic relations between the two countries. While it was neither certain if Venerable Hong Choon did convey Ulanfu s message to the Singapore government nor if the message had any effect on the Singaporean leaders, his visits were nevertheless important episodes. As K. R. Dark suggests, religious organizations can act directly as non-state actors in world politics, and can indirectly affect the policies and behaviour of other actors. 50 Venerable Hong Choon was neither a political leader nor a diplomat. Nevertheless, as an eminent Buddhist leader from Singapore, he was an important non-state actor, and his visits to China were likely to have an indirect impact on fostering Singapore China relations. So far, it appears that the initiative for the religious exchanges was one-sided. Singaporean Buddhist leaders did not reciprocate and extend any invitation to 48 MacInnis, Religion in China Today, p Yoshiko, Buddhist revival movement in south China, p Dark, Introduction, p. vii.

15 Buddhism in Singapore China Relations 877 their Chinese counterparts to make a visit to Singapore. However, this was to change when Venerable Hong Choon invited Zhao Puchu and his CBA delegation to Singapore. From China with Love: Zhao Puchu and his Visit to Singapore After four visits to China, Venerable Hong Choon had met several Chinese political and religious leaders, and established very close relations with Zhao Puchu and leaders of the CBA. The CBA invited the Venerable to visit China for the fifth and sixth times in 1986 and However, it seems that his visits had very much been a deliberate effort planned and executed by the Chinese government through the CBA. Building positive foreign relations between any two countries requires a high degree of reciprocity. What then were the Singaporean political and Buddhist leaders response? What did Venerable Hong Choon s visits to China have to do with Zhao Puchu s trip to Singapore in 1988? What was the significance of this to Singapore China relations? This section, by illustrating Zhao Puchu s visit to Singapore, attempts to answer some of these questions. Extending an invitation to Zhao Puchu There is no evidence so far to suggest any role or involvement by the Singapore government in Venerable Hong Choon s visits to China. According to Venerable Kwang Phing, the Singaporean leaders expressed neither their support nor disapproval towards these visits. 51 For this reason, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore (MFA) did not issue any public statement about the religious exchanges between the two countries. The government s seemingly apathetic attitude can perhaps be attributed to two reasons. First, the secular Singapore government, which adopts a policy of multi-racialism and multireligiosity, was probably reluctant to display their support for Venerable Hong Choon as this could be interpreted as showing favouritism to Buddhism. 52 Second, because of the informal nature of Venerable Hong Choon s missions to China, and the fact that he was not a Singaporean politician or a diplomat, the MFA might have deemed it unnecessary to make any official comments on his visits. Nevertheless, it would be erroneous to think that the Singapore government was completely ignorant about these visits. When Zhao Puchu was invited to Singapore, the government seemed more than happy to accord the Chinese visitor with what was given to Venerable Hong Choon when he was in China. On pragmatic grounds, the government could be more than willing to bring the religious dimension into its foreign relations with China. Venerable Hong Choon s exchanges to China were, however, widely acknowledged by the Singaporean religious community in general and 51 Seck Kwang Phing, interview by author, 7 August Kuah Khun Eng, State, Society and Religious Engineering: Towards a Reformist Buddhism in Singapore (Singapore: Eastern Universities Press, 2003), p. 132.

16 878 The China Quarterly, 196, December 2008, pp Buddhist community in particular. Religious leaders from the IRO were particularly grateful to the Venerable for inviting them on his fourth visit and sponsoring their trip. 53 The Buddhist community was also supportive of the visits. His followers provided funding and made generous donations to help with the restoration of Buddhist monasteries in China. For instance, He Huizhong ( 何蕙忠 ), a wealthy lay disciple of Venerable Hong Choon, contributed up to five million yuan to help with the refurbishment of Chengtian Monastery, a zuting of the Venerable. 54 Nevertheless, despite the cordial ties developed between Buddhist organizations from the two countries, these visits would not be complete without their Chinese counterparts making a visit to Singapore. The Venerable was therefore keen to invite Zhao Puchu and leaders from the CBA on an exchange to his country. In fact, as early as May and July 1986, Venerable Hong Choon had extended two invitations for Zhao Puchu to visit Singapore. 55 In his reply dated 8 July 1986, Zhao Puchu told the Venerable that he was unable to accept the invitation due to busy schedules and prior commitments. 56 However, it was extremely likely that this could actually be attributed to political or diplomatic reasons. Venerable Hong Choon, on behalf of KMSPKS and SBL, sent two letters again in December 1987 and April 1998 to invite Zhao Puchu to Singapore. In his letter dated 17 May 1988 addressed to Venerable Hong Choon, Zhao Puchu accepted the invitation and agreed to lead a CBA delegation to visit Singapore later in the year. 57 The CBA sent an official letter to the Venerable, dated 18 July, informing him that Zhao Puchu and the six-man CBA delegation, comprising of Venerables Ming Yang ( 明暘 ) and Hui Yuan ( 慧原 ), Chen Bangzhi (Mrs Zhao Puchu), You Xiang ( 游骧 ), Zhao Guochen ( 赵国忱 ), and Dr Fang Dinghua ( 方定华 ), would make their visit to Singapore in September. 58 Finally, a confirmation letter signed by KMSPKS and SBL was sent on 31 August to finalize the details of the visit. The letter also stated that the two organizations would provide the expenses for Zhao Puchu and the CBA delegation. 59 After more than two years of correspondence with Zhao Puchu and the CBA, Venerable Hong Choon was finally going to meet the Chinese leader in Singapore. 53 IRO-40, pp Pachen Lama huijian Hong Chuan fashi bing ganji fashi dui Zhongguo fojiao shiye de zhichi ( Panchen Lama meets Venerable Hong Choon and expresses gratitude for the Venerable s support of Buddhism in China ), Renmin ribao (People s Daily), 2 November 1986; quoted in Special Commemorative Volume in Memory of Venerable Hong Choon, pp Hong Chuan fashi liangci zhihan yaoqing Zhao Puchu huizhang fangxin ( Venerable Hong Choon extended his invitation twice to Chairman Zhao Puchu to pay a visit to Singapore ), in ibid. p Ibid. 57 Zhao Puchu huizhang zhihan Hong Chuan fashi niannei jiang shuai qiren daibiaotuan fangxin ( Chairman Zhao Puchu s letter to Venerable Hong Choon informing that he would lead a seven-man delegation to visit Singapore within the year ), in ibid. p Zhao Puchu huizhang hanshi jiuyue fangxin tuanyuan mingdan ( Chairman Zhao Puchu s letter to name the members of his delegation visiting Singapore in September ), in ibid. 59 Liang fojiao tuanti biaoshi huanying Zhao Puchu huizhang shuaituan fangxin ( Letter from two Buddhist organizations welcoming Chairman Zhao Puchu and his delegation s visit to Singapore ), in ibid. pp

17 Buddhism in Singapore China Relations 879 A groundbreaking visit to Singapore On 23 September 1988, Zhao Puchu, in his capacity as chairman of the CBA and vice-chairman of the CPPCC, led a six-man CBA delegation on a groundbreaking visit to Singapore. This was the CBA s first religious exchange to Singapore since its founding in Zhao Puchu and his delegation were given an official welcome at the airport by Singaporean Buddhist and political leaders, consisting of Venerables Hong Choon, Kong Hiap ( 广洽 ) and Siong Khye ( 常凯 ); Ho Kah Leong ( 何家良 ) (senior parliamentary secretary for the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology); Phua Bah Lee ( 潘巴厘 ) (senior parliamentary secretary for the Ministry of Defence); and Tan Kong Piat ( 陈光别 ) (president of the SBL). 61 Venerable Hong Choon met Zhao Puchu and his delegation, and played host to the visitors in Singapore for the first time. The delegation received a warm reception at the KMSPKS. During his oneweek stay in Singapore, Zhao Puchu visited several notable Buddhist organizations, social welfare organizations and missionary schools. 62 The Buddhist leaders and lay supporters received the highly respected Chinese Buddhist leader and politician with great hospitality. Zhao Puchu was deeply impressed with the state-of-the-art equipment and facilities in the SBFC and the missionary schools and was delighted with the development of Buddhism in Singapore. 63 According to Lee Bock Guan, Zhao Puchu told his delegation that Buddhist organizations in China should learn from Singapore s successful experience. 64 Zhao Puchu s remarks seemed to be a Buddhist parallel to Deng Xiaoping s statement on his first visit to Singapore in 1978, in which the Chinese leader regarded Singapore as the preferred model for Chinese economic development. 65 Meeting the Singaporean leaders Venerable Hong Choon, on behalf of the KMSPKS and the SBL, had invited Zhao Puchu to Singapore on a supposedly religious visit. However, the visit also turned out to be a political one. Because of his political status as vice-chairman of CPPCC, the Singapore government cordially received Zhao Puchu as a Chinese politician. Zhao Puchu, accompanied by Venerables Hong Choon and Kong Hiap, Tan Kong Piat, and Wang Jiuan, had audiences with important Singaporean political leaders including second deputy prime minister Ong Teng Cheong ( 王鼎昌 ) 66 and Ch ng Jit 60 Zhao Puchu huizhang shuaituan shoufang Xinjiapo ( Chairman Zhao Puchu leads a delegation to pay their first visit to Singapore ), Fa yin, No. 52 (1988), p nian 9 yue 23 ri: Zhao Puchu shuaituan fang Xinjiapo ( 23 September 1988: Zhao Puchu leads a delegation to visit Singapore ), in Special Commemorative Volume in Memory of Venerable Hong Choon, p Ibid.; Lee Bock Guan, interview by author, 2 August Zhao Puchu leads a delegation to visit Singapore, p Lee Bock Guan, interview by author, 2 August Yuen Foong Khong, Singapore, p Ong Teng Cheong ( ) was a senior Singaporean politician. He was appointed deputy prime minister in In 1993 he won the presidential elections and became Singapore s first elected president.

18 880 The China Quarterly, 196, December 2008, pp Koon ( 庄日昆 ), the minister of state for community development. 67 While the details of their conversations were not revealed and were unavailable in the sources cited in this study, their meetings were likely to have been surrounded with issues concerning Singapore China relations. Therefore, the diplomatic significance of Zhao Puchu s visit should not be underestimated. Hsu Tse-Kwang ( 徐籍光 ), the commissioner of the Inland Revenue Department, invited Zhao Puchu and his delegation to a banquet organized specially for them at the office of the Inland Revenue Department. 68 It seems rather curious that Hsu Tse-Kwang, a senior Singaporean bureaucrat, had this special reception at his workplace. While the relationship between Zhao Puchu and Hsu Tse-Kwang is not detailed in the sources consulted, it is possible that Zhao Puchu had a lot of connections, and perhaps even prior engagements with political and bureaucratic leaders from Singapore. Zhao Puchu and his delegation left Singapore for Beijing on 30 September His short one-week visit was undoubtedly a groundbreaking mission for the CBA and a significant contribution to Singapore China relations. During his stay, Zhao Puchu was given warm hospitality by Venerable Hong Choon, and had audiences with important Singaporean Buddhist, political and bureaucratic leaders. He was also invited to visit several prominent Buddhist organizations, missionary schools and social welfare organizations. Finally, Zhao Puchu and his delegation attended many banquets organized specially for them and toured some of the attractions in the country. In a letter to Singaporean Buddhist and political leaders dated 2 December 1988, Zhao Puchu expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the warm reception and hospitality he received during his visit. He sincerely hoped that closer Singapore China Buddhist relations could bring about world peace, happiness for all sentient beings, mutual assistance, and the rolling of the Dharma wheel. 69 Religio-political visit, diplomatic progress Zhao Puchu s visit to Singapore was supposedly a religious one. He was a guest of Venerable Hong Choon and the original intention of inviting him was to promote and strengthen the Buddhist ties between the two countries. Nevertheless, his dual status as both a Buddhist leader and a politician clearly politicized his visit. Zhao Puchu was received not only by prominent Buddhist leaders, but also by high-ranking political and bureaucratic leaders such as Ong Teng Cheong, Ch ng Jit Koon and Hsu Tse-Kwang. Zhao Puchu s religio-political visit was highly significant in three ways. First, his mission to Singapore symbolizes the reciprocity towards Venerable Hong 67 Zhao Puchu leads a delegation to visit Singapore, p Ibid. 69 Fangxin qijian de gefang zhouxiang zhaodai: Zhao Puchu huizhang zihan biaoxieyi ( Received comprehensive reception from all parties during his visit to Singapore: letter from Chairman Zhao Puchu to express his gratitude ), in Special Commemorative Volume in Memory of Venerable Hong Choon, pp