Luring foreign talent gives Singapore edge over Japan

Monday 18th August, 07:17 AM JST

SINGAPORE —

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Sunday that Japan is not comparable to the world’s top cities such as London and New York because it lacks foreign talent. ‘‘Japan cannot do the same in attracting enough foreign talent, and therefore Japan cannot compare with London and New York. But we can and that’s our strength because we have an English-speaking environment, so we must try to make use of this advantage,’’ he said in a major annual speech televised nationwide to mark the country’s Aug. 9 National Day celebration.

Lee mentioned Japan, which is known to be reluctant to admit large numbers of foreign workers, when he was explaining the need for Singapore to continue to attract highly skilled foreigners to live and work here in its quest to become a global city. He said Singapore has to rely heavily on foreign talent to ensure its position as a major financial center in the region. ‘‘Our financial center depends on a large number of foreign talent. Not only Singapore, which does not have enough foreign talent—London and New York are the same,’’ Lee said in the speech that was delivered in Mandarin and simultaneously translated into English. Lee noted that in sports, the participation of foreign talent has helped Singapore achieve its first Olympic medal since 1960 in the Beijing Olympics, where Singapore’s women paddlers, originating from mainland China, have helped to assure a silver medal after beating the South Koreans last week. ‘‘Actually, in the noneconomic areas, the foreigners have added to our strength, a very clear example is sports,’’ he said. Half of the 25-strong team Singapore sent to compete in the Beijing Olympics are foreigners who have become ‘‘new Singaporeans,’’ he said. ‘‘Why do we need them? Make a simple calculation. The Chinese have a 1.3 billion population, Singapore has a population of 4 million, more than 300 times—when they get 300 medals, then we have a chance to get one medal,’’ he said. ‘‘If we want to win glory for Singapore and do well not only in sports but in many other areas, we cannot merely depend on local bonds, so we need to attract talent from all over the world to fight for Singapore,’’ he said. The small city-state’s 4.6 million population includes about 1 million foreigners who have taken up permanent residence here. In addition, there are about 500,000 foreign workers. However, some quarters are not happy with the rise in the number of foreigners working here on fears that they will compete for jobs with the locals.

KYODO

Latest 15 of 74 Total Comments Show All

Rodney_King at 06:31 PM JST - 18th August

Many on this board are suggesting Japan to become like UK or France or US, or even Singapore, well we have already seen the results of multicultural countries and what happened in London in July 2005. We have seen how L.A. is hispanic ruled in some part of the city. We have seen how France burns very often. We have seen how Netherlands are living in fear about having an opinion on foreigners and religion. We have seen demonstrations in London with beards and scarves promising to slaughter nonbelievers. We have seen what happened in Montreal few days ago. We have seen all those stuff that some on this board do not want to not see.
queenee at 08:20 PM JST - 18th August

I know what you mean, Rodney King.

Foreigners bring with them their behaviours which sometimes cannot be understood or tolerated by the locals.

Singapore is slowly facing this issue, as more foreigners are coming in as cheap labour.

Every thing comes with good and bad. It's a necessary evil. We just have to ask ourselves, if there's no perfect solution, what is the lesser of the two evils?

I trust that the no-nonsense judiciary system in Singapore will be able to keep the foreigners in their respective places.

** Be the change we want to see. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. **
TPOJ at 08:46 PM JST - 18th August

*Need I remind everyone of you which country has been voted most innovative several times, *

By who?

which country produces top of the line products and brand names such as Toyota and Sony

Actually, that stuff really took off when they went to America.

who leads the world in robotics technology

Fair enough.

whose pop culture is so popular it has created a following large enough to build conventions where fans come together

Irrelevant.

who is currently the nation with the longest average life span

...and one of the highest suicide rates in the world (most of the countries above Japan are either underdeveloped or in extreme turmoil.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listofcountriesbysuicide_rate

and one of the lowest crime rates in the world.

So long as you don't count domestic abuse, quasi legal prostitution, or the uncountable number of crimes that go unreported due to the culture's tendency to not make waves.

Not trying to be negative here, but BS is still BS, and as rude as Loong is, he still has a point. Japan is going to be in SERIOUS trouble if it doesn't start being a little more receptive to the idea of resident foreigners. I fail to see how your points above, such as they are, relate to Loong's ultimate point: Japan is behind in many ways because they're too soplistic. Advances here tend to come from non-Japanese origin (even the "Japanese style" of business conformity came from an American.) The economy here has been terminally mediocre for how many decades?

So far as preserving the culture, culture does not need preserving. A culture is worthy only if people care, and if people care, they'll keep it going. Refusing to make badly needed changes in the name of "preserving" a culture accomplishes nothing. It keeps improvements away, and props up a dying set of values. And if a set of values is dying, there's usually a good reason for it.

Open up, let the culture breathe, join the rest of the world, and stop fetishizing tradition. If it's worth preserving, it will take care of itself.
kmwee at 09:37 PM JST - 18th August

Singapore PM may be the highest paid in the world, but certainly he is the poorest PM.
queenee at 10:19 PM JST - 18th August

LOL, maybe the poorest, maybe on equal terms with the rest. We seriously don't know.

All we know is whilst some PMs' salaries are officially and publicly declared, others earn a substantial amount from their sidelines or under the tables.
Cammi at 10:55 PM JST - 18th August

who is currently the nation with the longest average life span and one of the lowest crime rates in the world

Are you serious? Maybe the currently old are staying alive but the younger generations are killing each other off almost 1 a day.
Good_Jorb at 11:53 PM JST - 18th August

Japan is already overpopulated, why bring in more people? Japan and the rest of the world for that matter, would be better off to create economic systems that don't need ever increasing populations to assume the debt of the previous generation.
usaexpat at 12:01 AM JST - 19th August

Lee Hsien Loong is correct in that an english speaking environment is a huge advantage. One of my best friends happens to work for a Japanese company in Gemrnay. More or less he got the job because business around the world is conducted in English and this company wanted a native speaker. Language is only part of it though, Singapore has opened itself to foreigners who have brought their talents and money to the country. Singapore's immigration model could also work in Japan, let more people in but people who will raise the country not milk it.
medievaltimes at 12:21 AM JST - 19th August

Japan will be behind China and India in the next 35 years or so.
rajakumar at 01:04 AM JST - 19th August

China and india will be 2nd and 3rd in tech and economy in 3 decades like medievaltimes says.

It could even take longer.

So Japan should should try to hold on to 2nd position for as long as it can.

Getting into 4th position is not big fall, for japan ,considering, japan's population and land size.
rajakumar at 01:04 AM JST - 19th August

China and india will be 2nd and 3rd in tech and economy in 3 decades like medievaltimes says.

It could even take longer.

So Japan should should try to hold on to 2nd position for as long as it can.

Getting into 4th position is not big fall, for japan ,considering, japan's population and land size.
GW at 01:22 AM JST - 19th August

It will take a lot more than Jpn just wanting & actually accepting more foreigners, Jpn will have to be willing to let us contribute without being labeled trouble makers.

Jpn Inc`s way of doing things needs to change regardless of whether they want more of us foreign types involved or not otherwise things wont change.

IMO its highly unlikely that Jpn will be willing to chg any time soon & as each year passes its going to be a lot harder for Jpn to adapt, I think its probably almost too late
cracaphat at 02:20 AM JST - 19th August

Japan is too closed minded to accept foreigners happily,particularly other Asians. Japan, as people who were here during the bubble era know, is dead as.. I wasn't here,but the place and people are growing almost as miserable as the English.
helloklitty at 07:18 AM JST - 20th August

prime minister of singapore may say the truth but, ill doubt japan gonna listen,1rst of all cus singapore prime minister has no right to tell any country what is doing wrong or right if the froeing people had growth the economy of his country good for him but he has no right to say or even compare how other countries do there things, thats called sovereignty and right or wrong he must respect that.

You don't actually think he's trying to help Japan, do you? He's just pointing out that Singapore is better. He wants to attract foreign investment.
Badtz_Proper at 03:12 PM JST - 25th August

TPOJ, here ya go

By who?

http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/afx/2007/05/16/afx3725835.html http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mihb5716/is200707/ain23752956 http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi0199-6755312/Japan-most-innovative-country-study.html

I have more, while your at it look at the roads of America and count how many japanese cars you see. I dont see diverse countries churning out cars like the Prius.

Actually, that stuff really took off when they went to America.

Americas a MARKET, which has nothing to do with the quality of the Japanese products being sent there.

Irrelevant.

I dont go to Brazillian animation conventions, I dont go to Singaporean culture conventions, I dont see shelves upon shelves of graphic novels from Canada do I? Yes the popularity of Japanese contemporary culture is relevant. Why was Pokemon and Tomogatchi so popular? Because they were good creative ideas.

...and one of the highest suicide rates in the world (most of the countries above Japan are either underdeveloped or in extreme turmoil.)

So if Japan imports all these other races Japanese will stop killing themselves? They will just be so happy to see their country has lost its cohesion and choose to live again? A high suicide rate is worse than gang violence and race riots?

The economy here has been terminally mediocre for how many decades?

2? Because Im pretty sure Japan had Americans pretty scared back there in the 80's before the economic bubble popped. The economic bubble was not because the Japanese nation was 99% Japanese and Japanese-speaking just so you know.

Open up, let the culture breathe, join the rest of the world, and stop fetishizing tradition. If it's worth preserving, it will take care of itself.

The culture seems to be "breathing" just fine because I still know a ton of American Japanophiles who adore Japanese culture. By the way, how will foreigners help the culture "breathe?" Japans "fetishizing" of its traditions shows that it still has a strong sense of identity and pride which will help preserve it for years to come. But, if you want to live in this "borderless world" fantasy where all races and cultures with all their problems and conflicting ideas can go wherever they want with no border keeping them out then whatever. Im sure Japan is happy knowing it does not have to worry about a terrorist from Afghanistan just walking on in and blowing up the shinkansen. You need to seriously examine modern human behavior and think your theories through my friend.