Then Chinese vice president Xi Jinping and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew attend the unveiling ceremony of Deng Xiaoping monument in Singapore, Nov 14, 2010. [Photo/Xinhua]

Lee’s idea of balanced diplomacy shows clearly in his book One Man's View of the World. He thought that China’s rise was unstoppable and the reunification between Taiwan and the mainland was a matter of time. Lee also said that he saw no bitter, irreconcilable ideological conflict between the Americans and a China that has enthusiastically embraced the free market.

"It is not in the interest of either power to face off on the battlefield," Lee wrote in the book. "Both countries have nuclear arsenals, so they know there is a potential for extremely disastrous consequences."