Lee Hsien Loong

You look at the Americans. They don't lack fervour in moral causes. They promote democracy, freedom of speech, women's rights, gay rights, sometimes even transgender rights. But you don't see them applying that universally across the world with all their allies.

You need to have good people: honourable, capable, committed in politics, standing in public office. It's not a guarantee, but it's the ideal we have to aim for.

America is a great nation, not just because of your power and your wealth, but because of your high ideals, openness, and generosity of spirit.

Everybody has his place; everybody is equal. Treated equally, equal standing, equal rights and status.

We are not in a situation where the minorities are demanding something and the majorities are pushing back saying 'We don't want it.'

The Chinese are quite clear what their interests are and very consistent on pushing their interests.

You have to understand that Singapore is quite different from Mauritius.

China is developing very quickly. At every stage, its needs are different.

The emerging economies, many of them are concerned. They didn't want the money to slosh in. They are afraid when the money sloshes out, but the tapering has to take place, and we have to be able to manage it.

Whichever country we are talking to, we are concerned with economic cooperation, how to deepen our mutual dependence, how to find new areas of win-win.

We know India is very focussed on black money; it is a very high-focus subject and we have been very careful to make sure the investments into India are legitimate. There is no 'round-tripping' or hot money or bad money being funnelled through Singapore.

If you make a defamatory allegation that the Prime Minister is guilty of criminal misappropriation of pension funds of Singaporeans, that's a very serious matter.