Editorial Board
Lee Kuan Yew's Economic Miracle
If there's such a thing as "Asian capitalism," its spark, smartest proponent and most controversial symbol was the founder of the region's smallest country: Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew.
The creator of modern Singapore, for better and worse.
Photographer: Kimimasa Mayama/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesWhen historians chronicle Asia's modern resurgence, they will focus on the rise of the region’s biggest economies: China, Japan, India. But if there's such a thing as "Asian capitalism," its spark, smartest proponent and most controversial symbol was the founder of the region's smallest country: Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew, who died Monday at age 91.
Few would dispute that what Lee achieved in his city-state was an economic miracle. This success, together with his clarity of purpose and outsized personality, influenced the course of Asia's giants.