Singapore PM Lawrence Wong’s ancestral ties spark Chinese social media interest: ‘the pride of Hainan’

Soon after Lawrence Wong was sworn in on Wednesday as Singapore’s fourth prime minister since the city’s independence, a mix of online content from media members and observers found its way onto Chinese social media.

A video titled “Greetings from Hainan Island in China” appears to show a banner being put up in front of the Huang ancestral hall in Wenchang, Hainan – said to be Wong’s ancestral home – congratulating him on his appointment to Singapore’s top job.

Wong’s family name is Huang in Chinese.

Articles and videos mostly traced Wong’s ancestral ties to Beishan village in Huiwen town, noting his father first migrated from Hainan to Malaysia. Some clips highlight Wong’s growing-up years in Singapore, from his education milestones to career achievements.

Others, such as one by the Hainan Business Association in Shenzhen, detailed Wong’s personal interests and hobbies, such as guitar playing and riding motorbikes.

Describing Wong as a “grass-roots leader”, Tian Yuzheng from China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations said in an article posted by his institute’s WeChat account that as the first prime minister born after the island-state’s independence, Wong would continue the republic’s achievements.

“He will also promote Sino-Singapore relations to keep pace with the times and move forward steadily,” Tian said.

One video quoted Wong as saying “never bet on the decline of China”, a comment made after the then deputy prime minister wrapped up a visit to the country last year.

Wong was pointing to the tremendous scale of China’s economy and hailing its many different strengths in advanced manufacturing and in the green economy.

Chinanews.com, a Chinese news portal, wrote of how Wong had “shed tears in public”,