Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo has said the offer by Hong Kong celebrity Jackie Chan to donate some old Chinese houses to Singapore’s new university would be a wonderful symbol of the proposed partnership between the upcoming university and a leading Chinese university.
The collaboration initiative was agreed to between Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during their meeting in Beijing last October.
Mr Yeo was responding to an article in the Chinese language paper Lianhe Zaobao which stated that Mr Chan wants to donate the houses from the Ming and Qing period to Singapore.
“Mr Chan has discussed this offer with our Education Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen, who responded enthusiastically,” said Mr Yeo.
He added that Mr Chan has been shown the proposed site of the New University in the East Coast by Chairman of the New University Steering Committee, Philip Ng.
Mr Yeo added: “Mr Chan liked the location and thought that an educational institution was a fitting place where these Chinese houses could be enjoyed by generations of students and members of the public.
“We are aware that approval from the Chinese authorities is required for the transfer of the houses and have raised this matter with them.”
Source : Channel NewsAsia – 13 Feb 2009