---------- Forwarded message --------- From: N Sekar <[email protected]> Date: Thu, Feb 12, 2026, 5:37โฏPM Subject: Fwd - I liked it and hence fwding it To: Kerala Iyer <[email protected]>, Narayanaswamy Sekar < [email protected]>, Suryanarayana Ambadipudi <[email protected]>, Rangarajan T.N.C. <[email protected]>, Chittanandam V. R. < [email protected]>, Mathangi K. Kumar <[email protected]>, Mani APS <[email protected]>, Rama (Iyer 123 Group) <[email protected]>, Srinivasan Sridharan <[email protected]>, Surendra Varma < [email protected]>
๐ฟ๐๐ฅ๐ก๐ค๐ข๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ. ๐ผ ๐๐๐ข ๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ญ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐. The narrative below, regarding the porcelain spittoon and ashtray as a gesture of mutual respect and discipline - where Lee accommodated a smoker and Deng respected a clean environment- is a known, often-cited anecdote emphasizing their mutual, dignified approach to realpolitik. ... ... ... The 1978 meeting between Deng Xiaoping and Lee Kuan Yew is one of the most elegant chapters in the history of 20th-century diplomacy. It was a collision of two formidable minds: one, the architect of a rising Singapore, and the other, the man about to pull China out of the wreckage of the Cultural Revolution. At the heart of this high-stakes encounter was a simple, porcelain object: a spittoon. Lee Kuan Yew was a man of legendary discipline and strict rules. In Singapore, he had already begun his "Clean and Green" campaign, and the Istanaโthe seat of governmentโwas a strictly smoke-free zone. Lee himself had a physical aversion to tobacco smoke; it irritated his lungs and made him ill. However, Lee was also a master of realpolitik. He knew that Deng Xiaoping was a lifelong chain smoker who relied on his "Panda" brand cigarettes and a spittoon to navigate long meetings. To Lee, honoring the man who led nearly a billion people was more important than the house rules of the Istana. In a profound gesture of hospitality, Lee ordered that a blue-and-white porcelain spittoon and a clean ashtray be placed prominently next to Dengโs chair. By doing so, Lee was signaling: "Your habits and your comfort are more important to me than my own rules." It was a rare, humble concession from a leader known for his unyielding nature. When Deng entered the room and saw the ashtray and the spittoon, he recognized the gesture immediately. He knew Singaporeโs reputation for cleanliness and he knew Leeโs personal distaste for smoke. ๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ก๐ก๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐ ๐ข๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐ก๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ "๐๐๐ฅ๐ก๐ค๐ข๐๐๐ฎ ๐ค๐ ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ." Despite the meeting lasting for hours and covering some of the most stressful geopolitical shifts of the eraโincluding the rise of Vietnam and the need for Chinese economic reformโDeng Xiaoping never lit a single cigarette. Deng responded to Leeโs "respect of permission" with a "respect of abstinence." He acknowledged the exception Lee had made for him, but chose not to use it, proving that his personal discipline was equal to that of his host. This mutual exchange of respect set the tone for the rest of their relationship. Because they had established a foundation of personal honor, they were able to speak with brutal honesty. It was during this visit that Lee famously told Deng that China could do even better than Singapore because the "Singaporeans were the descendants of the illiterate, landless peasants of Guangdong and Fujian," whereas China had the scholars and the elite. Deng listened, went back to China, and within weeks, the "Reform and Opening Up" policy was born. The unused spittoon remains a symbol of a time when two giants of history understood that true power is not found in asserting oneโs own will, but in the quiet, disciplined recognition of the other's dignity. Yahoo Mail: Search, Organize, Conquer <https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&c=US_Acquisition_YMktg_315_SearchOrgConquer_EmailSignature&af_sub1=Acquisition&af_sub2=US_YMktg&af_sub3=&af_sub4=100002039&af_sub5=C01_Email_Static_&af_ios_store_cpp=0c38e4b0-a27e-40f9-a211-f4e2de32ab91&af_android_url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yahoo.mobile.client.android.mail&listing=search_organize_conquer> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CABC81Zd6JTZuqgupyE9Vu6Jqw0kUnLC%3D0pSZ%3DnBoURk5AHHK4w%40mail.gmail.com.
