This is perhaps the oldest news angle out there, but that hasn't deterred the Financial Times from fishing for views by having a go at it with their video report on Nov. 28, 2014.

It is about how mainland Chinese are using Singapore as a stepping-stone and how Singapore is opening up her economy to ingratiate herself with a rising China.

One thing you'd notice is how the socially-mobile mainland Chinese interviewees explain that Singapore is both good for settling down with children for the long term and not really big enough at the same time for the more ambitious.

Here are some of what the mainland Chinese interviewees said:

Lin Wei Fang, Commercial Banker:

"The success of Singapore is mainly based on the strictly abiding the rule of the law. I work for the bank in China for almost three to four years. My experience, Chinese we always, bypass the laws. But Singaporeans will just follow rules exactly."

"It is easier for Chinese to integrate into the local society and to raise up their children here without the family here."

Wang Linlin, IT Professional:

"When I first moved to Singapore I actually decided to emigrate to Singapore because this is a really good place. The air is clean, the city is nice, people are nice, the salary is good compared to mainland China. But after living two years here, I think, in the long term I may move back to China or go to another country, because this is quite a small place, regarding the market, it is limited."

Report: "Singapore is already 70 percent ethnically Chinese. But as China grows in importance as a world economy, so its influence is spreading, and so the need for people to know the country and speak the language, including in Singapore."

"The island-nation recently has become a key offshore centre for the use of the Renminbi, the Chinese currency, and its importance as a commodities trading hub has attracted at least 30 mainland Chinese trading companies wanting to trade iron ore."

"Singapore is the hub for Southeast Asia, but as it's happened before in its history, it is undergoing a subtle but profound change, as mainland Chinese move here to seek their fortunes and take jobs like the ones in this hawker stall. When that happens, it has a profound effect on the society that goes way beyond the taste of this food in front of me here in this restaurant."

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