MINISTER Mentor Lee Kuan Yew on Wednesday drew a contrast between the way China and Russia are flexing their growing economic muscle to the world.

One maintains a quiet presence, while the other is more open to slug it out to show its supremacy. Both are equally feared on the economic front.

On China, Mr Lee said it does not display its strenth by intimidating others, while Russia's response is more 'robust'.

'As I watched Hu Jintao and President Medvedev or Prime Minister Putin, I see two different styles,' Mr Lee said at the Forbes CEO global conference, an international gathering of business leaders.

'One is getting his act together and there's no doubts that the world knows that China has come together. But they don't beat their chest and threaten anybody.'

China keeps a low profile and sticks to the rules of the game, he said, citing how it does not recognise Kosovo, South Ossetia and Abkhazia - countries whose independence have been called to question by others.

Turning to Russia, he alluded to its recent invasion of Georgia.

'On the other side, really robust -- you've got to respect us and we demand that you recognise that these are our countries. Where any Russians are is where we will be.'

Read the full story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.