"Singapore is a good friend of China. But to call off the trip at China's request would have undermined our right to make independent decisions and damaged our international standing," he said.

In a written response to media queries, Lee, who is expected to take over as prime minister in the next few months, said China was informed beforehand of his trip "as a courtesy" and "they asked that the trip be cancelled."

"We gave their representations serious consideration, but we could not agree," he said.

Lee, who met Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian and opposition leaders before his three-day visit ended Tuesday, said he had wanted to update himself on the situation in Taiwan before succeeding Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.

"The prime minister's job is to see to the well-being of Singapore. This depends on a peaceful and stable regional environment. The cross-straits issue is a potential flash point," he said, referring to the Taiwan Strait.

Reiterating Singapore's "One China" policy and opposition to independence for Taiwan, Lee said his "private and unofficial visit does not change or contradict this policy" and described relations with Beijing as "deep and broad."

But he had strong words for Chinese officials who had openly criticised his visit and warned it would inevitably have consequences on bilateral relations.

"The principle is mutual interest and mutual benefit, and not concessions accorded by one side to the other," Lee said.

It "would be regrettable if relations are affected, because both sides will stand to lose," he said. "If our relations cannot survive this episode, then they must be shallow and brittle."

The governor of the People's Bank of China, Zhou Xiaochuan, abruptly cancelled a visit to Singapore this week during which he had been scheduled to deliver a lecture on Wednesday. There was no explanation for the cancellation.

And Chinese officials attending a regional central bankers' meeting in Singapore this week snubbed a dinner function on Thursday hosted by Lee, who also heads Singapore's central bank.

Beijing opposes any official visit by its diplomatic partners to Taiwan, which it regards as part of its territory waiting to be reunified by force if necessary. The two sides split at the end of a civil war in 1949.

Singapore, whose population is almost 80 percent ethnic Chinese, has tried to maintain a delicate balance in its relations with Beijing and Taipei.

The Southeast Asian city-state is one of the top foreign investors in China but has military training arrangements in Taiwanese territory.

Lee's father, Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, was known to have strong personal ties with Chinese and Taiwanese leaders of his generation.

In his remarks Friday, the junior Lee rejected speculation that Singapore had offered itself as an intermediary between China and Taiwan.

"Singapore has no intention of doing that, because the two sides do not need any intermediary, and Singapore is not in a position to play an intermediary role," he said.

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