BEIJING: Singapore and China have elevated their bilateral relations and will collaborate in new areas following a meeting between Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
During the meeting on Friday (Mar 31) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Mr Lee and Mr Xi agreed to upgrade ties between the two countries to an “All-Round High-Quality Future-Oriented Partnership”.
“The upgraded partnership reflects both sides’ commitment to continually expand bilateral cooperation, and pursue new collaboration in forward-looking areas such as digital and green economies,” Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement following the meeting.
The two leaders also agreed that both sides should work towards resuming flight connectivity and people-to-people exchanges to pre-pandemic levels. China only reopened its borders to foreign tourists on Mar 15 when it restored the issuance of all types of visas.
In the meeting attended by government officials from both countries and the media, Mr Lee noted that it was timely for Singapore and China to now take their partnership forward.
Mr Lee, who is on a visit to China that started on Mar 27, added he was glad for the “strong friendship and deep understanding” between both countries.
“Singapore and China have continued to work with each other and support one another. And our relationship has only grown stronger,” the Prime Minister said.
“Therefore it’s timely for us now to look ahead, work together and take our partnership forward,” said Mr Lee, who is on the last leg of his trip which earlier took him to Guangdong and Hainan provinces.
Mr Lee also congratulated Mr Xi on his reappointment as president, noting that China’s new leadership team laid out its vision and long-term goals for the nation’s next stage of development.
“I’m happy to read of China’s emphasis on economic growth and resilience. I’m confident that your economy will continue to strengthen,” he said.
“Many countries including Singapore are very keen to enhance our economic ties with China. And I hope that my visit will inject a fresh momentum for bilateral cooperation and high-level exchanges between us.”
MFA added that Mr Lee welcomed China’s growing engagement of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and both countries reaffirmed the importance of building an open, peaceful, and inclusive region.