Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong meets with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Singapore, Sept. 14, 2021. (THEN CHIH WEY / XINHUA)
SINGAPORE – Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong met with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi here on Tuesday, with both sides expressing willingness to further promote cooperation in all areas and boost China-ASEAN ties.
During the talks, Wang said that the development of China-Singapore relations has maintained momentum over the past 30 years thanks to the strategic leadership of both sides, the concerted efforts of all walks of life in the two countries, and Singapore's rational and objective perspective towards China's growth and its ability to find cooperative opportunities from the growth to achieve mutual success.
Lee Hsien Loong agreed that Singapore and China have witnessed fruitful exchanges and cooperation in various fields since the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the two countries, which Singapore cherishes dearly.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China is willing to join hands with Singapore to strengthen mutual trust and deepen exchanges in the post-pandemic era, so as to further enhance mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, and contribute to regional and global peace, stability and development
He also expressed hope for a greater achievement in this regard in the future.
Wang said that China is willing to join hands with Singapore to strengthen mutual trust and deepen exchanges in the post-pandemic era, so as to further enhance mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, and contribute to regional and global peace, stability and development.
Lee said that China has achieved great success over the past four decades, and consequently its international responsibilities have risen as well.
Singapore hopes that all parties will have positive interactions with China, and work with China to jointly build a global village in the era of globalization, so as to promote the world's long-term and sustainable development.
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Touching upon China-ASEAN relationship, Wang noted that China would continue to consolidate ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, speed up the consultations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, uphold the regional framework with ASEAN at its core and facilitate regional development and prosperity.
Lee, for his part, said that the ASEAN-China relations have improved comprehensively during the past 30 years, which conforms to the fundamental interests of both sides and contributes to regional stability, openness and cooperation.
Singapore supports ASEAN countries and China to celebrate the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations, to consolidate the regional cooperation mechanism, and to provide new development opportunities for both sides, the prime minister said.
At a joint press conference with Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Wang said that China and Singapore have agreed to focus on coordination and cooperation in five fields, including anti-epidemic efforts, the Belt and Road construction and regional economic integration.
The two countries have jointly combated COVID-19 while promoting economic development, and have further boosted and expanded bilateral cooperation amid the pandemic.
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Wang pointed out that the two sides agreed to deepen dialogue and exchanges, and focus on coordination and cooperation in five fields.
While answering a question about what China has done to help regional countries and the world to combat COVID-19, Wang said that China, which deems the virus as the common enemy of mankind, has developed across-the-board cooperation with the international community in fighting the pandemic.
Specifically, Wang said China took the lead in sharing virus-related information and anti-epidemic experience, in providing anti-epidemic supplies to countries in large amount, in offering massive vaccine support to developing countries, in dispatching medical expert teams abroad, and in proposing the building of a community of common health for mankind.
China has sought international anti-epidemic cooperation with no intentions of geographical strategy, no attempts at economic gains, and no attachment of political conditions, Wang noted.
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