Condolence Letter on the Passing of Former Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Li Keqiang

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has written to Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Li Qiang to convey condolences on the passing of former Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Li Keqiang. The text of the letter is appended.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

28 OCTOBER 2023

Letter from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to Premier Li Qiang

28 October 2023

Dear Premier Li,

                On behalf of the Government of Singapore, I extend my deepest condolences on the passing of Mr Li Keqiang, former Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China.

               Mr Li was a statesman who served his country with great dedication. Under his leadership, China overcame many challenges, pressed on with reform and opening-up, and achieved economic development that dramatically improved the lives of the Chinese people.

                I had the privilege of first meeting Mr Li in Shenyang in 2005, and worked closely with him over the years to strengthen the partnership between Singapore and China. I warmly recall his official visit to Singapore as Premier in 2018, which gave our bilateral cooperation a timely boost.

                There were several key bilateral milestones during Mr Li’s tenure as Premier, including the establishment of the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity; the launch of the Singapore-China (Shenzhen) Smart City Initiative; and the upgraded protocol of the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. Collectively, they reflected the forward-looking nature of the bilateral ties between our two countries.

                Mr Li also played an important role in strengthening ASEAN-China cooperation, representing China at ASEAN Summits over the past decade. Today, ASEAN and China are each other’s largest trading partners. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership are amongst Mr Li’s lasting contributions to regional integration.

                Our thoughts are with the people of China.

Yours sincerely,

Lee Hsien Loong

His Excellency Li Qiang

Premier of the State Council

People’s Republic of China