MFA Press Statement: Visit to Singapore by Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China and Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Han Zheng, 19 to 21 September 2018

Caption: PRC Vice Premier Han Zheng calls on President Halimah Yacob at the Istana, 21 September 2018 [Photo credit: MCI]

Caption: PRC Vice Premier Han Zheng calls on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana, 21 September 2018 [Photo credit: MCI]

Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Han Zheng called on President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana today. 

President Halimah and Vice Premier Han reaffirmed the longstanding and multi-faceted relations between Singapore and China, underpinned by regular high-level exchanges, robust economic linkages and close people-to-people ties.  They welcomed our growing cooperation under the Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative, which was discussed extensively at the 14^th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean and Vice Premier Han on 20 September 2018.  President Halimah and Vice Premier Han also discussed international and regional developments, including Sino-US relations and ASEAN-China cooperation. 

Prime Minister Lee and Vice Premier Han discussed the broad and substantive relations between Singapore and China.   They reaffirmed the good progress made in bilateral cooperation across diverse fields, including our wide-ranging cooperation under the B&R Initiative, as well as in connectivity, financial cooperation and third country market collaboration.  They welcomed the plan to establish a Singapore-Shanghai cooperation council at the Minister-Mayoral level, as well as supported the proposal to enhance legal and judicial cooperation between our two countries under the B&R Initiative.   Prime Minister Lee and Vice Premier Han also exchanged views on key regional and international developments.  

In their separate meetings, President Halimah, Prime Minister Lee and Vice Premier Han looked forward to the conclusion of the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement upgrade negotiations by the time of the Official Visit by Premier Li Keqiang to Singapore this November in conjunction with the 33^rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.  They also welcomed the potential of the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Connectivity Initiative-Southern Transport Corridor in linking the overland Silk Road Economic Belt and the Maritime Silk Road and the strengthening of both the southbound and northbound connectivity between Western China and Singapore, and beyond.     

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

21 SEPTEMBER 2018