Joint MFA-MTI-MND Press Statement: Official Visit of Vice Premier Wang Qishan of the People's Republic of China, 23-26 August 2009

At the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, Vice Premier Wang Qishan of the People's Republic of China will lead a delegation of Ministers and senior officials to Singapore from 23 to 26 August 2009. He will co-chair the 11th Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) Joint Steering Council (JSC), 2nd Tianjin Eco-city Joint Steering Council, and the 6th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) with DPM Wong on 24 August 2009.

Both the SIP and Tianjin Eco-city JSC Meetings will review the progress of the two projects and chart new directions for their future development. The JCBC meeting will discuss existing and new areas of cooperation between the two countries. The JCBC meeting will include a working lunch to be hosted by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong in his capacity as Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore and attended by relevant Ministers on both sides to discuss the economic crisis. Two Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) related to educational cooperation and science and technology, and a Protocol to the tax treaty between the two countries will also be signed.

Apart from co-chairing these meetings, Vice Premier Wang will also make a bilateral visit, his first official visit to Singapore in his current capacity. He will call on President S R Nathan, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Senior Minister Goh, and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. The Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Business China will be jointly organising a lunch for Vice Premier Wang to meet with the Singapore business community.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY
MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
SINGAPORE
22 AUGUST 2009