MFA Press Statement: Official Visit of Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Secretary of the Communist Party of China Guangdong Provincial Committee Hu Chunhua, 20 to 22 April 2014

            Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee Hu Chunhua visited Singapore at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister (DPM), Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs Teo Chee Hean.  This was Secretary Hu’s first visit to Singapore in his current capacity.  During his visit, Secretary Hu called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and met DPM Teo, Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong, Singapore-Guangdong Collaboration Council (SGCC) Co-chairman and Minister for Transport Lui Tuck Yew, as well as Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing. 

             Secretary Hu and our leaders affirmed the excellent relations between Singapore and China.  They agreed that given our common challenges, both countries could share and learn from each other’s experiences in inclusive development and governance.  Secretary Hu and our leaders agreed that high-level exchanges served to further enhance mutual understanding so that bilateral relations could continue to be deepened.

            Secretary Hu and our leaders also affirmed the longstanding ties and extensive cooperation between Singapore and Guangdong.  They highlighted the good progress and effectiveness of the SGCC as a platform to enhance cooperation between Singapore and Guangdong.  Secretary Hu updated Singapore leaders on the progress of the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City (SSGKC) and expressed his hope that the SSGKC could help promote the transformation of the Pearl River Delta and serve as a model for the rest of China.

            In addition to existing areas of cooperation, Secretary Hu and Singapore leaders welcomed the new areas of cooperation that Singapore and Guangdong were exploring, such as social management and human resource development.  Secretary Hu and Minister Lui witnessed the signing of 18 agreements between Singapore and Guangdong at the Singapore-China (Guangdong) Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference on a wide range of areas such as bilateral trade and investment, academic exchanges, urban planning and human resource development.

            Among the agreements signed is a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation in the Training of Senior Officials from Guangdong.  This is MFA’s first MOU with a Chinese province in the area of human resource development and was the outcome of a meeting between ESM Goh and Secretary Hu in April 2013.  Under the MOU, Singapore will share its experiences in areas such as social management, urban planning and development, sustainable development, and economic development with senior Guangdong officials.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

22 APRIL 2014