Advertisement
Singapore’s No 2 leader Lawrence Wong cements ties with China’s emerging leaders in ‘timely’ visit
- Wong’s meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang indicates a mutual desire to push forward cooperation ‘driven at the senior levels’, one analyst notes
- Five-day visit marks the first time Singapore’s PM-in-waiting has met key Chinese leaders, as he will now lead efforts to boost bilateral cooperation
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
5
Dewey Simin Singapore
Singapore’s No 2 leader Lawrence Wong’s five-day visit to China offered airtime between emerging leaders and allowed Beijing to deepen ties with the city state amid growing wariness from the West, analysts said.
Wong, who is deputy prime minister and finance chief, had on Tuesday met Chinese Premier Li Qiang, where they took stock of bilateral cooperation and discussed ways to further collaboration in areas including energy and sustainability.
Both sides “reaffirmed the long-standing and strong Singapore-China relationship”, according to the Prime Minister’s Office in Singapore.
Li told Wong that Singapore had actively participated in China’s reform and opening up, and that Beijing was willing to share the opportunities for development with the city state, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.
Advertisement
China was also ready to work with Singapore to implement the “new orientation of bilateral relations to ensure renewed achievements”, he added.
Li was referring to an upgrade in bilateral ties, which was announced during Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s visit to China in March.
Advertisement
Then, both sides agreed to upgrade relations to an all-round, high-quality, future-oriented partnership, a move they said reflected a desire to “set the strategic direction and chart the development of bilateral relations going forward”.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x