Visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping met here on Monday with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Both leaders reaffirmed the close and cooperative relationship shared by Singapore and China.
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (L) shakes hands with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during their meeting in Singapore, on Nov. 15, 2010. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)
Xi's visit caps a series of high level exchanges as the two countries celebrate the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties. During the meeting, Xi said China and Singapore have increased mutual understanding and expanded cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic relations. China has drawn useful experience from Singapore's development as it undertakes reform, opening-up and the modernization drive. At the same time, China's increasing national power has provided broad market and huge potential for Singapore's continuous development.The good neighborly and mutually beneficial cooperation contributes to the interests of both people, and to the peace and prosperity of Asia as a whole, he said.
Xi said China highly values the Sino-Singapore relationship and is willing to join hands with Singapore to bring the bilateral relations to a new level. He noted that the two countries should maintain high level exchanges, make full use of the existing bilateral cooperative mechanisms and projects, increase sharing of governing experiences and people-to-people and cultural exchanges, strengthen cooperation in regional and international affairs.
Lee agreed with Xi on his suggestions to develop bilateral relations. He said the two countries have forged close cooperation in various areas, adding that Singapore is willing to further enhance cooperation with China in bilateral and multi-lateral areas.
After the meeting, Lee and Xi witnessed the signing of the following three agreements: the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the National Heritage Board of the Republic of Singapore and the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of the People's Republic of China on Museum Cooperation; the Agreement on the Details of Implementation between the National University of Singapore and Suzhou Municipal Government (Suzhou Industrial Park Administrative Committee) on the Joint Establishment of the National University of Singapore (Suzhou) Research Institute; and the MOU on the Establishment of a Cooperative College by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city.
At the invitation of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Xi arrived in Singapore on Sunday for a three-day official visit.
Xinhua
