Visit highlights shared vision of a prosperous and peaceful future and joint efforts to realize it: China Daily editorial

In their meeting on the sidelines of the 31st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima, Peru, on Nov 15, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Lawrence Wong, who succeeded Lee Hsien Loong as the Singaporean prime minister in May, affirmed the close and multifaceted relationship between China and Singapore, which was upgraded to an all-round high-quality future-oriented partnership in 2023.

Highlighting the two sides' "excellent" relations, Lee, who is now senior minister in the new government after stepping down as prime minister, began a six-day visit to China on Sunday which is widely expected to further bolster their friendly and cooperative bilateral ties.

Under the careful nurturing of successive leaders of both countries, China and Singapore have remained friendly neighbors and important cooperative partners over the years, with their cooperation encompassing an ever-widening range of areas.

As an old friend of China, Lee is in a good position to ensure that the rosy picture in China-Singapore ties, opened up by his late father and also Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew, will continue to thrive and bring more benefits to the two countries and the two peoples.

Lee's first stop was Suzhou in East China's Jiangsu province, where he participated in commemorative activities for the 30th anniversary of the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park. He will then head to Beijing before concluding his visit in Shanghai later this week.

The industrial park in Suzhou is viewed as the gem among gems of the government-to-government cooperation projects between China and Singapore, alongside the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City, the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity, and the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City.

Founded in 1994, the industrial park has become an important vehicle to anchor bilateral cooperation and a hub of innovation and openness. And its production value has increased to 368.6 billion yuan ($50.87 billion) in 2023 from 1.13 billion yuan in 1994, with the number of Chinese and overseas companies in the park reaching 188,717 today, compared with 150 when it was established 30 years ago.

With the exemplary effect of the Suzhou park, China-Singapore trade and investments have flourished: Since 2013, China has remained Singapore's largest trading partner, largest export market and largest source of imports while Singapore has become China's largest source of newly increased foreign investments for 11 consecutive years.

Such fruitful results would not have been achieved if China and Singapore did not treat each other as trustworthy partners and stay true and committed to continually injecting vitality into their reciprocal cooperation.

It is heartening to see that while some Western countries have been hyping up and pushing for "decoupling" from China in the economic arena, Singaporean companies have increased their investments in China in recent years, demonstrating their strong belief in the health and vitality of the Chinese economy and cooperative bilateral relations.

It is also noteworthy that China and Singapore have agreed to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and continue to expand and strengthen the building of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. They have also displayed a high level of mutual trust through their military cooperation.

Stable and growing China-Singapore relations contribute to China's overall diplomacy with Southeast Asian countries, and peace and development in the region at large. Singapore's independent foreign diplomacy and inclusive culture have made it an ideal bridge between the East and the West.

It is anticipated that the Singaporean senior minister's ongoing visit to China represents a good opportunity for the two partners to build upon their achievements in promoting connectivity and mutually beneficial cooperation and to further strengthen the China-Singapore all-round high-quality future-oriented partnership.

Lee, who is visiting the country at the invitation of the Chinese side, has a good understanding of China's modernization path and a good rapport with China's leaders. With the change of administration in the United States giving rise to concerns about increased volatility in the region, it is also widely hoped that he will be able to leverage his experience and insights to correct any misperceptions and act as a steadying influence.