Xi: Sino-Singaporean ties to thrive, bear more fruit

President Xi Jinping called on China and Singapore on Tuesday to draw experience and wisdom from the development process of bilateral relations, inherit and carry forward fine traditions, and enable the tree of China-Singapore friendship to thrive and bear abundant fruit.

Xi made the remarks when meeting with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The five-day trip, starting on Sunday, is Wong's first official visit to China in his current capacity. It is also his first trip to a country outside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations since beginning his second term in office last month.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of China and the Southeast Asian country establishing diplomatic ties.

Xi said that over the past years, cooperation between the two countries has aligned with China's development priorities at various stages, yielding substantial outcomes, such as the Suzhou Industrial Park in Jiangsu province, significantly contributing to each country's modernization efforts, and setting a benchmark for cooperation among nations in the region.

China has been Singapore's largest trading partner for 11 consecutive years since 2013, while Singapore is China's fifth-largest trading partner within ASEAN. Last year, bilateral trade grew 2.6 percent year-on-year to reach $111.11 billion, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Xi emphasized that China and Singapore should firmly grasp the general direction of bilateral friendship, and continuously observe and develop China-Singapore relations from a strategic height and a long-term perspective, thus ensuring their relations stay on course and maintain momentum.

The two sides should consolidate the political foundation of China-Singapore friendship, support each other's core interests and major concerns, and enhance political mutual trust to serve the development of bilateral relations, he said.

Noting that China welcomes Singapore's continued deep engagement in China's development, Xi called on the two sides to promote Belt and Road cooperation, produce landmark achievements in areas such as the digital economy, green development and artificial intelligence, and promote the improvement and upgrading of major projects.

He also stressed the importance of encouraging frequent exchanges between the peoples of the two countries and deepening cultural and people-to-people cooperation, strengthening the popular support for China-Singapore friendship.

Xi told Wong that China always believes that the trend of the times toward peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit is unstoppable. The world cannot revert to hegemonism or be dragged back to the law of the jungle, he said.

China is willing to work together with Singapore to stand on the right side of history, fairness and justice, advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and promote a future of peace, security, prosperity and progress for the world, Xi added.

Wong reiterated Singapore's commitment to the one-China policy and opposition to "Taiwan independence".

Singapore is willing to fully leverage the opportunities brought about by China's prosperity and development, expand the scale of bilateral trade and investment, explore cooperation in areas such as the digital economy, artificial intelligence and new energy, strengthen people-to-people exchanges, and advance Singapore-China relations to new heights, he said.

Speaking in an interview ahead of his visit to China, Wong said he has made it a point to visit China almost every year since entering politics, because it is useful to visit regularly, to interact, exchange notes with his counterparts, and get a sense of how China is moving and transforming.

Luo Yongkun, a research fellow at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of International Relations, said the meeting demonstrated that, in the face of current international and regional instability, development and cooperation remain the consensus of all parties.

"Strengthening cooperation rather than engaging in confrontation is in everyone's best interest," he said.

Luo said that under the guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, China, together with neighboring countries including ASEAN nations, will continue to promote cooperation in various fields, leading the trend of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit.

The Singaporean prime minister was received by Premier Li Qiang with a welcoming ceremony before their bilateral talks on Monday. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, also met with Wong on Tuesday.