Timeline - China-Singapore business ties, 1976-present

1976: May — Singaporean prime minister Lee Kuan Yew visits China, meets Chairman Mao Zedong.

1978: Nov — vice-premier Deng Xiaoping visits Singapore.

1985: May — Two nations launch civil aviation service.

1990: Oct — Diplomatic ties between the two countries officially begin.

1980: June — China and Singapore sign agreement to allow trade and commercial representative offices in each other's countries.

1985: Signing of Agreement on the Promotion and Protection of Investments.

1986: Signing of Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion With Respect to Taxes on Income.

1993: Ground construction begins on the Wuxi-Singapore Industrial Park, in Jiangsu province, focusing on solar energy, information technology, power supply equipment and foodstuffs.

1994: State Council approves establishment of the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park for machinery, textiles, new materials, pharmaceutical and electronic products.

1999: Signing of memorandum of understanding for a Development Cooperation Partnership in Trade and Investment between Singapore and China. Main areas include manufacturing and services, customs procedures, tariff reduction, foreign direct investment and outbound direct investment.

1999: Signing of Agreement for Post and Telecommunication Cooperation; Signing of Agreement to establish joint Economic, Trade and Investment Promotion Committee.

2008: Building of Sino-Singapore Eco-City starts in Tianjin to focus on developing environmentally-friendly industries including new materials, green buildings, energy-saving manufacturing machinery, water-saving agricultural technologies, and moviemaking; China and Singapore conclude bilateral Free Trade Agreement talks with an emphasis on trading goods, rules of origin, customs procedures, trade remedies, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, service trade, movement of people.

2011: China and Singapore sign the Agreement on Maritime Transport simplifying procedures for goods and passenger maritime transportation, introducing favorable charges for port services, ship nationality recognition, medical support in each other's ports, and a discussion procedure before arbitration.