Chinese leaders extend condolences over passing away of former Singaporean PM

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli and Foreign Minister Wang Yi respectively expressed their condolences on Monday over the death of former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

In a message of condolences sent to incumbent Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong on Monday, Li, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, and in his own name, expressed deep grief to the Singaporean government and people over the death of Lee Kuan Yew, and showed profound sympathy to Lee Hsien Loong and his family.

Lee Kuan Yew and an older generation of Chinese leaders jointly opened the door for China-Singapore friendly cooperation, and his contribution to China-Singapore relations and China's reform and opening-up will definitely go down in history, Li said.

As a universally recognized strategist and statesman, and Singapore's founding father and farther of development, as well as an important founder of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Lee Kuan Yew made extraordinary contribution to peace and development in the region, the Chinese premier said.

As Singapore is an important and friendly neighbor of China, China is willing to make concerted efforts with Singapore to carry forward the tradition of friendship jointly created and meticulously fostered by leaders of past several generations of the two countries, in a bid to push forward China-Singapore relations of friendly cooperation, he added.

In a separate message of condolences sent to Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean on Monday, Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli called Lee Kuan Yew a founder of China-Singapore relations and an old friend of the Chinese people, who made outstanding contribution to promoting China-Singapore cooperation.

China is willing to work with Singapore to inherit and carry forward the China-Singapore tradition of friendship, bring into full play the role of the China-Singapore bilateral cooperation mechanism, and maintain the sound momentum of cooperation, to promote China-Singapore relations toward greater development, Zhang said.

Also on Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi sent a message to his Singaporean counterpart K. Shanmugam, expressing his deep grief on the passing away of Lee Kuan Yew.

Lee Kuan Yew, as a founder and helmsman of China-Singapore relations, made great contribution to the healthy and rapid development of bilateral relations, Wang said.

Lee died early Monday at the age of 91. Endi