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China, Singapore discuss boosting bilateral cooperation, ASEAN-China connectivity

Xinhua, January 17, 2017 Adjust font size:

China's Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin visited Singapore Tuesday to co-chair the 10th Bilateral Consultations between the Singapore and Chinese Foreign Ministries with Singapore's Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Chee Wee Kiong.

The two sides discussed boosting bilateral cooperation as well as the connectivity between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China.

Chee and Liu reviewed the longstanding and multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries. They noted that high-level exchanges were maintained between the two sides in 2016 including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's meetings with President Xi Jinping at the G20 Summit in Hangzhou and Premier Li Keqiang at the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, according to the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

They reviewed the good progress of the three government-to-government projects between the two sides, including the latest Chongqing Connectivity Initiative. Chee and Liu also discussed upcoming bilateral exchanges, including the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation to be held next month, and the China-Singapore Forum on Leadership this year.

Chee expressed Singapore's support for the Belt and Road Initiative, calling it a new area of collaboration which would further build upon Singapore and China's substantive bilateral ties.

The officials also discussed strengthening relations and connectivity between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including synergies between the Master Plan for ASEAN Connectivity 2025 and the Belt and Road Initiative.

To implement the ASEAN-China Year of Tourism Cooperation in 2017, they requested Singapore Tourism Board and China National Tourist Administration to collaborate and discuss concrete plans to promote tourism between ASEAN and China.

Started in 1996, the Consultations are a useful platform for the two Foreign Ministries to discuss bilateral cooperation, ASEAN-China cooperation and exchange views on key regional and global developments. Endit