A senior Chinese official has underlined the importance of a Sino-Singaporean ecological project to be constructed in north China's Tianjin Municipality.

In a written address to the first joint meeting of the working committee for the project held in Tianjin on Thursday, China's Vice Premier Wu Yi said the project embodies a new phase of Sino-Singaporean cooperation.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and his Singaporean counterpart signed a framework agreement on November 18 last year to build an ecological town in Tianjin.

The town is designed to be resource-saving and environmental-friendly. "The ecological town will benefit both Chinese and Singaporean people," Wu said in her address.

"It will also produce significant impact in the world," she said.

She stressed that the governments of the two countries have paid much attention to the construction of the ecological town. Efforts should be made to ensure a foundation laying ceremony could be held in July this year.

A major mission of the current meeting is to design ecological index for the town.

(Xinhua News Agency February 1, 2008)