FIRST MEETING: Mr Xi welcoming MM Lee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday. It was Mr Lee's first meeting with the rising star who was recently promoted to the top echelon of China's leadership. -- PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Mr Xi, 54, was the top official in Chinese financial hub Shanghai before his promotion to the Politburo Standing Committee - the apex of power in China - during the 17th Chinese Communist Party Congress last month.

He is now the country's sixth-ranked leader.

During their meeting, Mr Xi hailed Mr Lee's contribution to Sino-Singapore ties, and described the elder statesman as the 'foundation builder' of good bilateral relations.

'You worked with Mr Deng Xiaoping and other Chinese leaders of several generations for the growth of China-Singapore relations, so now we have a very good foundation for bilateral ties,' said Mr Xi.

'We also see enormous potential in the future of this relationship.'

Mr Lee, who is on a four-day visit to meet top Chinese leaders in Beijing, said he saw 'great potential' in China's growth even when he visited in the 1970s as the country was just walking out of the shadows of the tumultuous Cultural Revolution.

'Looking back, I'm amazed at our good fortune that we have been able to make connections with successive leaders, most important of all, with Mr Deng Xiaoping who changed the course of Chinese growth,' he told the younger Chinese leader.

Mr Lee's decades-old ties and engagement with China are not lost on the current Chinese leadership.

At his talks with President Hu Jintao, the Chinese leader noted in his introductory remarks that Mr Lee had visited China 27 times since the 1970s,

'Minister Mentor, you are an old friend of the Chinese people,' he added.

'As early as before we established this formal diplomatic relationship, you and Deng Xiaoping and the Chinese leaders of that generation fostered profound friendship and good relations.'

The Chinese leader also paid tribute to Mr Lee's continued efforts in promoting bilateral ties.

'Minister Mentor, given your seniority, you are still caring for China and Singapore friendship and cooperation, and you have put in a lot of energy in this area,' said Mr Hu.

'I would like to pay my tribute to you and express our appreciation.'

Bilateral cooperation aside, Mr Lee and Mr Hu also held wide-ranging talks on regional and international issues, as well as the recently concluded party congress.

The congress is a five-yearly meeting focused on setting broad directions and leadership renewal in the party.

'China is pursuing what the 17th party congress had agreed to do - to build a well-off society, and Singapore was taking the strategy of rebuilding Singapore, thus the two countries faced the new opportunity for cooperation,' Mr Hu was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

The Chinese President told Mr Lee that several younger leaders with solid track records had been promoted to the top ranks of the CCP, and that the new leadership was working to implement its new vision for the country.

chinhon@sph.com.sg