SINGAPORE - Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean will on Wednesday (April 10) begin a visit to China, during which he will co-chair the 7th Singapore-China Forum on Leadership in the city of Yan'an and meet central leaders in Beijing, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The visit, which runs until next Monday, is being held at the invitation of the Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and CPC Central Committee Organisation Department Minister Chen Xi.
Mr Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, will begin the first leg of the trip with a two-day stop in Beijing on Wednesday. There, he will meet Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC and Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Secretary Zhao Leji, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC and Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office Director Yang Jiechi, and Member of the Central Military Commission, State Councillor and Minister of National Defence Wei Fenghe and other central leaders.
Mr Teo will next head to the city of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province on Friday to attend the commemorative activities for the 25th anniversary of the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP).
Established in 1994, the SIP was the first government-to-government project between Singapore and China, and has become a hallmark of the bilateral cooperation. Today, the SIP is ranked as one of China's top industrial parks and is a modern integrated township. Mr Teo will meet and be hosted to lunch by Secretary of the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee Lou Qinjian.
On Saturday, Mr Teo will be in Shanghai to attend Singapore Day, which will bring together overseas Singaporeans living in China. He will also meet Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC and Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee Li Qiang.
For the final leg of the trip, Mr Teo will be in Yan'an to attend the 7th Singapore-China Forum on Leadership, which he is co-chairing with Mr Chen. To be held at the China Executive Leadership Academy, the theme of this year's forum is 'Addressing Our Peoples' Aspirations for Better Lives'. Mr Teo and Mr Chen will deliver opening addresses at the forum, while Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing will participate as the Singapore Deputy Co-Chair. Mr Teo will also have a bilateral meeting and be hosted to dinner by Mr Chen.
First held in 2009, the Forum on Leadership is a strategic platform for political leaders and senior officials of Singapore and China to discuss and exchange experiences on common challenges related to leadership development. Secretary of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee Hu Heping will meet Mr Teo in Yan'an and host lunch for the delegation.
Along with Mr Chan, Mr Teo will be accompanied by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, and Second Minister for Education and Finance Indranee Rajah (Beijing and Suzhou only), Senior Minister of State for Transport and Communications and Information Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Health and Law Edwin Tong (Suzhou, Shanghai and Yan'an only), Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and National Development Sun Xueling and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry Tan Wu Meng.
