VIENTIANE - Chinese premier Li Keqiang gave Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong a print of Singapore scenes on Tuesday night (Sept 6), after their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Asean Summit in the Laotian capital of Vientiane.
The 36cm by 49cm artwork, featuring HDB flats, the Merlion, Marina Bay Sands and the statue of Sir Stamford Raffles was created by Zhang Minjie, a Chinese artist.
"During a visit to Singapore for artistic inspiration, the artist was deeply impressed by the city state's belief in sustainability, which values both development and balance. This print was created to reflect Singapore's pursuit of this goal," a card accompanying the gift said.
Singapore, meanwhile, presented Premier Li with a painting by Chin Ruisi, 16, a student from the School of the Arts. Her piece used the theme of friendship bands to depict the relationship between Asean and China.
"In order to tie a friendship band around your wrist, you need someone to help you," said Ruisi, who was flown by Singapore to Vientiane to present the artwork to Premier Li personally.
Singapore is the country coordinator for Asean-China dialogue relations.
