SINGAPORE • Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli has met his Chinese counterparts to discuss ways the two countries can work together to strengthen cooperation on environmental protection and collaborate through bilateral platforms.
Writing on his Facebook page on Friday, Mr Masagos said he had wrapped up a three-day visit to Beijing, which saw him meeting China's Minister of Ecology and Environment Li Ganjie.
At their meeting on Thursday, both countries agreed to deepen collaboration on climate action, sustainable development and the greening of China's Belt and Road Initiative.
"Despite the different paths in our development journey, we share many common challenges such as climate change, and balancing our economic development with protecting our environment," Mr Masagos wrote.
They also agreed to enhance their partnership in areas such as environmental research and development, environmental governance and the circular economy model - in which materials are reused as much as possible to ensure long-term sustainability.
Mr Masagos noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping had made it a priority for China to become an "ecological civilisation" to ensure the country is greener and more sustainable, adding that there were many lessons that Singapore could learn from China's efforts.
The two countries discussed combating climate change and agreed to work together to advance negotiations on the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
Mr Masagos also met China's Minister of Water Resources E Jingping to discuss the water challenges and priorities of both countries.
"Although Singapore and China have vast differences in terms of size, we share similar challenges of ensuring water security and the effects of climate change on our water supply," Mr Masagos wrote on Facebook following their meeting.
He also held talks with China's Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Wang Menghui to discuss waste management issues as well as exchanged views with Mr Gao Hucheng, the chairman of the National People's Congress Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee, on legislative initiatives for environmental protection.
As part of his trip, Mr Masagos visited the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau and the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city, an environmentally friendly city in the Chinese port city of Tianjin which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
