PM Lawrence Wong meets Chinese President Xi Jinping on sidelines of Apec summit in Peru
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PM Lawrence Wong (far left) meets Chinese President Xi Jinping with their respective delegations at a bilateral meeting during the Apec summit in Lima, Peru on Nov 15.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
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LIMA – Prime Minister Lawrence Wong met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Nov 15 in Lima, Peru.
The 20-minute meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, is the first between both leaders since PM Wong assumed his role in May 2024.
Addressing Mr Xi at the start of their meeting, PM Wong said: “I am very happy to have the chance to meet you for the first time.”
PM Wong said the relationship between both countries is in excellent shape, especially after bilateral ties were formally upgraded in April 2023. Singapore and China now have what is termed an “all-round high-quality future-oriented partnership”.
“Since then, our relations have continued to have very positive momentum,” he added.
On the economic front, China is Singapore’s largest trading partner, and Singapore is China’s largest foreign direct investor, PM Wong noted.
Both countries also have high-level exchanges, such as the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meetings. At the JCBC meeting
PM Wong said he looks forward to working with Mr Xi to further strengthen cooperation and take relations between both countries to greater heights.
Mr Xi said Singapore and China are friendly neighbours and important partners.
“Under the careful cultivation of successive generations of leaders, the development of China-Singapore ties has become a global model for mutually beneficial, win-win development,” he said in Mandarin.
PM Wong and Mr Xi affirmed the close and multi-faceted relationship between Singapore and China.
PHOTO: MDDI
Both countries are now in a critical state of development and will mark 35 years of diplomatic relations in 2025, he added.
Mr Xi said China is willing to continue working with Singapore on “the road of modernisation”, and to open a new chapter of high-quality cooperation between the countries.
In a statement, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said PM Wong and Mr Xi affirmed the close and multi-faceted relationship between Singapore and China, and reviewed the excellent slate of bilateral cooperation.
They agreed that both countries should deepen cooperation in future-oriented areas such as the green and digital economies, MFA added.
The leaders also discussed regional and international developments, including the importance of upholding the rules-based multilateral trading system, and developments in the Taiwan Strait.
“Singapore has a clear and consistent ‘One China’ policy and is opposed to Taiwan independence,” MFA said.
On Nov 15, PM Wong also met his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, and Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong meeting his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese on Nov 15, when they discussed plans for the next phase of the comprehensive strategic partnership between both countries.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
In a Facebook post, PM Wong said he and Mr Albanese discussed global and regional developments, as well as plans for the next phase of the comprehensive strategic partnership between both countries. “Australia and Singapore share a close and robust partnership, underpinned by shared values and similar strategic perspectives of the world,” he added.
PM Wong also posted about his meeting with Mr Lee on social media platform X, saying that Hong Kong and Singapore have many things in common, and benefit from mutual exchanges and sharing of best practices.
