President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have conveyed their best wishes to their Chinese counterparts, President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China today.
In a letter to Mr Xi, Madam Halimah noted the phenomenal transformation of China over the last 70 years, overcoming many challenges to achieve rapid economic growth and uplift its people's livelihoods.
"China has also become an important partner on the global stage in areas including international trade, climate change and sustainable development. As China continues to reform and open up, its growth and development will benefit not only the people of China but also our region and the world," she wrote.
The Singapore President observed that Singapore and China enjoy excellent relations that have continued to deepen and progress over time. Madam Halimah told Mr Xi that Singapore and China share a common interest to promote free trade.
"Singapore looks forward to working closely with China and other Asean member states to advance cooperation between Asean and China to further enhance regional peace and prosperity," she wrote.
"As Singapore and China celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations next year, I am confident that we will build on the foundation of the strong ties between our two countries to further strengthen our bilateral cooperation in the years to come," she added.
Madam Halimah also told Mr Xi that she and her husband, Mr Mohamed Abdullah Alhabshee, were looking forward to meeting the Chinese President and his wife, Madam Peng Liyuan, in Beijing when they make a state visit to China next year.
In his letter to the Chinese Premier, PM Lee conveyed warmest congratulations to Mr Li on the anniversary on behalf of the Government and Republic of Singapore. "This is a momentous occasion, and an opportunity to reflect on the remarkable transformation China has made over the past seven decades," wrote PM Lee.
He observed that, today, China is the world's second-largest economy. "You have lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, raised their living standards and created new opportunities for them to fulfil their aspirations," he wrote.
PM Lee underlined the excellent relations between Singapore and China, "built on a foundation of strong people-to-people ties and frequent high-level exchanges".
Pointing out that generations of Singaporean and Chinese leaders have had close working relations, he said that the robust economic ties between the two nations have been further strengthened by the upgrade of the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement last year.
"Singapore has also worked well with China in regional and multi-lateral fora, including in promoting closer Asean-China cooperation. We look forward to the expeditious conclusion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which will signal our strong commitment towards free trade and promoting regional development," PM Lee wrote.
"As you mark this important occasion, I wish the People's Republic of China many more years of peace, progress and prosperity. I also look forward to our commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations next year. It will be an opportunity to further enhance our friendship and take it to new heights," he added, extending his best wishes for Mr Li's good health and continued success.
