Singapore, China leaders to hold meetings on bilateral cooperation

SINGAPORE – Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang will lead a series of annual high-level meetings on bilateral cooperation on Nov 11.

According to a Prime Minister’s Office statement, Mr Ding will visit Singapore on Nov 10-11 at the invitation of DPM Gan, who is also the Minister for Trade and Industry. 

Both leaders will co-chair the 20th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC), 25th Suzhou Industrial Park Joint Steering Council (JSC), 16th Tianjin Eco-City JSC, and 8th China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity JSC.

Singapore and China take turns to host the JCBC meetings every year. Mr Gan will be co-chairing the meetings for the first time this year, taking over from Mr Lawrence Wong, who

took office as Prime Minister in May.

Mr Gan told Singapore media in an interview on Oct 30

that he looks forward to engaging his counterpart in a

new capacity.

“With every new generation of leaders, it is important for them to build trust and understanding in their own way,” he said.

Billed as the apex bilateral platform between Singapore and China and convened annually to review substantive collaboration, the JCBC is in its milestone 20th year in 2024.

The joint steering councils will review the progress made for the three flagship government-to-government projects in Suzhou, Tianjin and Chongqing, and discuss ways to further develop them, the statement said. DPM Gan will have a bilateral meeting with Mr Ding, and host him at a welcome dinner on Nov 10. 

During his visit, Vice-Premier Ding will call on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and PM Wong, who is also Minister for Finance. Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean will host him for a meal.

To commemorate the

30th anniversary of the Suzhou Industrial Park in 2024,

DPM Gan and Mr Ding will participate in a tree-planting ceremony at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.