| |
| |
 |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
SINGAPORE: China's President, Hu Jintao, will make a three-day state visit to Singapore next week at the invitation of Singaporean President S R Nathan, in conjunction with the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.
During his stay from November 11 to 13, Mr Hu will meet Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and jointly witness the signing of a number of bilateral agreements.
PM Lee said in an interview with news agency Xinhua that Mr Hu's visit will give the already good ties between China and Singapore a boost, and added he is looking forward to discuss areas of cooperation.
"In terms of broader relations, of course, the most important thing is at the strategic level," Mr Lee said.
"Singapore and China share an interest in a stable, prosperous and open region, one where the countries are cooperating close together and at the same time, one where we have good relations across the Pacific and with the rest of the world.
"We cooperate not just between China and Singapore, but also with the regional cooperation between China and ASEAN, and China participating in the EAS, the ASEAN-Plus-Three and in the APEC organisation.
"These are all areas which ought to progress in parallel in order to enhance the framework of cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific region and particularly between Singapore and China."
Mr Lee has said China plays an important role in APEC, as it does in all global forums, because it is a major economy. China also has a vested interest in the prosperity and the stability of the region.
Mr Hu will also call on President Nathan, and meet Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.
President Hu will be accompanied by his wife, Mdm Liu Yongqing, members of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Ling Jihua and Wang Huning, State Councilor Dai Bingguo, Minister of Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi, Minister of National Development and Reform Commission Zhang Ping, Minister of Commerce Chen Deming, and senior officials.
- CNA/yb
|
