Singapore will continue to pursue good relations with other countries: PM Lee
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was speaking at a Chinese New Year dinner for residents in Teck Ghee. Photo: Nuria Ling
SINGAPORE — The Republic has good relations with China and hopes to continue pursuing mutually beneficial ties and friendship with the Asian giant, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Saturday (Feb 4).
Speaking at a Chinese New Year dinner for residents in Teck Ghee, Mr Lee also noted that a meeting of the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) between both countries will convene in Beijing at the end of this month.
The JCBC is the top bilateral body that oversees cooperation between Singapore and China, and meets almost yearly to deepen bilateral political ties and economic cooperation. The upcoming meeting will be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli.
"Both sides see value in this relationship. We hope to continue developing our friendship with China, to the mutual benefit of both countries," said PM Lee, noting that the Republic is China's top source of foreign investments while the latter is Singapore's biggest trading partner.
Singapore's relations with China came under the spotlight recently, over the detention of the Republic's armoured vehicles in Hong Kong.
Nine Singapore Armed Forces Terrex armoured vehicles – en route from Taiwan to Singapore – were seized on Nov 23 in Hong Kong for about two months. The vehicles landed home on Jan 30.
No formal reasons were given for the move, despite three meetings held between APL and Hong Kong Customs in the initial weeks of the seizure. In December, PM Lee had written to Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to request the immediate return of the vehicles.
In his speech on Saturday, PM Lee also described the recent election of United States President Donald Trump as signalling a "very important... fundamental change for the US and for the world".
He added: "The mood among some portions of the American voters is different from what it used to be. They are not happy with the status quo, they want to change the status quo. They want somebody to express their frustration because their lives have not improved."
The Republic must "watch carefully" what policies the US pursues domestically and internationally, he said.
"The US is an important power in the region, which contributes to peace and stability in Asia," Mr Lee told the audience. "And we hope that even with a new administration, even with a different mood in the US, this can continue...Because if the US continues to cooperate with Singapore and other countries, I think it is good for Singapore, and it is also good for the US and for the world."
Singapore has also been pursuing bilateral opportunities with neighbours like Malaysia and Indonesia, said Mr Lee.
Citing bilateral projects like the Kendal Industrial Park which opened in Semarang last year, and the upcoming High Speed Rail linking Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, he said: "When these projects are done, it will be more convenient to visit each other and do business together. These are projects which show that (both) sides want to cooperate, to work together, and there is goodwill and a desire to deepen the relationships."
