Xi calls for joint efforts with Singapore on post-pandemic development
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday that China and Singapore should work jointly to address the new task of post-pandemic development.
During his phone conversation with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Xi said that the current socio-economic development of both countries and the bilateral relations are standing at a new starting point in history.
Both sides should set store by the well-being of the two peoples as well as the prosperity and development of the region, and jointly address the new task of post-pandemic development so as to continue offering the people satisfactory results, Xi said.
As close neighbors and partners, China and Singapore understand and trust each other politically, advance with the times in cooperation, and learn from each other through exchanges, Xi said.
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two sides have helped each other and taken on the challenge in solidarity, and have pushed forward bilateral cooperation against the odds, which has demonstrated the vitality and resilience of China-Singapore relations, he noted.
China, he added, is ready to work with Singapore to keep high-level exchanges and strategic communication, strengthen joint prevention and control, resume personnel exchanges in a prudent and orderly manner, deepen cooperation in such fields as research and development of vaccines and drugs, and nurture new pacesetters of cooperation in digital economy and green sustainable development among other areas.
China welcomes the Singaporean side to get deeply involved in China's process of fostering a new development pattern, so as to continuously lift the quality and level of bilateral cooperation, he said.
Meanwhile, Xi stressed that against the backdrop of profound changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, the international community, especially developing countries, are facing multiple challenges.
China and Singapore have common ideas and shared interests on the major issue of safeguarding multilateralism and achieving common development, he noted.
China, he said, is willing to work with Singapore to strengthen multilateral cooperation, build a global community of development with a shared future, and enable the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership to take effect as scheduled, so as to inject impetus into regional and even global economic recovery.
Noting that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of dialogue relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he said China is ready to work with Singapore and other ASEAN countries to push forward the building of a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
For his part, Lee extended congratulations on the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and once again on the centenary of the Communist Party of China.
Despite great changes in the international situation, Singapore-China relations have always maintained a sound momentum of development, he said.
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, Singapore and China have cooperated closely and supported each other, with bilateral trade growing significantly against headwinds, and Belt and Road cooperation and the construction of the new land-sea corridor making remarkable achievements, he added.
Singapore, he said, hopes to work with China to maintain personnel exchanges, tap into the potential to expand practical cooperation in such fields as digital economy, green development, green finance and climate change.
Singapore is ready to work with China to successfully carry out activities celebrating the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations, and advance ASEAN-China relations for more tangible outcomes, so as to bring more benefits to the people in the region, Lee added.
Singapore welcomes and supports China's application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which will contribute to regional prosperity and development, he said.
