Chinese vice premier visits Singapore to promote ties

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (L) meets with Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean in Singapore, Oct 12, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

SINGAPORE - Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli arrived in Singapore on Monday for an official visit to the Southeast Asian nation to further promote bilateral ties.

Upon arrival at the hotel, Zhang met with his Singaporean counterpart Teo Chee Hean and attended a welcome reception hosted by Teo.

Zhang's visit came as the two countries celebrated the 25th anniversary of forging diplomatic ties earlier this month. He is also the first Chinese leader to visit Singapore in the wake of Singapore's general election on Sept 11.

During his visit, Zhang is scheduled to meet with Singaporean President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Zhang, together with Teo, will co-chair the 12th meeting of China-Singapore Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation, a high- level institutional mechanism established in 2003 to oversee the entire range of bilateral cooperation.

Zhang will also preside over the 17th China-Singapore Joint Steering Council Meeting for the Suzhou Industrial Park and the eighth China-Singapore Joint Steering Council Meeting for the Tianjin Eco-city.

The Suzhou Industrial Park and the Tianjin Eco-city are two flagship projects between the two governments to promote their cooperation in high-tech industries and sustainable development.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1990, bilateral cooperation between China and Singapore deepened in various fields.

China is now Singapore's No.1 trading partner while Singapore is China's largest investment source.

Statistics from the International Enterprise Singapore shows that the two-way trade between China and Singapore grew up to 95.8 billion US dollars in 2014, from 2.8 billion dollars in 1990.