LIMA – Prime Minister Lawrence Wong met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Nov 15 in Lima, Peru.

The 20-minute meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, is the first between both leaders since PM Wong assumed his role in May 2024.

Addressing Mr Xi at the start of their meeting, PM Wong said: “I’m very happy to have the chance to meet you for the first time.”

PM Wong said the relationship between both countries is in excellent shape, especially after bilateral ties were formally upgraded in April 2023. Singapore and China now have what is termed an “all-round high-quality future-oriented partnership”.

“Since then, our relations have continued to have very positive momentum,” he added.

On the economic front, China is Singapore’s largest trading partner and Singapore is China’s largest foreign direct investor, PM Wong noted.

Both countries also have high-level exchanges, such as the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting.

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At this year’s JCBC meeting on Nov 11, both sides announced 25 memorandums of understanding and agreements in areas ranging from China’s Belt and Road Initiative to trade, investment and finance.

PM Wong said he looks forward to working with Mr Xi to further strengthen co-operation and take relations between both countries to greater heights.

Mr Xi said Singapore and China are friendly neighbours and important partners.

“Under the careful cultivation of successive generations of leaders, the development of China-Singapore ties has become a global model for mutually beneficial, win-win development,” he noted in Mandarin.

Both countries are currently in a critical state of development and will mark 35 years of diplomatic relations next year, he added.

Mr Xi said China is willing to continue working with Singapore on “the road of modernisation”, and to open a new chapter of high-quality co-operation between the countries.

On Nov 16, PM Wong also met with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, as well as Hong Kong chief executive John Lee.

In a Facebook post, PM Wong said he and Mr Albanese discussed global and regional developments, as well as plans for the next phase of the comprehensive strategic partnership between both countries.

“Australia and Singapore share a close and robust partnership, underpinned by shared values and similar strategic perspectives of the world,” he added.

PM Wong also posted about his meeting with Mr Lee on social media platform X, saying that Hong Kong and Singapore have many things in common, and benefit from mutual exchanges and sharing of best practices.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.