DPM Wong meets Premier Li in Beijing, expects fruitful talks at top-level bilateral forum

BEIJING — This year's top-level meeting between Singapore and Chinese officials is expected to be a fruitful one because of the breadth of topics to be covered, said Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Dec 6.

The Joint Council on Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) will also be convening for the first time since bilateral relations between China and Singapore were upgraded, Wong added.

He made the remarks at the start of a courtesy call on Chinese Premier Li Qiang ahead of the JCBC meeting on Dec 7. They met for about an hour in a closed-door meeting at the Great Hall of The People in Beijing.

The leaders discussed opportunities for bilateral co-operation on the digital economy, renewable and clean energy, and other emerging areas, Singapore's Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement after the meeting.

Both sides also exchanged views on regional and global developments, and reaffirmed the importance of maintaining an open, inclusive, and rules-based regional architecture, according to the statement.

It is the second time both men are meeting in 2023, after Wong's visit to China in May.

In April, Singapore and China upgraded their relations to an "all-round, high-quality, future-oriented partnership", ushering a new era in bilateral ties.

"It will be the first JCBC between our two countries since we've upgraded our relationship to an all-round, high-quality, future-oriented partnership, and also the first JCBC for (co-chairs) Vice-Premier Ding and myself," said Wong, who is also Finance Minister.

Noting that bilateral ties are in "excellent order", he said: "I think we will have a very fruitful meeting because we're covering many topics and in fact many ministries in Singapore are represented."

In its 19th edition, the JCBC is the top-level platform for both governments to discuss collaboration projects.

Seven ministries will be represented at the meeting on Thursday, Wong said, adding that both countries will be signing more than 20 agreements that day.

"Also it's significant that we're having the meeting in Tianjin where we're marking the 15th anniversary of the Tianjin Eco-City and charting the way forward for Tianjin for its next phase of low carbon growth." 

The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City (TEC) is the second of three government-to-government (GTG) projects, and focuses on promoting sustainability and green development. 

After the JCBC, Wong and Ding will co-chair the Joint Steering Committee meetings of the three flagship GTG projects: the TEC, China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park, and the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity. These meetings are intended to take stock of progress and set the direction for further collaboration.

Li said China attaches great importance to Wong's visit, with numerous members of the Chinese leadership meeting him to discuss areas of shared interest. 

He noted that 2023 has been a significant year for bilateral ties, with increased co-operation and exchanges on all levels becoming "closer and more efficient". 

"All this demonstrates the strong vitality and great potential of this relationship," he added. 

Li also said that China stands ready to work with Singapore to pursue even more ambitious goals in the new era of bilateral relations.

In a separate meeting in Beijing on Dec 6, Wong met Vice-Premier He Lifeng, who oversees economic and financial issues.

"I thought it'd be useful to have a conversation about what more we can do between our two countries to advance our economic and financial co-operation, and I look forward to our conversation," Wong said in his opening remarks. 

He, who said he had been involved in several iterations of the JCBC, noted that China and Singapore have maintained a good momentum since upgrading their bilateral relationship, and it now remains to turn the agreements reached between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong into reality.

The vice-premier added that he had invited various members from the financial sector to the meeting with Wong, including central bank governor Pang Gongsheng; chairman of China Securities Regulatory Commission Yi Huiman; deputy director of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission Yang Yinkai; and Assistant Foreign Minister Nong Rong. 

Wong and He welcomed the positive growth in economic and trade links between Singapore and China, and discussed ways to further broaden and deepen the scope of bilateral co-operation, including in the financial sector, the PMO said in its statement.

"This will benefit companies in both countries, strengthen our respective economies, and deepen trade and financial flows between China and Singapore and the wider region," it added.

Also at the meetings were Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, Acting Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State Amy Khor, and Senior Minister of State Sim Ann.

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