Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced strengthened collaboration with Singapore to advance a more just international system during Saturday's talks with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. The leaders reaffirmed commitments to multilateralism amid growing global economic pressures.
Premier Li emphasized China's readiness to implement President Xi Jinping's global initiatives through enhanced coordination with Singapore in UN frameworks, opposing protectionism while promoting free trade. This partnership builds on June's strategic dialogue between President Xi and PM Wong that set bilateral priorities.
The discussions highlighted concrete economic cooperation, including upgrades to landmark projects like the Suzhou Industrial Park and Tianjin Eco-City. Both nations agreed to expand collaboration in emerging sectors such as AI, renewable energy, and biomedicine, while maintaining strong trade growth that reached $115 billion in 2024.
Premier Li linked the cooperation roadmap to China's newly adopted 15th Five-Year Plan, approved at October's Fourth Plenary Session. The plan emphasizes technological innovation and sustainable development – areas where Singapore's expertise aligns with China's modernization goals.
Cultural and social exchanges form another pillar of the partnership, with plans to boost tourism and educational programs. Singaporean businesses received renewed assurances about investment opportunities in China's expanding digital economy sector.
As founding members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, both leaders underscored their shared responsibility to stabilize Asian supply chains and maintain open markets during global economic uncertainty.
