SINGAPORE: Singapore and China’s leaders exchanged congratulatory messages on Friday (Oct 3) to commemorate the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The Republic of Singapore and the People’s Republic of China established diplomatic relations on Oct 3, 1990.
In a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam hailed the “close and wide-ranging partnership” enjoyed today, thanks to the efforts of pioneer leaders of both countries, particularly Lee Kuan Yew and Deng Xiaoping in the 1970s.
Mr Tharman noted the upgrading of bilateral relations to an “All-Round High-Quality Future-Oriented Partnership”.
“Our Government-to-Government projects in Suzhou, Tianjin, and Chongqing, as well as our state-level bilateral cooperation project in Guangzhou, continue to progress, develop new features, and remain forward-looking,” he said.
He added that the two countries have expanded their cooperation into new areas like digital and green economies, food security, and deepening financial cooperation. Citizens of both nations have also strengthened ties through study, business, tourism, and cultural exchanges.
Mr Tharman said he is confident that Singapore and China will continue to work together to bring bilateral relations to even greater heights.
“Please accept my best wishes, and I look forward to meeting you soon,” he said.
According to Chinese foreign ministry, in his letter to Mr Tharman, Mr Xi said China and Singapore are good and close neighbours as well as important cooperation partners.
Mr Xi added that over the past 35 years, the two nations have upheld mutual respect, trust and win-win cooperation, continuously improved relations and achieved fruitful outcomes in various fields. Both countries have advanced together in their modernisation, delivering tangible benefits to their citizens.
He said China is willing to take this 35th anniversary as an opportunity to deepen political mutual trust, promote high-level cooperation, strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges and jointly uphold the multilateral trading system and fundamental norms governing international relations.
Mr Xi added that these efforts would strengthen the all-rounded, high-quality, forward-looking partnership between China and Singapore, contributing more to peace and prosperity in the region and the world.
