Global Courant 2023-05-15 18:20:00
SHANGHAI – The relationship between Singapore and Shanghai could be a vanguard of the island nation’s new partnership with China, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong told Shanghai party chief Chen Jining on Monday.
As China’s financial center has always been at the forefront of China’s reform and opening-up campaign, the Singapore-Shanghai cooperative relationship can be a “boy scout for more exciting, more pioneering projects,” said Mr. Wong
This was his first meeting with Mr. Chen since he became Deputy Prime Minister and since Mr. Chen was promoted to the top position of Shanghai.
As China reopens its borders after three years of Covid-19, Singapore’s leaders have wasted no time traveling here to personally renew ties and see the country’s development
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan arrived in February, followed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in late March on his first trip since 2019.
While here, Prime Minister Lee met with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang as the two countries announced they would upgrade bilateral relations to an “all-round, high-quality, forward-looking partnership”.
Mr Wong’s trip is said to have been timed to follow shortly after Prime Minister Lee’s visit and improved ties as he attempts to build a relationship with China’s new leadership as Singapore’s next prime minister.
He was appointed vice premier in June 2022 in preparation for the position, and will meet Premier Li Qiang and Executive Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang in Beijing. Both Mr. Li and Mr. Ding were promoted to the Politburo Standing Committee – the pinnacle of power – in March this year.
Meeting with Shanghai party chief on Monday, Mr Wong said Singapore values the comprehensive cooperation with Shanghai and noted that a record 15 deals were signed in April when Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng was in Singapore for the 4th Singapore-Shanghai Comprehensive Cooperation Council.
The agreements related to healthcare, financial services and the digital economy. Trade between Singapore and Shanghai grew 8 percent year-on-year in 2022, despite the pandemic, to nearly $20 billion.
Mr Wong previously co-chaired two of those meetings and handed over the reins to Minister of Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister of Law Edwin Tong at the recent conclave.
Mr Chen, who was elevated to the 24-member Politburo comprising the country’s top leaders at the Communist Party of China’s biennial congress in October 2022, was named to take over from Mr Li Qiang in Shanghai soon after.
He is among a new cohort of technocrats that President Xi is counting on to help steer China’s technological and economic drive and introduce new mindsets to solving the country’s problems.
Mr Chen, who was previously mayor of Beijing, is an environmental scientist with a PhD from Imperial College London.
He told Mr. Wong that Singapore is a very important partner for China.
President Xi has described Singapore as having “the most profound commitment to China’s reform and opening up,” he said, pledging to promote the new enhanced bilateral partnership.
