PM Lee meets Chinese President Hu

TIANJIN: Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says Singapore and China are working together in line with their needs, as seen from the various levels of cooperation.

Speaking to Singapore media in Tianjin, he said that Singapore will continue to benefit from China and that both sides will continue to progress further.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Lee met Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing.

During the meeting, both leaders reviewed the progress made in their bilateral relations.

These include the Suzhou Industrial Park, which began in 1994, and described by Mr Lee as doing well and beyond the expectations of both countries.

Other projects include the Tianjin Eco City, the Guangzhou Knowledge City and the new high—tech innovation park in Chengdu.

On the development of the Tianjin Eco City, Mr Lee said even though physical progress has been made, there is still a long way to go.

Mr Lee said: "It is an ambitious project. They want to develop it as a good living environment, green environment. They also want to develop clean industries in it, like this animation industries, which they have developed centres there, and other activities as well.

"The physical development has begun. But I think to see its full fruition will take a few years more. At the same time, it has to be commercially viable and I am sure that is something which the partners are very conscious of."

Even though both Singapore and the Chinese leaders did not talk directly about security, both sides spoke on the significance of broader regional cooperation, ASEAN and China, China within the APEC Framework, and how it is important to maintain good relations between China and ASEAN.

Mr Lee described it is as a good step forward for China to express its interest in participating in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, an ASEAN initiative.

Mr Lee said: "But I will also talk about cooperation across the two sides of the Pacific, between the western side and the east side, the America and Latin America. I said that has to progress too. There’s TPP (Trans—Pacific Partnership) which Singapore is participating in (but not) China. But if you take a longer term perspective, at some point China may consider whether that makes sense — not on the immediate agenda but something for the longer term."

In Tianjin, Mr Lee also visited the National Animation Park, as well as housing projects in the Eco—city.

— CNA/ir/de