S’pore leaders congratulate new president of China

SINGAPORE: President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have sent congratulatory messages to His Excellency Xi Jinping on his appointment as President of the People’s Republic of China.

In his letter, President Tony Tan noted that China had made remarkable progress over the last decades.

He added that President Xi had taken over at an important juncture in China’s development and expressed confidence that he and his colleagues will succeed in navigating the challenges and seize the opportunities ahead to steer China to greater heights.

President Tony Tan added that Singapore and China enjoyed a close and substantive cooperation, underpinned by strong economic linkages as well as regular and warm exchanges at the political and people—to—people level.

He said the two countries should keep up the momentum in bilateral cooperation and continue to develop new areas of cooperation that would bring about mutual benefits to the people of both nations.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wrote in his message that President Xi was taking over at a critical juncture of China’s development.

He observed that China had come a long way in a short time, and needed to sustain its progress while managing its domestic and external challenges.

Mr Lee expressed confidence that under Presidents Xi’s leadership, China will continue to grow and prosper and this will improve the lives of the Chinese people and also benefit the wider region.

Mr Lee also observed that Singapore and China enjoy excellent relations, underpinned by frequent high—level exchanges, close people—to—people links and robust cooperation across a wide range of areas such as economics, education, social management, and food safety.

He recalled their meeting in Singapore in November 2010 and discussions on bilateral ties.

Mr Lee added that he looked forward to working with President Xi to take bilateral relations to new heights.

—CNA/ac