Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said in Singapore on
Thursday that he expects further enhancement of bilateral ties
between Singapore and China.
At a meeting with visiting Chinese Defense Minister Cao
Gangchuan, Lee said Singapore has been attaching great importance
to developing friendly and cooperative relations with China and the
two countries have made marked progress in their bilateral ties,
economic and trade cooperation, as well as in cultural
exchanges.
The two economies are highly supplementary, which is an
exceptional advantage for the two sides to deepen their mutually
beneficial collaboration, he added.
Noting that defense ties are an important part of bilateral
relations, Lee hoped that the two armed forces will keep in contact
with each other and further strengthen their cooperation.
Cao praised Lee for his great contribution to the development of
China-Singapore relationship, saying that Lee is an old friend of
both Chinese people and Chinese leaders.
The bilateral relations between China and Singapore have grown
rapidly, thanks to the common efforts made by the two peoples and
the impetus given by leaders of the two countries, Cao noted.
He added that China is willing to cooperate with Singapore to
push forward the relations between the two countries and between
the two armies, and to play an active role in maintaining regional
security and stability.
Cao, who is also vice chairman of the Central Military
Commission of China and a State Councilor, arrived here earlier on
the day for a three-day official goodwill visit to the city state
at the invitation of his Singaporean counterpart Teo Chee Hean.
This is the fourth leg of Cao' tour to five Asian countries,
which includes North Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, and South Korea.
(Xinhua News Agency April 14, 2006)
