Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong met with visiting Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan Thursday at the Istana, the President's official residence.

 

Singapore and China have seen excellent development of bilateral relations, and cooperation between the two countries in the political, economic, military, trade, tourism and investment fields is going smoothly, Lee said.

 

He added that the two sides need to maintain close cooperation and explore new ways to deepen their collaboration, pushing their mutually beneficial and cooperative relations to a new high.

 

Lee reiterated that the Singapore government will adhere to its one-China policy and is opposed to Taiwan's independence.

 

Cao, who is also vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of China and a state councilor, said that the China-Singapore relations have grown significantly since the two countries established diplomatic ties and bilateral military exchanges and cooperation are increasing.

 

To further enhance the friendly and cooperative relations between China and Singapore is in the fundamental interests of peoples of the two countries, Cao said.

 

He expressed appreciation of the Singapore government's sustained adherence to the one-China policy and its support to China's reunification cause.

 

Cao arrived in Singapore 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)