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)
