DPM Teo Chee Hean's meeting and dinner with PRC Vice Premier Han Zheng

Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Han Zheng is making an official visit to Singapore from 19 to 21 September 2018 at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean.  DPM Teo met and hosted Vice Premier Han to dinner this evening at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM).

Before the meeting and the dinner, DPM Teo accompanied Vice Premier Han to visit the Deng Xiaoping marker along the Singapore River.  2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the historic visit of Mr Deng Xiaoping to Singapore in 1978, which was two years after the then-Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew’s visit to China in 1976.  The exchange of visits by the two senior leaders laid a strong foundation for the ties between our two countries and people.  The marker was unveiled by then-Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and then-Vice President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping in 2010.     

At the meeting and dinner, DPM Teo and Vice Premier Han reaffirmed the longstanding, strong and multifaceted relations between our two countries.  They welcomed the deepening cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, including in infrastructural connectivity, financial connectivity, third country cooperation, and professional and legal & judicial cooperation.  DPM Teo and Vice Premier Han looked forward to the early conclusion of a substantive upgrade of the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement which would signal our joint commitment to free trade and economic liberalisation.  They discussed the establishment of a Singapore-Shanghai cooperation council at the Ministerial-Gubernatorial level as well as a reciprocal internship programme between the youths and students of our two countries and tasked officials to follow-up on these initiatives. 

DPM Teo and Vice Premier Han toured the Tang Cargo exhibit at the ACM after dinner.  The Tang Cargo showcases how Southeast Asia has been a longstanding trade route along the ancient Maritime Silk Road and the role Singapore played as a maritime emporium in facilitating global trade. Both leaders also expressed support for ACM and the Shanghai Museum to exhibit the Tang Cargo in Shanghai, which would include organising an international symposium.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo and Vice Premier Han will co-chair the 14th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting, 19th China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Joint Steering Council (JSC), 10th Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city JSC and the 2nd China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity (CCI) JSC meetings on 20 September.   

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PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE
SINGAPORE
19 SEPTEMBER 2018