Singaporean Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lee Hsien Loong arrived in Beijing Monday afternoon, starting his first official visit to China since he took office last year.

During the one-week-long visit, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao, top legislator Wu Bangguo and top advisor Jia Qinglin will meet or hold talks with Lee.

In an interview with Chinese media last week, Lee said bilateral relations are very good, adding that his visit will help push forward such relationship.

Bilateral relations have grown steadily over the years and expanded into more areas, more depth, he said, adding that two-way trade, investment and tourists are all growing rapidly.

In the first eight months of this year, the Sino-Singaporean trade amounted to around US$21 billion, which was close to US$26.7 billion of 2004, according to Chinese customs figures.

Meanwhile, the Singaporean state-owned investment giant Temasek Holdings have taken shares in two of China's top four state-owned banks including the Bank of China and the China Construction Bank and a private bank, the China Minsheng Banking Corporation.

Such close trade and economic ties have laid a foundation for China and Singapore to lift bilateral ties. Lee said earlier this month that he will push for the Singapore-China free trade talks during this visit.

On the Taiwan issue, Lee reiterated that his country supports the one-China policy and opposes the island's independence from the Chinese mainland.

(Xinhua News Agency October 24, 2005)