Chinese President Hu Jintao said in Beijing Wednesday that China hopes to push forward exchanges and cooperation with Singapore in all fields and raise relations to a higher level.  

In a meeting with visiting Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, Hu spoke highly of Sino-Singaporean relations, saying ties have progressed continuously and the two countries' leaders have maintained close contacts.

The two sides have respected and understood each other and exchanged views on issues of common concern frequently, which has served to vitalize the development of bilateral ties, Hu said.

China and Singapore have witnessed remarkable fruit from cooperation in the economic and trade sectors, the Chinese president said, adding that the two countries have consulted and coordinated well on regional and international issues.

The establishment of a bilateral cooperation joint committee between China and Singapore shows their ties have entered a new stage, Hu said.

Hu said he hopes the two countries bear in mind the spirit of equality, mutual benefit, pragmatism and enterprise and make full use of the new cooperation mechanism so as to guide and push forward bilateral ties.

Goh said Singapore attaches great importance to China's increasingly important role in Asia and the world.

In recent years, he said, Singapore and China have conducted fruitful cooperation in the high-tech industry, human resources development, China's westward development plan and the strategy for Chinese enterprises to go abroad to invest and run joint ventures.

The bilateral cooperation joint committee will help expand cooperation fields and enrich cooperation content, the prime minister said.

Singapore is ready to cooperate with China even more closely, tap challenges and overcome difficulties in a bid to help maintain peace, stability and prosperity in Asia, Goh added.

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing was present on the occasion.

(Xinhua News Agency November 20, 2003)