Premier Wen Jiabao said in Singapore Monday that China attaches
great importance to its relations with Singapore and is willing to
further strengthen and broaden the bilateral ties.
Currently, the development of Asia is facing both opportunities
and challenges, and peace and development as well as cooperation
and win-win have become a trend, which are also the common wishes
of nations in the region, Wen said while meeting with Singapore
President S.R. Nathan.
China is dedicated to develop friendly relations with Asian
countries and become a trustworthy, reliable and good neighbor,
good friend and good partner to Asian nations, Wen added.
Nathan said the cooperation between the two countries is dynamic
and develops smoothly.
China's adherence to the path of peaceful development and
foreign policy of developing friendship with neighbors will have
active impact on the region and the world at large, he added.
Singapore is willing to strengthen contacts and coordination
with China in the regional cooperation as well as to promote peace,
stability and common development in the region, Nathan said.
While meeting with Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, Wen
said Lee is the founder of the relations between China and
Singapore.
Lee has expressed that the development of China is an
opportunity and is opposed to "Taiwan independence," which has been
appreciated by China, Wen noted.
Lee said Singapore and China enjoy long-term strategic and
cooperative relations. No matter what happens in the world, it is
Singapore's long-term goal to develop friendly cooperation with
China and it will not change.
Any activities for "Taiwan independence" including the
referendum on entering the United Nations under the name of Taiwan
will jeopardize the peace and stability in the region and the world
as a whole. The international community must show its firm and
definite opposition to it, Lee stressed.
The two sides also exchanged views on other issues of common
concern.
(Xinhua News Agency November 19, 2007)