Li to visit Singapore for Asian leaders' meetings

Premier Li Keqiang will visit Singapore and attend a series of high-level meetings including the 13th East Asia Summit from Monday to Nov 16, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying announced on Tuesday.

Li will also attend the 21st China-ASEAN leaders' meeting and the 21st ASEAN-China, Japan and Republic of Korea leaders' meeting, Hua said at a regular news conference in Beijing.

During his stay in Singapore, Li will meet with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Halimah Yacob. He will also address a welcoming banquet held by Singaporean business leaders.

"Singapore is a friendly neighbor of China and the two countries have established an all-around partnership of cooperation that keeps up with the times," Hua said, "and fruitful results have been achieved in bilateral cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative."

The leaders will review the successful experience of developing bilateral ties and plan for future cooperation including the BRI and innovation, Hua said.

This will be the first visit made by a Chinese premier in 11 years, and it aims to enhance the traditional friendship between China and Singapore, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and push for greater development of bilateral relations in the new era, she said.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the strategic partnership between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership are moving forward and regional countries have a strong desire to promote regional economic integration, Hua said. The situation in the South China Sea is stable with positive progress in consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, she said.

"Cooperation in East Asia is faced with new opportunities, and Premier Li's attendance at the series of high-level meetings is of great significance for upgrading the China-ASEAN relationship as well as deepening cooperation in the region," Hua said.

"We hope the meetings will focus on East Asia, promote development and cooperation, push forward regional economic integration and maintain multilateralism, free trade and international rules, making positive contributions to regional peace, development and prosperity," she added.

On Monday, China and Singapore wrapped up negotiations to upgrade the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement.

The announcement was made jointly by Vice-Minister of Commerce Fu Ziying and Singapore's Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing after their meeting on the sidelines of the China International Import Expo in Shanghai.

The two countries are expected to sign the upgrade protocol after completing related domestic procedures, the Ministry of Commerce said.