Xi congratulates Singapore on republic's anniversary

President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Sunday on the 61st anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Singapore.

Xi said that over the past 61 years, Singapore has made remarkable achievements in its economic and social development.

Noting that China and Singapore are friendly close neighbors, Xi said that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Singapore relations. Xi also said he is ready to work with Shanmugaratnam to enhance strategic communication and guide the China-Singapore all-around high-quality future-oriented partnership to new heights, in order to better benefit the two peoples.

China and Singapore have seen frequent high-level exchanges in recent years. Xi and Shanmugaratnam exchanged congratulatory messages on the 35th anniversary of diplomatic ties in October last year, followed by Premier Li Qiang's official visit to the Southeast Asian country in the same month. Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong attended the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Hainan province in March.

According to China's Foreign Ministry, Singapore was China's fifth-largest trading partner among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2025, with bilateral trade reaching $119.25 billion, up 7.5 percent year-on-year.

zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn