SW China’s Chongqing Leaders Meet with Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat

Yuling Chen in BusinessChina-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivitynews

By Yuling Chen, iChongqing News

Chongqing- Chen Min’er, and Tang Liangzhi met with Heng Swee Keat on October 15, 2019. Chen Min’er is the Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee. Tang Liangzhi is the Deputy Secretary of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee and Mayor of the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government, and Heng Swee Keat is the Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance. They attended four bilateral cooperation mechanism meetings in Southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality on October 15, 2019.

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat co-chair four bilateral cooperation mechanisms meetings in southwest China's Chongqing, Oct. 15, 2019. The four meetings are the 15th China-Singapore Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation Meeting, the 20th China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Joint Steering Council Meeting, the 11th China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Joint Steering Council Meeting and the third China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity Joint Steering Council Meeting. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

Chen Min’er and Tang Liangzhi expressed their welcome to the Singaporean delegation led by Heng Swee Keat and congratulated the delegation on the full success of the bilateral cooperation mechanism meetings. The four conferences were the 15th China-Singapore Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation Meeting, the 20th China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Joint Steering Council Meeting, the 11th China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Joint Steering Council Meeting and the third China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity Joint Steering Council Meeting.

Chen Min’er expressed that the China-Singapore bilateral cooperation mechanism meetings being held in Chongqing showed the importance of and support for the municipality. During the meetings, the two sides reviewed the implementation of the high-level consensus and the process of practical cooperation. A series of cooperation agreements signed will lead the way for Chongqing and Singapore to expand their cooperation. In recent years, both sides have promoted the implementation of China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity (CCI) with practical measures, producing fruitful results in four main cooperation areas of financial services, aviation, transport & logistics, and information communications technology. As a new highlight of China and Singapore jointly building the Belt and Road, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor delivers a reliable performance and plays an increasingly strategic role.

Chongqing will act on contents related to the meetings and actively integrate the national strategy. The municipality will work with Singapore to promote the high-quality development of the CCI and further enhance connectivity between Chongqing and Singapore as well as China’s western region with ASEAN countries. Chongqing will also pace up to be a pioneer of opening-up in inland China and play a leading role, to make new contributions to an all-round cooperative partnership progressing with the times.

Heng Swee Keat extended his gratitude for Chongqing’s hospitality and thoughtful arrangements. He said that with concerted efforts, the fruitful and successful meetings inject new impetus for promoting the cooperation between the two countries and between Singapore and Chongqing. The visit to Chongqing left him a with good impression. Chongqing acts as a significant drive in boosting the development of China’s west region. It is an important node to link the Belt and Road and a significant hub to connect the ASEAN countries and Western China. With the successful implementation of a batch of landmark projects, marked progress of the CCI has been made in recent years, which brings benefits for the two peoples. Singapore is ready to work with Chongqing and enhance communication and coordination to turn meeting results in practical measures and concrete action, thus raising CCI cooperation to a new height.

Others participating the meeting were Josephine Teo, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Home Affairs, Desmond Lee, Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for National Development, Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Sam Tan, Minister of State , Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Social and Family Development, Stanley Loh , Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, from the Singaporean side, and Hong Xiaoyong, Chinese Ambassador to Singapore, Ren Xuefeng, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee, and the Chongqing municipal leaders Wu Cunrong, Hu Wenrong, Pan Yiqin and Li Bo.