BEIJING, Sept. 14(Xinhua) -- China on Thursday congratulated Halimah Yacob on her election as the new president of Singapore.

Former Parliament Speaker Halimah Yacob was announced Wednesday as the country's eighth president and the first female president.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China attaches great importance to relations with Singapore, an important member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

China is ready to work with Singapore to develop the partnership of all-round cooperation in keeping with the times, said Hua.

Singapore's former president Tony Tan Keng Yam ended his six-year term in office at the end of August and Council of Presidential Advisers Chairman J. Y. Pillay has served as acting president since.