Chinese FM holds phone talks with Singaporean counterpart

BEIJING, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday held a phone conversation with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan at the latter's request.

Wang said the Singaporean side extended congratulations on the successful convening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and on Xi Jinping's re-election as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, which has demonstrated its high emphasis on Singapore-China relations and its understanding and recognition of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, as well as the high level of bilateral relationship.

Under the leadership of the new CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, the Chinese people will strive in unity and embark on a new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects, and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese modernization, Wang said.

Keeping pace with the times is the most distinctive feature of China-Singapore relations, Wang said, adding that the two countries can continue to learn from and help each other in the process of realizing their respective modernization.

China is ready to maintain close high-level exchanges with Singapore and promote the resumption of personnel exchanges in an orderly manner, and make the bilateral relationship a model in China's relations with other countries, especially its neighbors, Wang said.

Noting that global challenges are emerging one after another, Wang voiced expectation that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries could stand in solidarity and seize the opportunity of hosting the leaders' meetings on East Asia cooperation, the G20 Leaders' Summit and the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting to provide more certainty and stability for the world and to play a good role in coping with the instabilities and changes in the world.

China will continue to give diplomatic priority to the ASEAN, Wang said, and China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to promote their comprehensive strategic partnership to bear fruit and lift bilateral cooperation in various fields to a new level.

Balakrishnan said that cooperation between Singapore and China is rich in content and has yielded rich fruits. Seizing the opportunity of these major events, Singapore will review experience in cooperation with China in an in-depth manner, solidly promote key cooperation projects including the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, further strengthen the ASEAN-China interconnection and raise their level of cooperation on industrial chains. Singapore fully supports the upgrading of ASEAN-China relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.