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Highlights from Premier Li’s visit to Singapore

Updated: Nov 16,2018 6:39 PM     english.gov.cn

Premier Li Keqiang arrived on Nov 12 to start his first official visit to Singapore, where he is expected to build momentum for free trade and regional cooperation.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong held a welcoming ceremony for visiting Premier Li Keqiang on Nov 12 in the state city.

Premier Li Keqiang met with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Singapore on Nov 12.

Premier Li said China is willing to further deepen innovation cooperation with Singapore and enhance personnel training in finance, science and technology, and businesses.

Taking the signing of the memorandum of understanding on the China-Singapore land and maritime corridor as an opportunity, the two sides will promote onshore and maritime interconnectivity at the same time. And as Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City has become a national-level bilateral cooperative program, the two sides should expand cooperation in smart city construction, promote upgrading of urban management and development of artificial intelligence, and carry out discussions on new cooperation at the local level, he said.

He expressed hopes that the two sides will grasp opportunities to promote two-way trade and investment since the China-Singapore free trade agreement (FTA) completed negotiations on upgrading.

China and Singapore signed a cooperation document on upgrading the two countries’ free trade agreement (FTA) as the two sides had finalized the negotiations.

Premier Li Keqiang and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong witnessed the signing of the document on Nov 12 after holding talks.

Premier Li Keqiang on Nov 13 called for global efforts to uphold free trade and multilateralism so as to realize world peace and global common prosperity.

Premier Li said this in a speech titled “Pursuing Open and Integrated Development for Shared Prosperity” at the 44th Singapore Lecture.

Stressing that China has always advocated just and fair trade, Premier Li said free trade is the prerequisite for all trade.

“Without free trade, it means no trade, then how can there be just and fair trade? Meanwhile, just and fair trade is an important basis for the continued development of free trade,” Premier Li said.

He called for reform measures to address problems that occurred in the process of globalization, adding that those measures should not run counter to the basic rules of multilateralism and free trade and should not, in particular, discard the current regime and start all over again.

“China is willing to discuss with all sides ways to improve free trade and promote the development of globalization,” said Premier Li.

“We also stand ready to talk about just and fair trade so as to make free trade more robust and develop at a higher level,” he added.

During his speech, the Premier said that China expects to finalize negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in 2019.

China hopes to complete talks on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea within three years, clinching a final deal that will keep enduring peace in the region, Premier Li said in his speech.

China and Singapore can further explore cooperation in developing anti-cancer technologies to bring hope to patients and their families, Premier Li Keqiang said during a visit to a pharmaceutical company in Singapore on Nov 13.

Premier Li Keqiang called for enhancing the economic cooperation between China and Singapore on Nov 13.

Premier Li made the remarks while addressing a welcoming banquet hosted by the Singapore Business Federation and the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

China is ready to work with Singapore to set up cooperation platforms for connectivity, financial support and third-party cooperation, so as to upgrade economic and trade cooperation and deepen financial cooperation, Premier Li told more than 1,000 people from Singapore’s economic and business circles.

Premier Li Keqiang called for deepening cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and lifting their strategic partnership to a higher level.

Premier Li made the remarks at the 21st China-ASEAN (10+1) summit on Nov 14.

China and ASEAN should deepen all-around cooperation, join hands to establish higher-level strategic partnership, and build a closer community with shared future, Premier Li said.

Urging China and ASEAN to enhance strategic planning, Premier Li said the two sides should, under the guidance of ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership Vision 2030, synergize the Belt and Road Initiative with the ASEAN Vision 2025, and strengthen the building of the three pillars — the political security, economy and trade, and people-to-people exchanges, so as to lift China-ASEAN relations to a higher level.

To deepen economic and trade cooperation, Premier Li expects China and ASEAN to work with other relevant countries to substantially conclude negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) at an early date, expand cooperation areas, and break down trade barriers to promote trade and investment.

On cultivating new areas of innovation cooperation, Premier Li said, as this year is the China-ASEAN Year of Innovation, the two sides should discuss the establishment of a new mechanism for science and technology innovation cooperation, implement the science and technology partnership program, conduct research and prepare to sign the cooperation documents on smart cities, and support the establishment of a digital platform for tourism in ASEAN.

To consolidate the pillar for people-to-people exchanges, Premier Li said China will set up a China-ASEAN scholarship, carry out a research and study program for about 1,000 youth leaders from China and ASEAN, and invite another 1,000 outstanding young people from ASEAN to take training programs in China.

The Premier also proposed expanding security cooperation, saying China is ready to work with ASEAN to institutionalize the joint naval drills, set up a direct hotline between their defense ministries at an early date, carry out friendly exchanges between defense think tanks and junior officers and deepen cooperation in disaster prevention and reduction, humanitarian aid and counter-terrorism.

China and Canada pledged on Nov 14 to press ahead with their negotiations on the free trade agreement (FTA).

The pledge came as Premier Li Keqiang held the third annual dialogue with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of a series of leaders’ meetings on East Asian cooperation in Singapore this week.

“China stands ready to continue to promote the FTA negotiations with Canada on the basis of mutual respect and in a flexible and pragmatic way,” Premier Li said.

Hailing that China and Canada are highly complementary in economy, the Premier said the two nations enjoy broad prospects of cooperation.

China would like to further expand the scale and lift the level of trade and investment with Canada, and strengthen cooperation in areas including aviation, climate change, environment, agriculture and finance, Premier Li said.

Under the current situation that multilateralism and free trade are under threat, China stands ready to work with Canada to safeguard the rules-based international order and free trade system and promote liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, the Premier said.

China and Singapore vowed to work together to promote bilateral ties and help boost relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Premier Li Keqiang, who is on an official visit to Singapore, met with Singaporean President Halimah Yacob on Nov 14.

China is willing to work with Singapore to achieve greater progress in bilateral relations in the new era, he said.

China is willing to work with Singapore to promote further development of China-ASEAN relations and make new contributions to the peace and development of the region and the world, he said.

Premier Li Keqiang called on parties involved in talks on a new Asia-Pacific free trade pact to keep up with their efforts so as to clinch the deal next year.

Talks on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) have reached the final stage, Premier Li said in the 2nd leaders’ meeting on RCEP in Singapore on Nov 14.

“We must build on the momentum and unleash a strong finishing kick, striving to complete the deal within 2019,” he told leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and India in the meeting.

The deal, once reached, would boost trade and investment, promote regional economic integration and benefit the people of all participating countries, Premier Li said.

Premier Li Keqiang talked with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi while attending the 2nd leaders’ meeting on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in Singapore on Nov 14.

China and New Zealand agreed on Nov 14 to promote bilateral efforts on upgrading free trade agreement (FTA), showing their determination to further open markets and safeguard free trade.

The agreement came as Premier Li Keqiang met with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on the sidelines of a series of leaders’ meetings on East Asian cooperation in Singapore this week.

“China is willing to work with New Zealand to continue advancing the upgrade of the FTA in a positive and pragmatic spirit so as to further expand the two-way trade and investment,” said Premier Li.

Premier Li said Chinese government supports Chinese companies to invest in New Zealand and hopes that New Zealand can provide a fair and transparent business environment for them.

He also encouraged New Zealand companies to expand investment in China and boost technological cooperation with China, saying that China will conduct the cooperation on the basis of strict protection of intellectual property rights.

Premier Li Keqiang said on Nov 14 that there are far more common interests than differences between China and Australia, calling on both sides to see the bilateral ties from a perspective of win-win cooperation.

Premier Li made the remarks in a meeting in Singapore with his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison on the sidelines of a series of leaders’ meetings on East Asian cooperation.

China welcomes quality Australian products in its market, which means more varieties for Chinese consumers, and will continue to expand access to its market and build a market-oriented, law-based and international business environment that gives equal treatment to domestic and foreign companies, Premier Li said.

He called on the Australian side to provide a fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese investors and facilitate investments in both directions so that they can have stable expectations.

China is willing to enhance communication and coordination with Australia in multilateral affairs, jointly support multilateralism and free trade, as well as safeguard a rules-based international order and stability and development in the region and the world, Premier Li said.

Premier Li Keqiang proposed a more robust multilateral cooperation to ensure stability in the Asian financial sector, as he met with leaders of Southeast Asian nations, Japan and South Korea in Singapore on Nov 15.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other East Asian countries should take measures to strengthen regional financial security in order to enhance risk management and bailout mechanisms, Premier Li said at the 21st ASEAN-China, Japan and South Korea (10+3) leaders’ meeting.

Premier Li called on all sides to improve upon the Chiang Mai Initiative, a multi-country currency swap agreement created in the aftermath of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.

Regional countries should back the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office’s (AMRO) efforts to improve its monitoring capabilities of the economy, he added. AMRO is the research and monitoring unit of the Chiang Mai Initiative.

The 10+3 grouping, consisting of the ten ASEAN members plus China, Japan and South Korea, should steadfastly uphold multilateralism and free trade against protectionist headwinds, as they did in addressing past world and Asian financial crises, Premier Li said.

In the meeting, Premier Li also proposed to speed up talks on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the trilateral free trade agreement (FTA) between China, Japan and South Korea.

Premier Li Keqiang on Nov 15 called on countries in the region to enhance equality-based consultation and mutual openness so as to maintain peace and prosperity in East Asia.

Premier Li made the remarks at the 13th East Asia Summit held on Nov 15 in Singapore.

The Premier made a five-point proposal for further increasing regional cooperation.

Firstly, countries should adhere to multilateralism.

China advocates the building of a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation, Premier Li said, adding that China stands ready to work with all sides to safeguard the rules-based international order.

Secondly, countries should safeguard free trade.

Premier Li called for concerted efforts to build an open world economy, support the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at the core, and promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation.

Thirdly, countries should make efforts to expedite regional economic integration.

With regional free trade arrangements picking up steam, all sides should show political decisiveness to work toward an early conclusion of the negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and advance openness, cooperation and inclusive development at a higher level, Premier Li said.

Fourthly, countries should boost regional cooperation on sustainable development.

All sides should further promote cooperation in the key areas of energy and environment, education, finance, public health, disaster management as well as ASEAN connectivity, Premier Li said.

He said China will continue to hold seminars on new energy and maritime management, advocate joint research on earth science and promote inclusive development.

Fifthly, countries need to conduct political and security dialogue and cooperation.

Stressing that China advocates a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, Premier Li said China is willing to conduct cooperation with other countries in such areas as anti-terrorism, climate change and cyber security and hold a joint exercise on anti-terrorism in 2019.

On the South China Sea issue, Premier Li said a peaceful South China Sea is the common aspiration of all parties and in line with the interests of all countries in the region.

China stands ready to work with countries in the region to make the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation, he said.

Premier Li Keqiang and Myanmar’s State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi discussed bilateral ties in Singapore on Nov 15 and vowed to boost the cooperation between the two countries.

The Premier said China attaches great importance to its ties with Myanmar and stands ready to build on the tradition of friendship, enhance political mutual trust and increase the practical cooperation, thereby facilitating the continued steady progress in the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two sides.

China and Myanmar, both developing nations, face the same task of boosting economic development and improving people’s livelihood, said the Premier.

China is willing to work together with Myanmar in pursuit of further synergy between their development plans and carry out cooperation in human resources and education, Premier Li said.

Cooperation between China and Russia in various fields has yielded new outcomes and there is still room for further development, Premier Li Keqiang said in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a series of leaders’ meetings on East Asian cooperation in Singapore on Nov 15.

“China hopes to deepen cooperation with the Russian side in trade, investment, energy, innovation, finance and other areas,” Premier Li said.

He also proposed that both countries should ease restrictions on market access, expand trade and investment, and promote the implementation of high-tech projects, so as to benefit both peoples and create win-win results.