Chinese Vice Premier Huang Ju met in Beijing Tuesday with visiting Singaporean Senior Minister of the Prime Minister's Office Lee Kuan Yew.

Huang said China and Singapore have cultivated close ties and carried out effective exchange and cooperation in many areas.

He said the two governments recently held the first working-level meeting for bilateral cooperation in the development of western China, Chinese enterprises' overseas-oriented strategy, revitalization of the industrial belt in northeast China and personnel exchanges and training.

Singapore was the first Asian country to recognize China as a market economy, Huang said.

He said the overall relationship between the two countries is fairly good and the two have a bright future in cooperation.

Huang also highly valued the achievements made in the Suzhou industrial park, which was jointly developed by China and Singapore ten years ago.

The industrial park shows a successful mode for economic and technological cooperation between China and other countries, Huang said, calling the park one of the best industrial parks in Asia.

He said he hopes the two sides would magnify the successful experience from the industrial park to other cooperation projects between the two sides.

Lee said the bilateral relationship has good prospects and Singapore is willing to push forward the current relationship to anew level.

Lee positively commented on the development of the Suzhou industrial park.

He said he hopes for continuous cooperation with the Chinese side in making the park more prosperous.

Lee also gave his congratulations on the rapid development of China.

Huang and Lee also exchanged views on financial and other economic issues.

Source: Xinhua