Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) shakes hands with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong in Beijing, Oct. 25, 2005.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong held talks Tuesday, vowing to enhance political and economic cooperation.

This is Lee's first official visit to China after he took office in August last year. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Singapore.

In the past years, China and Singapore have witnessed sound cooperation, and Singapore has become China's seventh largest trade partner and the eighth largest investment source, according to Wen.

In the first eight months this year, Sino-Singaporean trade amounted to around 21 billion US dollars, which was close to the 26.7 billion US dollars of 2004, according to Chinese customs figures.

Singaporean state-owned investment giant Temasek Holdings has taken shares in two of China's top four state-owned banks, Bank of China and China Construction Bank, and non-state-owned bank China Minsheng Banking Corporation.

The two sides have had cooperation in high-tech fields, financial services, investment and human resources as priorities and cooperated well in major regional and international issues. The cooperation benefits regional peace, stability and prosperity, Wen said.

On the Taiwan issue, Wen said China noticed that Singapore repeated for many times that it sticks to the one-China policy.

China will push the relations with Singapore to a new height under the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, Wen said.

Lee reiterated that Singapore will firmly adhere to the one-China policy and oppose Taiwan Independence.

Wen also suggested the two countries enhance political mutual trust, further boost trade, economic cooperation and two-way investment, promote security cooperation and enhance exchanges in culture, education, tourism, and sanitation sectors.

He proposed that China and Singapore strengthen coordination in regional cooperation and facilitate substantial cooperation in East Asia.

Lee agreed with Wen's remarks, saying such close and fruitful cooperation forges a basis for deepening bilateral relations. He said Singapore welcomes China's peaceful development and will exert new efforts to push forward Singapore-China relations.

Lee arrived in Beijing Monday afternoon. He will also visit Tianjin, which neighbors Beijing, and northeast China's Liaoning Province. During his week-long stay in China, Lee will also meet top Chinese leaders Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo and Jia Qinglin.

Source: Xinhua