Wu Bangguo (R), chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC, talks with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (L) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, on Oct. 26, 2005.

Chinese top legislator Wu Bangguo met Beijing Wednesday with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, expressing satisfaction with the good development trend in the relations of the two countries.

Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), said the relations between China and Singapore have developed smoothly since the two countries established diplomatic relations 15 years ago.

The two countries have conducted frequent high-level exchanges of visits and strengthened political mutual trust, he said, adding that remarkable progress has been made in economic and trade cooperation as well as in culture, education, high-tech and investment exchanges.

Wu said the two countries have maintained good coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, and he hoped the two sides will draw from each other's experiences in development and be mutually complementary.

He called for the two countries to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, expand common interests and realize common prosperity.

Wu said China's NPC and Singaporean parliament enjoy friendly exchanges and cooperation, which has contributed greatly to the development of the traditional friendship and bilateral ties.

He said China's NPC wishes to actively launch multiple-level exchanges and cooperation in various fields with the Singaporean parliament in light of the consensus of the five-point proposals reached between the two sides this May, promote the Sino-Singaporean friendship and push forward the relations and cooperation in an comprehensive and in-depth manner.

Lee Hsien Loong said that Singapore and China have achieved satisfactory and all-round development of their relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties.

The two countries have shared common and similar views on many issues and it conforms to the interests of both sides to deepen bilateral relations under the current circumstances of situation, he said.

Singapore wishes to further enhance cooperation with China in the fields of economy, trade and investment and achieve common development, Lee said.

He expressed the hope that the Singaporean parliament and China's NPC will expand exchanges and cooperation.

Source: Xinhua