China, Singapore Exchange Greetings on Anniversary of Diplomatic TiesChinese and Singaporean leaders on Tuesday exchanged greetings on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which falls on Tuesday.In a message addressed to his Singaporean counterpart, Goh Chok Tong, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji said he is happy with the fruitful progress in relations between the two countries. Over the past 10 years, the two countries have maintained frequent contacts and exchanges, which has enhanced mutual understanding and trust, he said, adding that as a result, plentiful and substantial achievements have also been scored in mutually-beneficial cooperation. All these have brought about tangible benefits to the peoples of the two countries, and have contributed to the prosperity and development of the region as a whole, he said. "I sincerely hope that in the new century, our two countries will consolidate and deepen the friendly relations between them and ceaselessly explore new areas of cooperation, so as to achieve still greater success," the Chinese premier said. In a separate message to Singaporean Minister for Foreign Affairs Shunmugam Jayakumar, Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said he is satisfied with the development of China-Singapore relations over the past 10 years. The two sides have cooperated closely in the international and regional arena, and their cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, science and technology, culture and education has been fruitful, he noted. To promote the continued development of the existing friendly cooperation between China and Singapore conforms to the interests of the two countries and two peoples, as well as to regional stability and prosperity, he said. In his message to the Chinese premier, Goh Chok Tong said that over the past 10 years, Singapore-China relations have witnessed remarkable progress and bilateral cooperation has covered many areas. He pointed out that economic ties between the two countries are expanding rapidly, with bilateral trade increasing steadily at an average annual rate of 12 percent. Underpinning the bilateral economic ties is "the excellent rapport between the leaders of both countries," he added. The two sides should further strengthen their excellent bilateral relations in the coming years, he said. "I am confident that relations between China and Singapore will grow from strength to strength in the new century, to the benefit of our peoples," he concluded. Jayakumar, Singaporean Minister for Foreign Affairs, also sent greetings to his Chinese counterpart on the same occasion, lauding the sound working relationship between the two foreign ministries and the rapid development of relations between the two countries. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |