Singapore-China Relations after Change in Chinese Leadership

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether there will be any change in Singapore-China relations given the recent change in the Chinese leadership.

The current state of good bilateral relations between Singapore and China should not be affected by the change of leadership. Singapore’s good relations with China are anchored by strong and regular institutional links, such as the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation, as well as good personal relationships between our leaders and, most importantly, common national interests on a wide range of issues. This is evidenced by frequent high-level exchanges and close cooperation on issues of common interest, such as bilateral projects, for example, the Suzhou Industrial Park and the Tianjin Eco-city, and others at the provincial level, such as the Guangzhou Knowledge City and our Provincial Councils with provinces like Jiangsu and Sichuan. Business and people-to-people links are also robust. Many of the new Chinese leaders are already familiar with Singapore and our leaders. We look forward to continue working with them to strengthen ties between our two countries.