A government delegation of Jiangsu headed by Governor Wu Zhenglong visited Singapore from Monday to Wednesday. Teo Chee Hean, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister, met with Wu Zhenglong Tuesday afternoon. During the visit, Wu Zhenglong attended the 12th meeting of the Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council and met with Heng Swee Keat, Minister of Finance of Singapore, and Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of State for Finance and Law of Singapore.
The 12th meeting of the Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council was held Tuesday afternoon. Wu Zhenglong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Jiangsu, and Heng Swee Keat, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Singapore, attended the meeting and delivered speeches.
Wu Zhenglong said that he was very happy to visit Singapore for the 12th meeting of the Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council to sum up the achievements and experiences of the cooperation with Singaporean friends from all walks of life to discuss a new round of cooperation plan.
At present, China-Singapore relations have entered an important period of future development, and the Singapore-Jiangsu cooperation is also facing new major opportunities, the governor said, adding that President Xi Jinping and the head of state of Singapore have agreed on the establishment of an all-round cooperative partnership in accordance with the times and reached an important consensus for expanding cooperation between the two countries within the framework of the Belt and Road, which has pointed out the direction for promoting bilateral relations and the development of the Singapore-Jiangsu relations.
Entering the new era, Jiangsu will thoroughly implement the new development concept, promote reform and opening up, and strive for high-quality development and accelerate the construction of new Jiangsu while Singapore is implementing its future economic development strategy, the governor said.
He noted that the two sides have a solid foundation for cooperation in addition to the good platform and mechanism of the Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council, promising a huge space for strategic cooperation and potential.
He hoped that under the care and support of the leaders of China and Singapore, the two sides will seize the new period of strategic opportunities, give full play to the important promotion role of the Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council, deepen the mutually beneficial cooperation under the Belt and Road framework, and promote the cooperation on the basis of key cooperation platforms and carriers such as the Suzhou Industrial Park, as well as cooperation in innovation, eco-environment, education and health so as to seek collaborative, pragmatic and win-win development, write a new chapter of mutually beneficial cooperation in the new era, and make greater contribution to the enhancement of China-Singapore friendship and the creation of a better future for Singapore and Jiangsu.
Heng Swee Keat said that Singapore and Jiangsu have enjoyed long-term friendship and pragmatic cooperation in various fields and achieved complementary advantages and mutual benefits.
He hoped that the two sides will keep pace with the times, seize new opportunities, and work together to promote trade connectivity, financial integration, strengthen scientific and technological innovation cooperation, and boost people-to-people exchanges under the framework of the Belt and Road initiative so as to greet the 25th anniversary of the Suzhou Industrial Park and play a demonstrating and driving role in the all-round cooperation.
Before the opening of the Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council meeting, Wu Zhenglong and Heng Swee Keat conducted in-depth exchanges on the future expansion of the Singapore-Jiangsu cooperation. Wu Zhenglong expressed his gratitude to Singapore for the extensive and meticulous work done by the Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council. He said that Singapore is an important partner of Jiangsu and it is hoped that the Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council will strengthen strategic docking and plan for long-term development and promote all-round cooperation with fruitful results. Heng Swee Keat said that Singapore is looking forward to giving full play to the Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council as a platform and a carrier to deepen the cooperation.
The participants were briefed on the progress of the work in 2018 and set the goals for cooperation in the next year.
Guo Yuanqiang, Vice Governor of Jiangsu and Koh Poh Koon, Minister of State for Trade and Industry and National Development of Singapore, delivered summary speeches at the meeting.
The two sides also held discussions on topics such as Singapore-Jiangsu cooperation on Belt and Road and Innovation and Development.
Officials from the Suzhou Industrial Park Administration were present at the signing ceremony.
Wu Zhenglong also visited the Chinese Embassy in Singapore and toured the BLOCK71 Entrepreneurship Center. Guo Yuanqiang attended the Jiangsu Science and Technology Forum in Singapore
China and Singapore currently have two flagship projects - the Suzhou Industrial Park in east China's Jiangsu province and the Tianjin Eco-city in north China's port city of Tianjin.
China is now Singapore's No.1 trading partner while Singapore is China's largest investment source.
（source：ourjiangsu.com）
