Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) meets with Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan in Singapore, on Sept. 13, 2021. (Xinhua/Then Chih Wey)
China and Singapore agreed here Monday to enhance the cooperation in combating COVID-19 and developing the digital economy.
The pledge was made during a meeting between visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat.
At the meeting, Wang said the China-Singapore relations have advanced with the times, playing a leading role in regional cooperation.
China is willing to work together with Singapore to bring into full play the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC), the highest-level and most influential cooperation mechanism between the two countries, in order to push the bilateral cooperation to new heights, Wang said.
On the COVID-19 pandemic, Wang said China is willing to join hands with Singapore to work on medicine research and development and virus research, among others, and to jointly oppose vaccine nationalism, so as to make contribution to the regional anti-pandemic course and the building of a community of common health for mankind.
The pandemic has triggered a booming digital economy, Wang noted, saying that China is ready to work with Singapore to utilize digital technologies to upgrade the bilateral cooperation projects and mechanisms, and expand the cooperation in areas including green economy, so as to facilitate the economic recovery of both countries and the region.
Heng, for his part, said maintaining high-level contacts amid the pandemic is of great significance in strengthening bilateral cooperation between Singapore and China.
He hoped that a new JCBC meeting will be held to push forward the bilateral cooperation in the post-pandemic era.
The deputy prime minister praised China for conducting vaccine cooperation and sharing experience in pandemic prevention and control with other countries.
He said Singapore is willing to continue promoting the cooperation with China in the fields of pandemic prevention and control, digital economy, green finance and climate change, among others.
