[SINGAPORE] Prime Minister Lawrence Wong laid out three objectives for an upcoming trip to China – establishing closer ties, reaffirming a commitment to enhanced cooperation, and discussing global affairs – in an interview broadcast on Chinese state media on Friday (Jun 20).

PM Wong will visit China from Jun 22 to 26, at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

Aside from meeting Li and Chinese President Xi Jinping, he will speak at the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Summer Davos meeting in Tianjin.

On the Leaders Talk programme on China’s CCTV-13, PM Wong said: “I made it a point to visit China almost every year since entering politics, because it is useful to visit regularly, to interact, exchange notes with my counterparts, and to get a sense of how China is moving and transforming.”

But the upcoming visit is “more special” as it is his first as prime minister, added PM Wong, who took the helm in May 2024.

His first objective is to establish closer ties with China’s leaders, especially Xi and Li, both of whom he has met before.

The second is to reaffirm both countries’ commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation, especially as 2025 marks 35 years of diplomatic relations.

In 2023, Singapore and China upgraded relations to an “All-Round High-Quality Future-Oriented Partnership”. 

The two countries have a “very close and steadfast” partnership built on mutual trust, respect and understanding, which began with Singapore’s founding prime minis...