国内英语新闻:Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew meets Chinese State Councilor

SINGAPORE, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew met with visiting Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong here on Saturday.

    During the meeting, Liu said that China-Singapore relations have developed rapidly, and cooperations in various fields between the two countries have made great achievements.

    She said that the friendly and mutually beneficial cooperations between the two countries have shown great foresight and have been advancing with times.

    "The Suzhou Industrial Park has set a successful example for economic and technological cooperations between China and foreign countries. The Tianjin Eco-City, construction of which started last year, unveiled a new chapter for bilateral cooperations in sustainable development and environmental protection fields. The bilateral trade and economy relations have entered a new stage with the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement coming into effect this year," Liu said.

    Liu noted that the all-round development of the China-Singapore relationship is conducive to the two peoples and promoting prosperity and stability in the region.

    "Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, who is a key founder of the China-Singapore relationship, has devoted enduring effort for the friendship between the two countries." Liu said.

    China highly values its ties with Singapore, and is willing to push bilateral cooperations in all fields and of various levels into a new stage, Liu added.

    Lee Kuan Yew said that the strengthening of cooperation between the two countries is beneficial to both countries and their peoples.

    Singapore hopes that China will continue to prosper and develop, Lee said, adding that Singapore will join hands with China to boost bilateral relations.

    Liu also met on Saturday with officials of the Chinese Embassy in Singapore, and representatives of Chinese students and scholars in the city state.

    Liu started the three-day official visit to Singapore on Thursday at the invitation of the Singapore government.

    During her stay here, Liu also met with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and witnessed the signing of a revised government-to-government Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on education cooperation between China and Singapore.