Chinese Premier Li Keqiang sent the congratulatory letter to his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong who was re-elected as head of government, CGTN reports.
A Monday message sent to PM Lee says that under his leadership, Singapore’s economy has reached good momentum for a long period of time. Taking into account the deteriorating of economic life across the globe, Singapore was able to maintain the balance, said the Chinese prime minister Li in his letter to Lee.
Despite the toughest COVID-19 challenges, the Singaporean Cabinet led by Lee has taken decisive measures, achieving positive results in epidemic prevention and control and gradual economic and social recovery.
In his letter, Chinese PM noted that China and Singapore used to be friendly neighbours, and Beijing highly values those dynamic bilateral ties.
China hopes to continue joint construction of the Belt and Road
China’s head of the government also added that he is willing to work together with his Singaporean side to coordinate efforts to deepen high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road. Another important aspect for the two countries is to promote the fight against COVID-19 as well as raise the China-Singapore relationship to a higher level on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations this year.
On Saturday, the 68-year-old prime minister Lee named a largely unchanged cabinet and vowed to get the economy going again while delivering a speech at the swear-in ceremony for the new cabinet on Monday.
“We are in a crisis of a generation, therefore I have kept on many of my older colleagues who are all participating in this fight against COVID-19,” said PM Lee, whose People’s Action Party (PAP) has ruled Singapore since its independence in 1965.
The re-elected top official promised his Cabinet will do its best to save as many as we can, and help workers who still lose their jobs to find new work. He added that the National Jobs Council is urgently working with the unions, business associations and government agencies.
In the second quarter of this year, Singapore’s gross domestic product shrank 12.6 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s Ministry of Health reported 469 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 50,838.
