Peoples of China and Singapore Have Greatly Benefited From Their Ruling Parties’ Ties, Lee Hsien Loong Says

(The Straits Times) — The growing relations between Singapore’s People’s Action Party (PAP) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have kept pace with the countries’ evolving development priorities and greatly benefited their peoples, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said.

In a letter sent in his capacity as PAP secretary-general, Lee said both parties share warm and friendly ties underpinned by regular exchanges.

He was addressing Chinese President and CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping in a letter dated July 1 — the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese party.

Against the backdrop of a world undergoing tremendous and rapid change over this past century, the CCP has steered China to overcome many domestic and external challenges, and shepherded China onto the path of peace and prosperity, Lee said.

“China has made momentous progress in its development, raising the standard of living for an unprecedented number of people,” he wrote to Xi. “In recent years and under your leadership, China has succeeded in eradicating absolute poverty and achieving a moderately prosperous society.”

Lee also said the ambitious goals laid out in the CCP’s 14th Five-Year Plan would bring China another step closer to its vision of a modern socialist economy.

The plan is a blueprint from 2021 to 2025 focusing on high-quality sustainable develop-ment goals in tech and climate change, among other areas.

When Xi came to power in 2012, he had spelt out his grand vision for China to become a “great, modern socialist country” by 2049 — the centenary of the CCP’s rule of China.

“A stable, prosperous and successful China that is well-integrated into the international system benefits not just China, but also the rest of Asia and the world,” Lee added. “I am confident that our bilateral relations will continue to strengthen in the years ahead.”

The PAP’s ties with the CCP go back to 1992 — two years after Singapore and China formally established diplomatic relations.

A PAP spokesman told The Straits Times that the party has hosted visits and conducted briefings for delegations from the CCP, and also attended regional dialogues organized by the Chinese party and its Communist Youth League wing.

This story was first published in The Straits Times.

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