China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi today concluded a three-nation tour of Southeast Asia with stops in Singapore and Cambodia that were aimed at shoring up Beijing’s diplomatic engagement with the region following a number of visits by high-ranking U.S. officials.
Prior to his departure for South Korea today, Wang paid a two-day visit to Singapore, where he met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and reaffirmed the importance of trade and diplomatic ties between the two countries.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Lee said he had a “productive and candid discussion on international and regional developments,” and pledged to continue “working closely” to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. “Singapore welcomes China’s continued contribution in our part of the world, and will continue working with China to build a more harmonious and peaceful world,” Lee wrote. Meanwhile, Chinese state media featured a characteristically vague and sunny assessment of Wang’s visit, hailing the “mutual understanding and mutual trust” that has grown up between the two nations.
