China, Singapore signal ties are on the up again

Co-chaired by Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli and Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, the meeting of the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation held in Beijing on Monday signaled that bilateral ties have returned to normal after the frictions between the two countries last year.

They also co-chaired meetings on three government flagship projects between China and Singapore — the Suzhou Industrial Park, Tianjin Eco-city and Chongqing Connectivity Initiative — showing both sides are keen to cast aside their recent differences and now want to focus on deepening the meaningful cooperation, which is a boon not only to both countries, but also the region at large.

China has always valued its ties with Singapore, viewing it as an important partner for economic cooperation and a bridge between China and countries in Southeast Asia.

In 2015, President Xi Jinping and his Singaporean counterpart Tony Tan Keng Yam exchanged state visits to commemorate the 25 years of diplomatic relations between China and Singapore, and the two countries decided to establish an all-round cooperative partnership.

The high-level meetings being held in Beijing this week provide a good opportunity for the two sides to take concrete steps toward substantiating the proposed partnership between them as the two have good prospects for broadening cooperation at both bilateral and multilateral levels.

More specifically, as an international shipping hub, Singapore can play an important role in China's Belt and Road Initiative by aligning its development strategies with China's and actively pushing for bilateral cooperation in such fields as infrastructure, finance and information technology.

To build on this desirable momentum, the two sides should manage the differences that exist between them in a more prudent manner. Last year, bilateral ties were overshadowed by Singapore's stance on the South China Sea arbitration case and the detainment of armored vehicles returning to Singapore after an exercise by Hong Kong customs.

But as Teo said, Singapore and China have a broad and long-standing relationship, and their common interest in building a peaceful region is much greater than their occasional differences.

"We share similar views on most issues, and have worked well together to advance these common interests," he told Chinese news agency Xinhua in an e-mail interview ahead of his visit to Beijing that started on Sunday.

For bilateral ties to steer clear of unnecessary disruptions in the future, mutual respect for each other's core interests and accommodation to each other's major concerns is the key.