Two nations hope to upgrade FTA this year, Wang Hongyi reports.

Singapore and China's strengthened relations and cooperation in recent years have blazed a path for China's advanced engagement in the Asia-Pacific region, said Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

Last year, Singapore and China commemorated 25 years of diplomatic relations, culminating in the exchange of state visits by Singapore President Tony Tan and President Xi Jinping.

"Singapore has always been part of the ancient maritime Silk Road. The majority of Singapore's citizens have ancestors from China. We enjoy a long-standing, wide-ranging relationship that transcends politics," Balakrishnan wrote in an opinion piece on Singapore-China relations published in China Daily earlier this year.

"Lee Kuan Yew always believed that a strong China that was positively engaged with Southeast Asia would strongly benefit the region," Balakrishnan wrote.

In 1994, the two countries jointly developed the first government-to-government project, called the Suzhou Industrial Park, to promote trade and the exchange of development experiences.

Their second government-to-government project, called Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City, began in 2007.

Singapore has also launched a series of "private sector-led, government-supported" projects in response to different aspects of China's development interests, such as the Guangzhou Knowledge City, the Sichuan High-tech Innovation Park, Nanjing Eco Hi-tech Island and the Jilin Food Zone.

In 2015, the third government-to-government project, called the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative, launched during President Xi's State visit to Singapore. The latest project will support China's key development strategies and focus on four priority areas - finance, aviation, transport and logistics, and info-communication technology.

Balakrishnan said relations between Singapore and China have opened a path for China's engagement in the region. As the first Asian country to conclude a free trade agreement with China, Singapore was China's largest foreign investor from 2013 to 2015. China is Singapore's largest trading partner. "To support our growing economic ties, we aim to upgrade the FTA by the end of 2016," Balakrishnan wrote.

Developing human resources has long been a focus of bilateral cooperation. Since the mid-1990s, Singapore has received more than 50,000 Chinese officials and cadres for training programs. "These exchanges facilitate mutual learning and the fostering of friendships. Bilateral cooperation has also broadened to include financial services, social governance and environmental protection, among others," Balakrishnan wrote.

"As China develops, its role in the regional and global system also evolves. Singapore remains a strong proponent of China's integration into the international community. We welcome and support China's new initiatives such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Belt and Road Initiative."

Balakrishnan also said Singapore and China will work closely to promote regional cooperation.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations. Over the years, ASEAN-China relations have grown rapidly, based on the principles of mutually beneficial cooperation and ASEAN centrality.

As the current ASEAN-China dialogue relations coordinator, Singapore will work objectively with all parties to promote positive and forward-looking ASEAN-China relations, Balakrishnann wrote.

Contact the writer at wanghongyi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 05/10/2016 page5)