Wishes pour in from President Tharman, PM Wong as Communist China turns 75

Singapore’s President and Prime Ministers have conveyed their greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1.

In his letter, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam termed China’s development journey as impressive. He also lauded the country for lifting more than 800 million people out of poverty. President Tharman said China’s modernisation has been remarkable.

“China has made important global contributions in the areas of science, sustainability, arts, and culture,” Singapore’s President wrote to his Chinese counterpart.

Speaking about the bilateral relationship, President Tharman said the foundation is set on strong economic links, multi-faceted cooperation and close people-to-people ties.

Singapore-China now has three government-to-government projects in Suzhou, Tianjin and Chongqing.

“I look forward to seeing connectivity between Singapore and China enhanced further. This will pave the way for even more cooperation and mutual understanding,” the President said.

Singapore enjoys a friendly relationship with China. Next year, the two countries will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. During the greeting, President Tharman also invited Jinping to visit the city-state, while stating that he wishes to see a more robust China-Singapore bond.

“I wish the People’s Republic of China continued peace, stability, and prosperity. My wife and I look forward to meeting you and Madam Peng Liyuan,” President Tharman added.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong highlighted the great strides China has made to emerge as a significant country in the world

“During my visits over the years, I have witnessed first-hand China’s impressive progress in a range of sectors, including rural revitalisation, the digital economy, advanced manufacturing, and environmental sustainability,” PM Wong said.

Wong, who is also Singapore’s Finance Minister, said the two nations enjoy “warm and substantive relations”. He said the bilateral cooperation has been “mutually beneficial and forward looking”.

“We have also broadened our cooperation to encompass emerging sectors like the digital and green economies. At the same time, we have taken major steps to promote greater people-to-people exchanges,” PM Wong said.

Apart from the aforementioned diplomatic milestone in 2025, Singapore and China will also celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Suzhou Industrial Park later in 2024. The government-to-government venture is one of China’s top industrial zones, known for manufacturing of tech products.

“I wish the People’s Republic of China continued peace, progress, and prosperity. I also wish you good health and every success. I look forward to meeting you again,” Prime Minister Wong said.