Beijing, May 23rd—Song Tao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today with Heng Swee Keat, First Assistant Secretary-General of the People’s Action Party (PAP), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Singapore.

Song congratulated Heng on his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister of the Singaporean government. He said that General Secretary Xi Jinping has met with visiting President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in succession within a month, and the two sides have reached many important consensuses, providing strategic guidance for relations between both Parties and countries. At a time when the international situation is facing increasing instabilities and uncertainties, the two countries are also faced with new situations and tasks in their development. It is more necessary and meaningful than ever for the two ruling parties to deepen bilateral and multilateral exchanges and cooperation. The CPC is ready to conduct closer institutional exchanges with the PAP, enhance strategic mutual trust and learn from each other's experience in state governance and administration, promote in-depth development of China-Singapore relations and guide the world in the right direction. Song also introduced the spirit of General Secretary Xi's keynote speech at the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations.

Heng spoke positively of Singapore-China relations and highly appreciated the great development achievements China has made under the leadership of the CPC since its founding 70 years ago. He said that the PAP attaches great importance to developing relations with the CPC and is willing to deepen cooperation with China through inter-party channels to jointly tackle global and regional challenges. Singapore, a beneficiary of multiculturalism, rejects the theory of the "clash of civilizations", believing that the current populist rhetoric in the United States and some European countries is not only shortsighted, but ultimately detrimental to their own development.

Guo Yezhou, Vice-minister of the IDCPC, attended the meeting.

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