BEIJING - China has always placed great importance on bilateral ties with Singapore, Premier Li Keqiang told Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who arrived for a three-day official visit on Tuesday (Sept 19).

　　北京——本周二(9月19日)，李克强总理告诉正在进行三天正式访问的总理李显龙，中国一直高度重视和新加坡的双边关系。

　　The relationship is built on a foundation of mutual respect and equal footing, Mr Li said, and this has benefited the people of both countries.

　　李总理说，双边关系建立在互相尊重和平等的基础之上，两国人民都为此而受益。

　　Mr Lee thanked the Premier for extending a warm welcome and said he was grateful for Mr Li’s attention to bilateral ties.

　　李显龙感谢李克强总理的热烈欢迎，并称他对李克强总理对双边关系的关注心怀感激。

　　The two leaders held a 45-minute meeting at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People which was preceded by an official welcome ceremony. Mr Li also hosted a dinner banquet in Mr Lee’s honour.

　　两国领导人在北京人民大会堂进行正式欢迎仪式后，举行了为时45分钟的会议。李克强总理还以李显龙总理的名义主持了晚宴。

　　At their meeting, the leaders reaffirmed the warm and longstanding friendship between Singapore and China. They welcomed the frequent high-level interactions between leaders of the two countries in recent months, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said. The leaders also reviewed the extensive and substantive bilateral cooperation between Singapore and China, especially in economic and financial cooperation, the PMO added.

　　会面期间，领导人们再次确认了中新之间友好和长期的友谊。总理办公室称，他们欢迎在近期内两国领导人间频繁互动。领导人还审议了新加坡与中国广泛而实质性的双边合作关系，特别是经济金融合作，总理办公室补充称。

　　They welcomed the good progress made in negotiations for the upgrade of the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement and discussed the potential for deepening bilateral ties through new areas of cooperation, such as in financial and judicial and legal cooperation.

　　他们对《中新自由贸易协定》升级谈判取得的进展表示欢迎，并讨论了通过新的合作领域，如金融，司法和法律合作来深化双边关系的潜力。

　　Mr Li, who last met Mr Lee at the Asean Summit in Laos a year ago, welcomed Singapore’s support for China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

　　一年前，李克强总理在老挝东盟峰会上与李显龙总理会面，欢迎新加坡支持中国一带一路提议。

　　The two leaders noted the potential of the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative, their countries’ third government-to-government project, to link the land-and sea-based trade routes.

　　两国领导人强调了重庆连通发展计划(即国家第三个政府间项目)将陆上和海上贸易路线联系起来的潜力。

　　On Asean-China ties, Mr Lee told Mr Li that Singapore will promote stronger cooperation between the two sides when it takes over as Asean chair next year.

　　在东盟-中国关系方面，李显龙总理告诉李克强总理，新加坡明年接任东盟主席后，会增进双边加强合作。

　　At a press conference for international media, Mr Bai Tian, vice-director of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Asian department, said both sides pledged to strengthen cooperation at all levels. This included the three ongoing government-to-government projects in Suzhou, Tianjin and Chongqing, as well as official platforms such as the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation, which is co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli.

　　在面对国际媒体的新闻发布会上，中国外交部亚洲部副部长白天表示，双方承诺加强各层面合作。这包括三个正在苏州，天津和重庆进行的政府间项目，以及诸如双边合作联合委员会这类官方平台，该平台由副总理张志贤和中国国务院副总理张高丽共同主持。

　　Mr Bai said Mr Lee’s visit sends a “very important political signal”, given that China will be holding a key political meeting soon.

　　白先生说，由于中国马上将要举行重要的政治会议，李显龙总理的到访释放出非常重要的政治信号。

　　The Chinese Communist Party will convene its 19th Party Congress starting on Oct 18, a twice- a-decade reshuffle of the top echelons of the Chinese leadership.

　　中国共产党将于10月18日召开第十九届党代会，这是十年两次的中国高层领导班子改组。