Singapore - Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yi and her Singapore counterpart focused Wednesday on a free-trade agreement (FTA) aimed at deepening cooperation between the two countries. The third round of negotiations took place at the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation meeting co-chaired by Wu and Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told Wu during talks between them that he hoped an FTA would be concluded soon, The Straits Times reported.
Such a pact would not only enhance links between the two countries, but would also strengthen China's ties with the Association of South-East Asian Nations, he noted.
Singapore and China started talks on a free-trade pact last year. A fourth round will be held later this year.
The countries signed an agreement on Wednesday to promote closer health cooperation on the sidelines of the council session.
The pact covers efforts to prevent the spread of infectious diseases across borders by enabling China and Singapore to improve health quarantine measures, to share each other's experience in border-control measures and to facilitate communication and exchanges.
Wu, who arrived on Monday, is on a four-day visit to the city-state accompanied by a nearly 50-strong Chinese delegation.
