Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Deputy Prime Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies, has been authorised by President Halimah Yacob to exercise the functions conferred on the Prime Minister by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore under Article 26(4)(a) of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore.
In a Gazette, the government said that the Prime Minister has been granted leave of absence from his duties from 25 April 2019 to 29 April 2019 (both dates inclusive).
According to Prime Minister Office (PMO) website, PM Lee will visit Beijing, China, at the invitation of the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping to attend the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and the Opening Ceremony of the 2019 International Horticultural Exposition.
PMO said that he will attend the Opening Ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum and deliver a speech at the High-Level Meeting on “Belt and Road Cooperation: Shaping a Brighter Shared Future” on 26 April 2019.
PM Lee and his wife will then attend a Welcome Banquet for leaders and their spouses hosted by President Xi and Madam Peng Liyuan on the same day.
On the next day, he will deliver remarks at the Leaders’ Roundtable chaired by President Xi, as well as attending bilateral meetings with other leaders attending the Belt and Road Forum.
On 28 April 2019, PM Lee and Mrs Lee will attend the Opening Ceremony of the 2019 International Horticultural Exposition hosted by President Xi and Madam Peng, and visit the Singapore Garden.
The next day, he will meet President Xi, and be hosted to lunch by Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Li Keqiang.
It is said that the prime minister and Premier Li will also witness the signing of Memorandums of Understanding on bilateral cooperation.
Prime Minister Lee will be accompanied by Mrs Lee, Minister (Foreign Affairs) Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister (Trade and Industry) Chan Chun Sing, Minister (Environment and Water Resources) Masagos Zulkifli, Senior Minister of State (Trade and Industry) Dr Koh Poh Koon, and Minister of State (National Development) (Manpower) Zaqy Mohamad, as well as senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of National Development.
