Bilateral ties between the People’s Action Party (PAP) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have “greatly benefited our peoples”, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday (1 July).
The CCP today marks its 100th anniversary since its inception.
Writing to Xi in his capacity as PAP’s secretary-general, Mr Lee said that the CCP — of which Xi is general secretary — has “steered China to overcome many domestic and external challenges, and shepherded China onto the path of peace and prosperity”.
“China has made momentous progress in its development, raising the standard of living for an unprecedented number of people.
“In recent years and under your leadership, China has succeeded in eradicating absolute poverty and achieving a moderately prosperous society,” said Mr Lee.
He also said that China has “brought its COVID-19 situation under control, paving the way for a robust domestic economic recovery”.
The CCP’s 14th Five-Year Plan, Mr Lee said, will “bring China another step closer to its vision of a modern socialist economy”.
“A stable, prosperous, and successful China that is well-integrated into the international system benefits not just China, but also the rest of Asia and the world,” he added.
The “warm and friendly ties” marked by “regular exchanges” between PAP and the CCP have “kept pace with our countries’ evolving development priorities and greatly benefited our peoples”, said Mr Lee.
“I am confident that our bilateral relations will continue to strengthen in the years ahead,” he said.
The relationship between PAP and CCP sprouted in 1992, two years after Singapore and China formally established diplomatic ties.
A PAP spokesman told The Straits Times that PAP has hosted visits and conducted briefings for delegations from the CCP.
PAP representatives have also attended regional dialogues organised by the Chinese party and its Communist Youth League wing, the spokesperson added.