28 September 2015

Dear Premier Li,

    On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Singapore, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations on the joyous occasion of the 66th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

    China has made remarkable progress over the last few decades. A vibrant and prosperous China benefits not just the people of China, but also China's neighbours and friends in the region and beyond.

    In the last 25 years, our friendship has flourished and grown from strength to strength. We now enjoy a substantive and mutually beneficial relationship, with close cooperation across a broad range of sectors. Today, Singapore is China's largest foreign investor and China is Singapore's largest trading partner. The Suzhou Industrial Park and Tianjin Eco-City are examples of what can be achieved with far-sighted cooperation and mutual understanding. We also enjoy close cooperation in other areas, including the training of officials, social governance, urbanisation, financial services, and eco-development. To enhance our bilateral cooperation, we are now working towards the upgrade of the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement and exploring a third Government-to-Government project in China's Western Region. I look forward to working closely with you to build on the strong foundations of our bilateral relationship and bring it to new heights.

    I look forward to seeing you again. Please accept my best wishes for your success and good health.

Yours sincerely,

LEE HSIEN LOONG