PM Lee to visit Chongqing and Hangzhou

SINGAPORE Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be in China from Friday to Monday to visit the cities of Chongqing and Hangzhou, his office announced in a statement on Thursday evening.

This is Mr Lee's first visit to Chongqing since the launch of the third Sino-Singapore government-to-government project, called the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative, in November 2015.

Mr Lee will meet Chongqing Party Secretary and Politburo member of the Communist Party of China Sun Zhengcai. Mr Sun will also host him to dinner. Mr Lee will also visit CapitaLand's Chaotianmen Project, currently the largest single investment by CapitaLand in China.

Mr Lee's delegation in Chongqing includes his wife Ho Ching, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing, Senior Minister of State Josephine Teo and Ministers of State Janil Puthucheary and Koh Poh Koon.

In Hangzhou, Mr Lee will have a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, ahead of the annual Group of 20 Leaders' Summit that begins on Sunday.

Singapore is not a member of the G-20 but is one of eight countries invited to participate in the summit as guests. The statement by the Prime Minister's Office said the summit will discuss ways to advance global economic and financial cooperation to promote strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth.

Among those accompanying Mr Lee in Hangzhou are Ms Ho Ching, Dr Balakrishnan, and National Development Minister and new Second Finance Minister Lawrence Wong.

During Mr Lee's absence, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean will be the acting prime minister.