After some ups and downs in our bilateral ties over the last year or so, Singapore-China relations look set to be on the up with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong making an official visit to China from Tuesday through Thursday (Sep 19-21) at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) released on Sep 16, PM Lee will be visiting Beijing and Xiamen, Fujian Province.

In Beijing, he will meet the top three leaders of China, including President Xi Jinping, Premier Li who will also host a Welcome Ceremony and a Dinner Banquet, and Chairman of the National People’s Congress Zhang Dejiang.

While both countries enjoy strong and substantive relations anchored by a steady flow of high-level visits, PM Lee's trip to China is significant for a number of reasons.

1. It continues the tradition of PM Lee's frequent visits to China

A quick check of records shows that PM Lee has made frequent visits to China over the years, visiting various provinces and cities.

In fact, since 2012, he has visited China every year, except for 2015, when he hosted Xi's state visit to Singapore in Nov 2015.

In Sep 2016, he visited China at the invitation of Xi, taking part in the Group of 20 (G-20) Leaders' Summit in Hangzhou as one of the eight guest countries. During the four-day working visit, he also visited Chongqing, where the third government-to-government project -- the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative is located.

The frequent visits reflects the long-standing good relations between the leaders and also the importance Singapore attaches to the bilateral relationship.

2. Timing of visit noteworthy

The Chinese Communist Party will hold its twice-per-decade congress on Oct 18, which will determine the makeup of the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, and the top decision-making body -- the Politburo Standing Committee.

All eyes are on the future of Xi's leadership as he is widely expected to further consolidate his power and also preside over the sensitive process of generational turnover. The outcomes will not be determined by open vote, but rather behind-the-scenes political jockeying in the lead-up to congress.

Given that Xi and other Chinese leaders are likely to be preoccupied with party matters ahead of such a crucial internal political meeting, the timing of PM Lee's visit to Beijing is somewhat unusual.

It would have been easier to read the significance of the timing of PM Lee's visit to China if his trip was scheduled after the Party Congress, as it would be an opportunity for him to meet the new Chinese leadership line-up.

Nevertheless, the timing is still noteworthy, as the hosting of such a high-level visit by China can be seen as a signal of its desire to strengthen relations.

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3. An opportunity to boost bilateral ties

PM Lee's visit to China will take place against the backdrop of the inauguration of Halimah Yacob as our new President.

In a sign that bilateral relations are getting back on track, Xi had pledged to step up cooperation between China and Singapore, in a congratulatory message to Halimah on Sep 15.

According to Xinhua, he said the two countries had made remarkable progress in their cooperation, with sound results in various fields since they established diplomatic relations 27 years ago .

He also said he highly valued the development of Sino-Singaporean relations and would work with Halimah to strengthen cooperation between the two nations.

Top Image from PM Lee Facebook

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