China's Vice President Han Zheng is expected to meet Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Tharman Shanmugaratnam in Singapore on Nov. 8.

PM Lee is also scheduled to host Han for lunch on the same day.

This is Han's first official visit to Singapore in his current role. He will be in Singapore from Nov. 7 to 8.

S'pore & China to reaffirm 'longstanding & substantive relations'

Han is visiting Singapore to reaffirm the "longstanding and substantive relations" between both countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Nov. 7.

Earlier this year in April, both Singapore and China upgraded their bilateral relations to an "All-Round High-Quality Future-Oriented Partnership".

The former vice premier's visit will provide opportunities for both countries to discuss ways to improve bilateral cooperation, and exchange views on regional and global developments, said MFA.

In addition, Han will speak at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum on Nov. 8.

Han will also separately meet Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies Heng Swee Keat, as well as Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean.

Han's relations with PM Lee & Tharman

Han took his incumbent office on Mar. 10, 2023.

He last visited Singapore on Nov. 1, 2022 for the 18th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation with DPM Heng.

They signed a "bumper crop" of 19 Memorandums of Understanding during the visit.

On Nov. 2, Han met with PM Lee and former President Halimah Yacob.

President Tharman previously met Han in 2013, who was then the Shanghai Party Secretary. Tharman was then-Deputy Prime Minister.

Han recently visited the U.S. and attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post called his role "largely symbolic and nominal" and said that Foreign Minister Wang Yi had been expected to attend instead.

However, Han did meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken while in New York.

Top image from Lee Hsien Loong/Facebook and MFA website.

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