Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

China and Singapore should continue to support each other on issues related to their own core interests and major concerns, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday.

Speaking at a meeting with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Hamburg ahead of the G20 summit, Xi said China attaches great importance to developing close relations with Singapore and would like to push forward with bilateral ties.

The president cited construction, trade, investment and finance as areas in which the two countries should deepen cooperation, adding that they should also expand together into cyberspace and IT technology. He said China and Singapore should enhance coordination within multilateral frameworks, such as the United Nations, APEC and the G20, to improve global governance.

Noting Singapore will assume the presidency of the ASEAN next year, Xi said China believes Singapore will push forward practical cooperation between China and ASEAN.

Lee said Singapore will continue supporting and proactively participating in the Belt and Road Initiative and will implement major projects between the two governments. It will also expand cooperation in areas including finance, high-speed railways, and construction of free-trade zone, and would play a positive role in promoting China-ASEAN relations, he added.