Sino-Singapore economic co-op expanding

%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20bilateral%20economic%20and%20trade%20cooperation%20between%20China%20and%20Singapore%20has%20been%20expanding%20fast%20from%20the%20coastal%20areas%20to%20the%20vast%20inland%20of%20China%2C%20Chinese%20Ambassador%20to%20Singapore%20Wei%20Wei%20said%20on%20Sept%2027.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3ESpeaking%20at%20a%20ceremony%20in%20celebration%20of%20the%2062nd%20anniversary%20of%20the%20founding%20of%20the%20People%27s%20Republic%20of%20China%20%28on%20Oct%201%29%20hosted%20by%20the%20Chinese%20embassy%2C%20Wei%20said%20the%20bilateral%20trade%20in%20the%20first%20half%20of%20this%20year%20has%20expanded%20by%2014.2%20percent%20year-on-year%20to%20%2431.5%20billion%2C%20following%20a%20total%20of%20%2457.1%20billion%20last%20year.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22We%20have%20had%20mature%20and%20close%20bilateral%20ties%20and%20solid%20basis%20of%20friendship.%20The%20exchange%20of%20visits%20by%20leaders%20and%20senior%20officials%20has%20been%20ever%20more%20frequent%20and%20the%20practical%20cooperation%20has%20been%20growing%20fast%2C%22%20he%20said.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EWei%20said%20the%20Chinese%20government%20is%20committed%20to%20economic%20restructuring%20and%20the%20transformation%20of%20its%20growth%20models%20while%20building%20a%20harmonious%20society.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20Chinese%20government%20is%20aware%20that%20there%20exist%20various%20challenges%20but%20is%20confident%20that%20the%20country%20can%20have%20sustained%20stable%20and%20fast%20growth%2C%20he%20said.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EWei%20cited%20the%20landmark%20cooperation%20projects%20between%20the%20two%20countries%20such%20as%20the%20Suzhou%20Industrial%20Park%2C%20the%20Tianjin%20Eco-City%2C%20the%20Guangzhou%20Knowledge%20City%20--%20all%20in%20the%20eastern%20coastal%20area%20--%20as%20well%20as%20the%20recently%20launched%20joint%20venture%20project%20of%20Sichuan%20Hi-tech%20Innovation%20Park%20in%20the%20southwestern%20city%20of%20Chengdu.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22The%20highlights%20of%20the%20cooperation%20has%20been%20expanding%20from%20the%20coastal%20areas%20in%20the%20east%20to%20the%20inland%20areas%20in%20the%20west%2C%22%20he%20said%2C%20adding%20that%20the%20two%20countries%20were%20also%20exploring%20cooperation%20opportunities%20in%20finance%20such%20as%20renminbi%20trade%20clearing%20and%20central%20bank%20cooperations.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3ELim%20Swee%20Say%2C%20minister%20in%20prime%20minister%27s%20office%20of%20Singapore%2C%20said%20the%20growing%20number%20of%20major%20cooperation%20projects%20is%20a%20reflection%20of%20the%20ever-closer%20cooperation%20between%20China%20and%20Singapore.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22Chinese%20economy%20has%20been%20a%20stabilizing%20force%20and%20an%20engine%20of%20growth%20for%20the%20Asia%20Pacific%2C%20helping%20the%20region%20out%20of%20the%20global%20financial%20crisis.%20China%27s%20prosperity%20has%20also%20been%20instrumental%20for%20the%20region%27s%20sustained%20peace%20and%20stability%2C%22%20he%20said.%20%22I%20have%20no%20doubt%20China%20will%20continue%20to%20grow.%22%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EWei%20also%20noted%20that%20China%20and%20the%20Association%20of%20Southeast%20Asian%20Nations%20%28ASEAN%29%20have%20witnessed%20%22plenty%20of%20achievements%22%20in%20their%20bilateral%20ties%20since%20the%20establishment%20of%20dialogue%20relations%20between%20them%2020%20year%20ago.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20common%20interests%20between%20China%20and%20some%20countries%20of%20the%20ASEAN%20far%20outweigh%20the%20differences%20over%20certain%20specific%20issues%20between%20China%20and%20some%20countries%20of%20the%20ASEAN%2C%20he%20said.%3CBR%3EThere%20has%20been%20recently%20hype%20over%20the%20South%20China%20Sea%20issue%20to%20make%20it%20an%20overblown%20factor%20of%20disharmony%20and%20China%20has%20been%20constant%20in%20upholding%20the%20policy%20of%20shelving%20the%20differences%20for%20joint%20exploration%2C%20he%20said.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22Whatever%20the%20others%20said%2C%20there%20will%20be%20no%20change%20in%20China%27s%20determination%20and%20the%20policy%20of%20safeguarding%20stability%20in%20the%20South%20China%20Sea%20and%20maintaining%20the%20relationship%20with%20ASEAN%2C%22%20he%20said.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EChina%20will%20pursue%20peace%20and%20development%2C%20and%20%22we%20have%20proved%20this%20by%20what%20we%20did%20and%20will%20prove%20it%20by%20what%20we%20do%2C%22%20he%20added.%3CBR%3E%3C/FONT%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%28China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