China looks to Singapore to help secure supply chains from US trade war turmoil

China and Singapore should work together to safeguard global supply chains, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Monday as Beijing seeks deeper ties with neighbouring countries to help offset trade tensions with Washington.

In talks with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Li said bilateral ties had continued to strengthen, and the two countries were “friendly neighbours and important partners”.

“China is willing to maintain close high-level exchanges with Singapore, strengthen strategic communication, consolidate political mutual trust, and promote more fruitful results in bilateral relations and cooperation,” he said, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

“As beneficiaries and defenders of economic globalisation and free trade, China and Singapore should uphold open regionalism and true multilateralism, actively promote trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation, and maintain the stability and smooth functioning of the global supply chain.”

China, Li said, was willing to expand the scale of the country’s trade and investment with Singapore, strengthen cultural exchanges, and further cooperate in sectors including the digital economy and artificial intelligence.

China was also willing to work with the city state and other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) economies to promote regional cooperation, he said.