Singapore Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan met Chinese leaders in Beijing to strengthen bilateral cooperation and discuss regional and global developments during his working visit from 24 to 26 May 2026.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan is on a working visit to Beijing, the People’s Republic of China, from 24 to 26 May 2026.
During the visit, Dr Balakrishnan met and was hosted to lunch by Mr Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China.
The leaders reaffirmed the longstanding and strong partnership between Singapore and China under the All-Round High-Quality Future-Oriented Partnership. Both sides agreed on the importance of maintaining regular high-level exchanges and expanding cooperation in emerging sectors such as the green economy, digital economy, and supply chain resilience.
Dr Balakrishnan and Mr Wang Yi also exchanged views on regional and international developments. Dr Balakrishnan welcomed China’s continued engagement with ASEAN and both ministers expressed confidence in stronger ASEAN-China cooperation in the years ahead.
The ministers stressed the importance of upholding free trade, rules-based multilateralism, and the principles of the United Nations Charter. They also discussed the situation in the Middle East and agreed on the need for a ceasefire and the resumption of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Both ministers also commended Pakistan’s efforts to stabilise the regional situation.
The discussions further highlighted the importance of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the right to freedom of passage in international waterways. Both sides agreed that ships and aircraft should continue to enjoy unimpeded transit passage through international straits.
Cross-strait developments were also discussed during the meeting. Dr Balakrishnan reiterated Singapore’s longstanding and consistent “One China” policy. He reaffirmed Singapore’s opposition to Taiwan independence and any unilateral moves to change the status quo, while expressing support for the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.
In addition, Dr Balakrishnan met Mr Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. Both sides reaffirmed the close friendship between Singapore and China across generations of leaders and welcomed continued government-to-government, people-to-people, and party-to-party exchanges to deepen mutual trust and understanding.
Source: MFA
