Chinese Vice-President Hu Jintao said Tuesday that China hopes to work with the Singapore side for an even better relationship between the two countries and their armed forces.

Hu, also vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark during a meeting with visiting Singaporean Second Minister for Defense Teo Chee Hean, who is also education minister of Singapore.

Relations between China and Singapore have enjoyed smooth development since they established diplomatic relations, Hu said. Senior leaders of the two countries have had frequent contacts, exchanges have increased at various levels, and the two countries have had fruitful cooperation in economy, trade, science and technology, culture and education.

In recent years, he said, relations between the two countries' armed forces have also further developed.

Hu said Singapore is China's important cooperation partner in southeast Asia, and China attaches importance to developing relations with Singapore.

The vice-president expressed hope that in the new century, the two sides will continue to push the friendly relations of cooperation between the two countries and their armed forces to a new high.

He said China highly appreciates the Singaporean government's adherence to the one-China policy. He also expounded the Chinese Government's principled stance on the issue of Taiwan.

Teo Chee Hean said Singapore and China have good cooperation and share common interest in the areas of politics, economy, trade, investment, education and culture. Relations between the two countries' armed forced have also kept developing, he said.

The minister said that Singapore will continue to work with China to promote bilateral relations in various areas.

(Xinhua 02/20/2001)