China asks S'pore to help develop western hinterlands
China asks S'pore to help develop western hinterlands
Alexa Olesen, Associated Press, Singapore
Visiting Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao, who is expected to succeed President Jiang Zemin, asked Singapore on Friday to help develop China's western provinces and called for early negotiations for a regional free-trade agreement.
Hu also said cooperation between Singapore and China will be good for Southeast Asia -- an apparent attempt to allay fears that China's rapid growth may hurt export opportunities and foreign investment in the region.
In a two-hour meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, Hu called for an early start to talks on a free-trade agreement between China and the Association of Southeast Asian nations. The two leaders also said they believed good U.S.-China relations are important for regional stability.
"If this relationship is stable, it will have a calming effect on the entire region," Goh said at a dinner in Hu's honor. "If it is upset, it will unsettle the region."
Hu is in Singapore for two days while en route to the United States for his first official visit. His trip is a diplomatic coming out for the reclusive 58-year-old politician, who is widely considered to be China's heir-apparent.
Singapore is the second leg of Hu's three-country tour which started in Malaysia earlier this week. Because so little is known about Hu, his trip is expected to shed light on the politician and his agenda as he moves up in China's ranks.
On Friday, Hu told Prime Minister Goh that Singapore and China should increase cooperation in developing China's western provinces.
China's western hinterlands -- including Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang and Tibet -- are desperately poor compared to the rapidly developing eastern coastal region where Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangdong are located.
The statement did not specify how Singapore could help develop the areas. The statement said Hu also asked Singapore to cooperate with China on developing its high-tech, bio-sciences, and microelectronics sectors. On Friday, Hu also met with the island nation's elder statesman, Lee Kuan Yew.
On Saturday, Hu departs for his first official visit to the United States where he is scheduled to meet with President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.