SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday discussed how to expand and enhance collaboration that would benefit not just Singapore and China, but the region as well.

Singapore’s relations with China were upgraded to an All-Round High-Quality Future-Oriented Partnership in March, following PM Lee’s visit to Beijing.

During their talks on Friday, PM Lee welcomed China’s continued engagement with Asean, according to a statement by Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

He said he looked forward to closer Asean-China cooperation, the MFA statement said.

“Both sides reaffirmed the importance of building an open, peaceful and inclusive region,” the statement added.

Also on Friday, Mr Wang met Singapore Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong.

During that meeting, Mr Wong expressed in-principle support for China’s interest in joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the MFA statement said.

The CPTPP is a trade agreement whose current members are Australia, Britain, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

Joining the pact means China would need to adhere to the grouping’s “high-standard rules and comprehensive market access commitments”, the statement said, adding that this has to be worked out between China and the grouping’s members on the basis of consensus.

Where bilateral relations are concerned, Mr Wong and Mr Wang took stock of progress in three government-to-government projects in the Chinese cities of Suzhou, Tianjin and Chongqing, and platforms such as the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC).

The two leaders are looking forward to leveraging the 15th anniversary of the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City in 2023 to refresh their bilateral cooperation.

Mr Wong will be visiting China later in the year, where he will co-chair the 19th JCBC with Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang.

The MFA statement said both countries “can build upon the positive momentum to further expand cooperation in areas such as trade and investments, finance and capital markets, connectivity, and the digital and green economies”.

On Thursday, Mr Wang was hosted to dinner by his Singapore counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan.

They said they looked forward to continuing to work together to increase business and people flows between both countries, and to unlock new growth opportunities in areas such as sustainable development and the digital economy.

On Friday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said China and Singapore will accelerate the full resumption of direct flights between the two countries.

Mr Wang was in Singapore for a two-day visit that began on Thursday.

His visit to Singapore was part of a four-day, three-nation tour of South-east Asia that also includes Malaysia and Cambodia.