Singapore And China Reaffirm Bilateral Defence Ties

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen exchanging a handshake with Chinese State Councilor and Minister for National Defense General Chang Wanquan before the bilateral meeting at the Ba'Yi building today.

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen met Chinese State Councilor and Minister for National Defense General (GEN) Chang Wanquan on the sidelines of the ASEAN-China Defence Ministers' Informal Meeting today.

During the meeting, Dr Ng and GEN Chang reaffirmed both sides' commitment to strengthen the bilateral defence relationship. They agreed that progress in strengthening bilateral defence ties has been made under the Four-Point Consensus that they had agreed upon during Dr Ng's visit to China last November. They also discussed China's constructive role in the regional security architecture through its participation in platforms such as the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus and the Shangri-La Dialogue.Dr Ng is in Beijing, China, from 15 to 17 October 2015 for the ASEAN-China Defence Ministers' Informal Meeting and sixth Xiangshan Forum. As part of the programme, the ASEAN Defence Ministers were hosted to a dinner by GEN Chang today. The ASEAN-China Defence Ministers' Informal Meeting starts tomorrow.

Dr Ng (second from left) and GEN Chang (second from right) at the bilateral meeting, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment in strengthening the bilateral defence relationship.