China, Singapore upgrade iconic knowledge-city project

China and Singapore have lifted the Guangzhou Knowledge City, an exemplary program in bilateral cooperation, to a national-level project, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Monday.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Singapore on November 12, 2018. [Photo: Gov.cn]

In talks with his Singaporean counterpart, Lee Hsien Loong, Li said the two sides should seize the opportunity to actively expand cooperation in smart-city building, promote the upgrading of city management and artificial intelligence development, and mull new local-level collaboration.

Lee said the Singaporean side is glad to see the upgrade of the project, and ready to step up smart-city cooperation with China.

The Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City, positioned as a model and catalyst of the economic upgrading and environmental enhancement of south China's Guangdong Province, is a major joint project intended to set the trend for sustainable and knowledge-based cities.

Intergovernmental cooperation projects between China and Singapore, such as the Suzhou Industrial Park and the Tianjin Eco-City, have yielded fruitful results. The upgrade of the Guangzhou Knowledge City project is expected to inject fresh momentum into bilateral practical cooperation.

During the first official visit to Singapore by a Chinese premier in 11 years, Li will also attend the 21st leaders' meeting between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the 21st ASEAN-China, Japan and South Korea leaders' meeting, respectively known as 10+1 and 10+3, as well as the 13th East Asia Summit.