BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Singapore鈥檚 prime minister to join the fight against 鈥渉egemony鈥� and protectionism in trade as they met in Beijing on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong鈥檚 first official visit to China lasts until Thursday.
He met Xi on Tuesday morning at Beijing鈥檚 opulent Great Hall of the People, with the Chinese leader urging their two countries to work to 鈥渟tand on the right side of history and on the side of fairness and justice,鈥� according to state broadcaster CCTV.
He told Wong that 鈥渢he world cannot return to hegemony or be dragged back to the law of the jungle,鈥� a veiled swipe at the United States, after President Donald Trump launched a barrage of tariffs this year on countries including China and Singapore.
Wong, in turn, told Xi he believed the Singapore-China relationship was 鈥渕ore important than before鈥� in a time of 鈥済lobal turbulence and uncertainty.鈥�
鈥淲e can work together to establish closer ties and... continue to strengthen multilateralism and the rules-based global order for the benefit of all countries,鈥� Wong said.
Wong, who succeeded Lee Hsien Loong, the son of founding premier Lee Kuan Yew, in 2024, has warned the trade-dependent city-state could be hit hard by Trump鈥檚 tariffs.
Although Trump imposed a baseline 10 percent tariff on Singapore, the country is vulnerable to a global economic slowdown caused by the much higher levies on dozens of other countries because of its heavy reliance on international trade.
Following his meetings in Beijing, Wong will head to the northern Chinese city of Tianjin for a meeting of the World Economic Forum.