Lee Hsien Loong (third from left), accompanied by his wife Ho Ching (centre, back), arrived at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport at around noon on March 27, 2023. - MCI
GUANGZHOU (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong arrived in Guangzhou on Monday (March 27) on his first trip to China in four years.
The Singapore leader, accompanied by his wife Ho Ching and a delegation of about 50 Singapore officials, was greeted on the tarmac at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport at around noon by Chinese officials bearing umbrellas under a persistent drizzle.
Among them were Guangdong vice-governor Zhang Xin, China’s ambassador to Singapore, Sun Haiyan, Guangdong Foreign Affairs Office director-general, Liu Chenzi, and Guangzhou vice-mayor, Tan Ping.
The southern city of Guangzhou is Lee’s first stop on his week-long visit. He will be hosted to lunch by Guangdong party secretary Huang Kunming, as well as meet Singaporeans here.
Lee will also give a speech at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Hainan before going to Beijing, where he is scheduled to meet President Xi Jinping and newly minted premier Li Qiang, who will host a welcome ceremony and a lunch banquet for the Singapore delegation.
Lee will also meet National People’s Congress chairman Zhao Leji, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference chairman Wang Huning and Beijing party secretary Yin Li.
The Singapore Prime Minister’s last visit to China was in April 2019 when he attended the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing.
He is accompanied by Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and National Development Sim Ann, and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Law Rahayu Mahzam.
