Shanghai Mayor Ying Yong met with Lui Tuck Yew, Singapore's Ambassador to China on Thursday. This is Lui's first visit to the city since taking office in November 2019. 

Ying rolled out a warm welcome to Lui and said China and Singapore have conducted frequent high-level visits with increasing bilateral cooperation in economics and trade. 

Since the establishment of the Shanghai-Singapore Comprehensive Cooperation Council in May 2019, cooperation between the two sides has grown. 

Vowing to advance to a higher level of a well-off society this year, Shanghai will be committed to forming a basic framework for an international scientific and technological innovation center. The city aims to build itself into an international economic, financial, trade and shipping center, said Ying.

The city is expected to implement major strategic tasks such as the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region.

Ying said that Singapore possesses unique advantages in terms of its business environment, free trade port area, finance and technological innovation. 

Shanghai hopes to strengthen the role of comprehensive cooperation council and promote bilateral cooperation based on the consensus of leaders of two countries under the framework of the all-round cooperative partnership, Ying noted.

Lui said that frequent high level visits and in-depth cooperation have deepened the friendship between Singapore and China since the two countries established diplomatic relations 30 years ago. 

With an important role in China's future development, Shanghai has yielded great influence in the integration of the Yangtze River Delta region. Singapore and Shanghai, both acting as hubs in their own regions, have a lot in common and complement each other in many aspects, Lui noted.

Lui hopes that Shanghai and Singapore will work together to achieve further development by exploring new cooperation methods and channels.

Tracy Chan Su Yin, Deputy Chief of Mission and Minister-Counselor, and Loh Tuck Wai, Consul-General of Singapore in Shanghai, also attended the meeting.