Singapore, China sign maritime agreement

Singapore and China have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Maritime, Shipping and Port Cooperation, deepening the maritime cooperation and relations between the two countries, the Ministry of Transport said.

The new MOU, which supersedes an earlier one signed in 2004, not only “underscores the strong bilateral ties that China and Singapore have built up over the years but is also testament to the enhanced maritime relations that both countries share,” the ministry said in a statement.

“The MOU would provide for an expanded scope of cooperation between the two countries, including shipping policy, maritime safety and security, as well as maritime research, development, education and training,”it added.

Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew, who signed the MOU with China's Minister of Transport Li Shenglin, said the the MOU would enable the two countries to “jointly address the new challenges ahead in the maritime and shipping arena, building on our many common interests in the maritime sector.”