Chinese President Xi Jinping and Singaporean President Halimah Yacob, on Saturday, exchanged congratulatory messages, hailing the bilateral cooperation on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relationship.

Xi spoke highly of China's relationship with Singapore, saying the bilateral ties are pushing forward steadily based on mutual understanding and mutual support.

Facing the challenges of the widespread COVID-19, Xi said China is ready to work with Singapore to deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields under the framework of jointly building the Belt and Road.

He hopes the two sides can work jointly to defend multilateralism and free trade to make a greater contribution to the development of bilateral ties as well as to the regional and global stability and prosperity.

Halimah welcomed mutual assistance between the two countries in promoting economic recovery and smooth operation of international trade channels during the pandemic outbreak. She expects a greater development of the bilateral relationship in the next 30 years.

On the same day, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also exchanged congratulatory messages with his Singaporean counterpart, Lee Hsien Loong. The two sides agreed to enhance cooperation in regional and international affairs and are ready to strive for a more solid bilateral relationship that benefits both sides.