Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Monday in a signed article that openness is "a decisive factor" in the development of China and Singapore, ahead of his visit to the garden city. 

"What China has achieved in the past four decades is attributable to its opening-up policy and its endeavors to integrate itself into the global trade system and the world economy. Likewise, it is open and free trade that has underpinned the growth and prosperity of Singapore, which is built for trade," Li noted in the article titled "Creating a better tomorrow with openness, cooperation and innovation," which was published on Strait Times.

Faced with the challenges of rising protectionism and unilateralism, Li called on China and Singapore to jointly "send a positive message of upholding the World Trade Organisation-centred multilateral trading system and advancing trade and investment liberalization and facilitation."

The premier went on saying that learning from Singapore's success has been part of China's reform and opening up, while Singapore has also benefited from its in-depth involvement in this process.

"China has been Singapore's biggest trading partner for a fifth consecutive year, and Singapore is China's largest source of foreign direct investment growth, second largest investment destination and an important offshore renminbi center," Li elaborated.

Li stressed that China has opened its door to the world. "We will never close it but open it even wider. We welcome Singapore's efforts to seize opportunities created by China's new round of opening up, working with us in elevating bilateral cooperation."

He revealed that during his visit a protocol to upgrade the China-Singapore free trade agreement will be signed, which will give a strong boost to trade facilitation.

Li will pay an official visit to Singapore at the invitation of Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and attend a series of meetings from November 12 to 16. He will attend the 21st China-ASEAN (10+1) leaders' meeting, the 21st ASEAN-China, Japan and Republic of Korea (10+3) leaders' meeting and the 13th East Asia Summit during this visit.