Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong talking with Urumqi Party secretary, Zhu Hailun, in Urumqi, Aug 27. [Photo/Xinjiangnet.com.cn]

The prime minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong, who has paid a visit to the capital of the Xinjiang region, Urumqi, remarked that his country and Xinjiang have a lot to share in the area of management and integration, Xinjiangnet.com.cn reported on Thursday, Aug 29.

Lee commented further, during a meeting with Urumqi's Party secretary, Zhu Hailun, that, "Xinjiang is a vast land that is abundant in natural resource. And I hope Singapore and Xinjiang can have more opportunities to have exchanges and cooperation." Zhu responded by saying, "Urumqi is speeding up the construction work on new areas and welcomes all domestic and overseas friends to invest and do business here."

Zhu went on to note that the Singapore's advances in social development are well worth learning from and that Urumqi wants to develop more cooperative relations with it.

During a visit to Hongshan Park, early on Tuesday, Lee and his wife were asked to add their own a love padlock to a fence with their names on the lock, something that the Chinese believe is a symbol of lasting love.

After Urumqi, Lee will be visiting the cities of Shihezi and Kashgar, in Xinjiang, then on to Liaoning province.

Edited by Zhou Yuanyuan and Roger Bradshaw