Singaporean PM hopes to advance close, steadfast partnership with China

Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday expressed his commitment to advancing the country's "close and steadfast" partnership with China, a longstanding partnership cultivated by successive leaders from both sides.

According to Chinese foreign ministry, Wong will pay an official visit to China from June 22 to 26 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Wong chooses China as his first visit destination outside ASEAN after taking office in May, and this fully demonstrates the great importance he attaches to the development of China-Singapore relations, said a spokesman of the ministry.

Ahead of his visit to China, Wong spoke highly of the bilateral relationship between China and Singapore in an interview with the China Central Television.

"China and Singapore have very close and steadfast partnership. It is a partnership that is built on mutual trust, respect and understanding. It started with our founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew, and Mr Deng Xiaoping. And successive prime ministers of Singapore, since then, have built on that strong foundation to establish close rapport and trust with their Chinese counterparts. So I hope to do the same in my visit with Chinese leaders, especially with President Xi and Premier Li, and I think the close ties at the leadership level sets the tone for the overall relationship," he said.

Wong stated that the China-Singapore Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) supervises the various multifaceted and comprehensive projects between the two countries. He previously served as the co-chair of the JCBC, which holds annual meetings.

"Each time they meet, the agenda keeps growing, because there are so many things to discuss. But it is not just the number of projects, because in the spirit of our partnership, we are pursuing projects that are all-round or comprehensive, that are high in quality, and also future-oriented. And so these are the guideposts that will shape our cooperation in the future. And with the close partnership we have, I am optimistic that the future of our cooperation is bright, and there are many more things we can do together," he said.

Singaporean PM hopes to advance close, steadfast partnership with China

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned on Sunday that Tehran would view the United States and Israel's military bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" should Washington take military action against Iran.

At a parliamentary session convened to review an emergency proposal on assembly regulations, Qalibaf emphasized that, at this highly sensitive juncture, Iran must accurately and thoroughly identify the schemes of its adversaries.

Qalibaf said that Iran is currently confronting Israel and the United States simultaneously on four fronts: economic, cognitive, military, and counterterrorism. Of them, the economic warfare and the cognitive and psychological warfare began many years ago and have persisted to this day, growing increasingly complex and intense in recent years.

The remarks came as U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran, taking advantage of its nationwide unrest.

Protests have erupted in several Iranian cities since late December over the sharp fall of the rial and long-standing economic hardship. Iranian authorities have acknowledged the demonstrations and voiced willingness to address economic grievances, while warning against violence and vandalism.

Amid the ongoing protests, deadly clashes have been reported lately between police and what the government described as "rioters." However, no official death toll has been released.

Also on Sunday, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will address the country's economic situation and political environment in a televised interview later that day.

Iran swears to counterattack if attacked