Singapore-China ties will remain strong even after the death of the nation's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, said President Tony Tan Keng Yam, after he became the second Singaporean leader to accept an honorary doctorate from China.

 

Lee, who received an honorary doctorate from Fudan University in 2005, laid the foundation for close ties between China and Singapore from the 1970s.

 

Lee, who died in March, believed the ties he fostered "had to carry on beyond him".

 

Tan said, "I believe the potential and progress of China-Singapore relations will continue to grow from strength to strength. If Mr. Lee were to look back on what he achieved, I think he would be very satisfied. It's our task, and I hope our Chinese colleagues', to carry on his work."

 

Tan was warmly welcomed by more than 200 guests and students at Nankai, which is the alma mater of China's founding premier, Zhou Enlai.

 

University President Gong Ke praised Tan's contributions to fostering bilateral ties in his speech, saying "cooperation between Singapore and China brings benefits not only to our two countries, but also to regional and global developments".

 

In his address, Tan also cited examples of strong China-Singapore relations, noting that Singaporean company CapitaLand is the largest foreign real estate developer in China, and 6,200 Chinese firms have set up branches in Singapore.

 

The SSTEC, which was started in 2008, is the second government-led project between the two countries in China, after the Suzhou Industrial Park.

 

These projects, Tan said, foster understanding and friendship and evolve according to the changing needs of the countries.

 

At the SSTEC, Tan officially opened the Low Carbon Living Lab, an environment-friendly building that operates as a business park space. He also met with Singaporeans living in Tianjin and chatted with the SSTEC's new CEO, Liew Choon Boon, who began his new role on Wednesday.

 

Separately, Tan also met with Tianjin's acting Party chief and mayor Huang Xingguo.

 

Tianjin is the only stop outside of Beijing on Tan's six-day state visit. On Tuesday, he and his wife Mary Tan donated 300 books to the National Library of China.

 

In his speech at Nankai, Tan also underlined the importance of China's role in contributing to the region's stability, saying there remains "tremendous scope for further cooperation". 

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