SINGAPORE, March 25 — China’s Liu Jianchao, head of the international department of the Communist Party, will visit Singapore from March 25 to 28 at the invitation of Singapore’s foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan, according to a statement from Singapore’s foreign ministry Monday evening.

"Minister Liu’s visit builds on the positive momentum of bilateral high-level visits, as well as multi-faceted exchanges at the government-to-government and people-to-people levels, including party-to-party exchanges,” the ministry said in a statement.

Singapore’s foreign ministry added that Liu’s visit will also be a good opportunity for both sides to reaffirm the good progress made in bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Liu, 60, who leads the Communist Party body in charge of managing ties with foreign political parties, has been widely expected to become China’s next foreign minister.

Since taking the role in 2022, he has travelled to more than 20 nations and met officials from more than 160 countries.

Singapore’s foreign ministry said today that Liu will call on Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong and Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies Heng Swee Keat. — Reuters