BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping will make his first state visit to Singapore from Nov 6 to 7, at the invitation of President Tony Tan Keng Yam, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced yesterday.

China and Singapore signed a slew of agreements earlier this month to further strengthen economic and cultural ties after talks between Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli and Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.

Key among the agreements signed was a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Suzhou Industrial Park Administrative Committee and International Enterprise (IE) Singapore to establish an Overseas Investment Services Platform to help Chinese companies internationalise.

During the talks, Mr Zhang announced that Mr Xi will visit Singapore next month to mark 25 years of diplomatic relations.

The announcement was welcomed by Dr Tan and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who said that they looked forward to the state visit.

Singapore is China’s largest foreign investor. At the same time, the Republic is also the largest destination of Chinese overseas investments.

Before visiting Singapore, Mr Xi will be in Vietnam from November 5 to 6. His visit to Southeast Asia takes place amid heightened tension in the South China Sea that has weighed on ties between Beijing and its regional partners.

China claims most of the South China Sea through which US$5 trillion (S$) in ship-borne trade passes every year. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also claim parts of it.

China’s deployment of an oil rig last year, in what Vietnam called its exclusive economic zone and on its continental shelf, about 120 nautical miles off its coast, led to their worst breakdown in relations since a brief border war in 1979. AGENCIES