Singapore working with China on Belt and Road Initiative

SINGAPORE - Singapore has been working with China to promote the Belt and Road Initiative, a senior Singaporean official said on Sunday.

Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aiming at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes of Silk Road.

Addressing a plenary session at the ongoing Shangri-La Dialogue, Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said on Sunday that his country has worked with China to jointly develop a new southern transport corridor that links southwest China's Chongqing to Singapore through China's southwestern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Singapore, due to its geographical location, can serves as a strategic node on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, according to Ng.

"This will connect the overland Silk Road Economic Belt with the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road," the defense minister said.

Organized by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, the three-day 16th Shangri-La Dialogue started on Friday.