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SINGAPORE and China signed a bilateral agreement on defence exchanges and security cooperation on Monday.
The agreement will formalise ongoing activities between Singapore's Defence Ministry (MINDEF) and China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), such as the exchanges of visits, attendance at courses and seminars as well as port calls.
It also includes new areas of cooperation such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, Mindef said in a statement.
The signing of the agreement marks a significant milestone in Singapore's bilateral defence relationship and is testament to the growing defence ties between Singapore and China.
The pact was sealed between Permanent Secretary for Defence Chiang Chie Foo and PLA's Deputy Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Ma Xiaotian.
Mr Chiang was in China to co-chair the inaugural China-Singapore Defence Policy Dialogue with Lt Gen Ma.
Apart from exchanging views on regional security, both men discussed defence exchanges and security cooperation between Singapore and China.
During the three-day visit, Mr Chiang also called on Chinese Defence Minister General Cao Gangchuan and visited the PLA Academy of Military Science.
Mr Chiang's visit ends on Tuesday.
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