He praised Mr Chen, saying that Singapore would be fortunate to have such a talented man.

'Chen Deming is very capable. Singapore would be lucky to have one Chen Deming. But China has many such talents,' he told Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Qishan as they met here, according to a spokesman for the Singapore delegation.

Mr Chen, who was at the 30-minute meeting between Mr Lee and Mr Wang, had started his political career in Jiangsu province, including Suzhou.

In the 1990s, the economics graduate, in his 40s then, was the top Chinese official of the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) and also the party secretary of Suzhou.

He left Jiangsu in 2002 to be governor of northwestern Shaanxi province before taking up his Cabinet position last year. The Shanghainese, who speaks English fairly well, was known to engage foreign investors directly during his years in Jiangsu.

MM Lee, who is here to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the SIP, noted that through the development of the park, he got to see that China has very capable people, said the Singapore spokesman.

'Very capable Chinese have managed the Suzhou Industrial Park,' said Mr Lee, who was accompanied by Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng.

Since its establishment in 1994, the park has attracted US$35 billion (S$50.6 billion) in investments from 3,500 companies, including 79 Fortune 500 firms.

This flagship Sino-Singapore project's GDP exceeded 100 billion yuan (S$21.2 billion) last year, accounting for 15 per cent of Suzhou's growth.

Suzhou city itself, said Mr Lee, has also undergone quite a transformation since his last visit here five years ago. He told Mr Wang that he noticed 'more cars, more greenery and a more prosperous' city.

He is optimistic about China's development and believes that the country will be among the world's top economic powerhouses in three decades.

Mr Wang, who will attend the commemorative ceremony with Mr Lee today, said that Mr Lee has been witness to the three decades of reform and opening up in China and that the former Singapore prime minister was there from the start.

Mr Lee made his first trip to China in 1976, and this present four-day visit to three cities, namely Nanjing, Suzhou and Shanghai in the Yangtze River Delta, is his 30th trip to the country.

The SIP's success, added Mr Wang, was the 'crystallisation' of the two countries' close friendship, according to the official Xinhua news agency. The park is also a 'prime example' of China's cooperation with foreign countries.

According to the Singapore spokesman, Mr Wang said that Mr Lee is a leader familiar with the Chinese people, and that Mr Lee is also someone who is familiar with many of China's state leaders.

Mr Wang later hosted Mr Lee and Mr Wong to dinner, which was also attended by former Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yi. Mr Lee later went on a boat cruise on Jinji Lake and watched a fireworks display as a precursor to today's celebrations.

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