Yeo was asked in a written question by opposition MP Steve Chia during Wednesday's parliamentary session how he can build on the "shallow and brittle ties" with China.

"Singapore's relations with China are not 'shallow and brittle' as Mr Steve Chia suggests in his question," Yeo said in a written reply released Thurdsay.

Chia was apparently referring to a response by then Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to China's angry criticism of his visit to Taiwan in July.

Lee, who was sworn in as prime minister on August 12, had said that if relations did not survive the fallout from his visit then they must be "shallow and brittle".

Yeo said the relationship with China "is based on mutual respect and mutual benefit. This does not mean that differences will not arise from time to time.

"It is not unusual in international relations for even the friendliest of countries to disagree when their national interests diverge ... We must remember this."

Education Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam began a five-day trip to China on Thursday. He will attend the Third International Conference of Asian Political Parties hosted by China's Communist Party from September 2-6.

Although Lee's July trip was described as "private and unofficial", China reacted furiously, immediately cancelling a visit by its central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan to Singapore and later warning that relations would suffer.
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