Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has expressed his hope that all concerned parties will keep calm and restrain themselves to maintain a peaceful environment without tension in Southeast Asia.

The PM affirmed his country’s consistent stance on the territorial disputes between China and several ASEAN member nations during a meeting with the press on August 26 on the occasion of his ongoing visit to China .

The Singaporean leader stated that all countries in the region will be negatively impacted if tensions or clashes arise.

He said he had a candid exchange with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang on a number of issues relating to bilateral ties.

The two sides also discussed regional issues such as the proposed review of the ASEAN-China free trade agreement.

During his visit from August 25-31, PM Lee is scheduled to tour the Xinjiang autonomous region and Liaoning province.-VNA