China's development is positive for the Asia-Pacific region and many countries expect to take advantage of the opportunities presented by its growth, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said.

China is "the biggest trading partner of nearly every country in Asia, including Japan and Singapore. It is natural, and it is something that the regional countries generally welcome, because it creates opportunities for cooperation, trade, prosperity," Lee said in an interview with Japan's Nikkei Editor-in-Chief Tetsuya Iguchi on Monday.

Expressing his support for the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative (GDI), Lee said, "We are a member of the Group of Friends of the GDI."

On economic cooperation with China, Lee observed, "You cannot afford not to do business with China. The opportunities are there, the markets are there, and you want to trade with them, and soon, many countries will be welcoming their investments as well."

He also said that there is a need to look for potential all around the world, and to keep a balance.

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