China and Singapore can further explore cooperation in developing anti-cancer technologies to bring hope to patients and their families, Premier Li Keqiang said during a visit to a pharmaceutical company in Singapore on Tuesday.

Li was visiting Tessa Therapeutics Pte Ltd as part of his first official visit to the Singapore as premier. Tessa Therapeutics is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development and commercialization of cancer immunotherapies, which is the artificial stimulation of the immune system to treat cancers.

He spoke highly of the company's commitment to clinical research which will help upgrading technology for fighting the types of cancer most frequently found in Asia.

China has more than three million new cancer patients each year and Li said the Chinese government is striving to provide better medical treatment and reduce costs.

Cooperation between the two countries in cancer-fighting technologies can mitigate the pain for patients, reduce burdens on their families, and also help explore new market for Singaporean companies' scientific and technological achievement, he added.