4G leaders stress broad plan to engage China economically
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat says Singapore's new political team aims to build on past foundations and scale new peaks in bilateral ties
By Tan Dawn Wei, China Bureau Chief In Chongqing and Lim Yan Liang, China Correspondent, The Straits Times, 16 Oct 2019
Singapore's fourth-generation leadership has a comprehensive plan for engaging with China economically and plugging into the East Asian giant's rapid development.
Ten members of the 4G cohort drove home the point yesterday as they spoke to Singapore media at the end of a bilateral meeting in Chongqing that was of particular significance as the Singapore team was composed completely of this new generation of political leaders.
The delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who co-chaired the 15th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation, the highest-level platform for discussions between Singapore and China.
Mr Heng, who took over the reins from former deputy prime minister Teo Chee Hean earlier this year, said his first meeting in the new role was forward-looking and productive.
He also took the opportunity to "understand China's development priorities and direction in the coming years, and to look at how we can build on these priorities", he added.
As Singapore transitions to a new political team and marks three decades of diplomatic relations with China next year, the vision of the 4G crew is to build on the foundation of the past decades and "scale new peaks" in ties with China, he said.
An emerging area of collaboration is smart cities, which address today's trends of rapid urbanisation and digitalisation, said Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran.
The two sides yesterday signed an agreement on a smart cities initiative in Shenzhen that would, among other things, help promote talent flow in both directions.
Another area is the environment, with both sides "at the forefront" and joining forces to fight climate change on the world stage, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli.
The two nations are also applying technology to achieve zero-waste cities at Tianjin Eco-city, Singapore's second flagship project with China, added Mr Masagos.
The frequent visits to China by Singapore ministers and officials show the relationship "is not static and monolithic", noted Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing.
These also show they are keen to keep pace with China's developments and understand the different priorities of various provinces as well as the central government.
Mr Chan outlined three priority areas Singapore will focus on in its partnership with China: Internationalisation of the Chinese economy, plugging into the mainland's regional development strategies, and non-physical aspects of the new economy, such as professional services and data flows.
"All these are intangibles, but they all play a part in the new economy, and this is also what the Chinese are focused on," he said.
The Guangzhou-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area economic blueprint is of particular interest, as the ministers spoke about plugging into the masterplan with such existing projects as the Guangzhou Knowledge City and the new smart city agreement for technology capital Shenzhen.
The continued emphasis on ensuring that cooperation is updated to match China's priorities has served the partnership well.
Manpower Minister Josephine Teo noted that the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative, the third flagship bilateral project, has been elevated to a strategic national-level project and given high priority, as it catalyses the development of China's western region and links up the Belt and Road routes, while fulfilling broader economic integration between China and South-east Asia.
Mr Heng said another important area of cooperation is capital market connectivity, and the development of a more resilient financial system able to channel capital to productive uses across the different areas.
He recounted a Chinese official noting on Monday that Singapore was unique in that it has many cooperation platforms with China.
"The phrase he used was duyi wuer (unique and unmatched)," Mr Heng added. "This is something that both sides value, and we would like to take this forward."
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on the trade war, China ties and Singapore's coming polls
4G leaders continuing to nurture ties with China: DPM Heng
Preparations began when they were junior ministers in various bilateral councils, says DPM
By Tan Dawn Wei, China Bureau Chief In Beijing, The Straits Times, 18 Oct 2019
As Singapore goes through a transition to a new team of leaders, these fourth-generation politicians have been nurturing a relationship with China to maintain continuity.
Preparatory work began when they were still junior ministers involved in various Singapore-China business councils, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, 57, said in reply to a question on how the 4G leadership will engage Beijing.
Mr Heng had led a team of Singapore's next cohort of leaders to attend the annual Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting, held in the south-western city of Chongqing on Tuesday.
Asked how confident the 4G team is in dealing with the Chinese leaders, especially given the disparity in age and political experience, Mr Heng cited the ministers' work in numerous bilateral councils.
"The engagements did not just start. The engagements have been going on for a while," he told Singapore reporters in an interview rounding up his four-day visit to China yesterday.
The JCBC, started in 2004, is the highest-level cooperation summit between the two countries and is co-chaired by their deputy prime ministers. Mr Heng's counterpart is Vice-Premier Han Zheng, 65, a member of the most powerful decision-making body, the Politburo Standing Committee.
Nine agreements were signed at the end of Tuesday's talks, including a youth internship exchange programme and a smart-city initiative with technology capital Shenzhen.
Besides being Mr Heng's first outing as co-chair since taking over from former deputy prime minister Teo Chee Hean, who is now Senior Minister, this year's talks are also significant, with as many as six 4G ministers, and two senior ministers of state and one minister of state, attending.
How can these younger leaders be more effective in engaging with China in the coming years?
"If you look back at the cooperation that we have had with China over the years, it has to be relevant to both countries' needs, and we have to bear in mind that whatever we do, Singapore must stay relevant and useful not just to China, but to the world," said Mr Heng, who was last in China only five months ago, when he visited four Chinese cities in a week. "And it is important for us to look at how we can play a role at the various stages of the different countries' development."
Both countries first collaborated by building the Suzhou Industrial Park 25 years ago. Today, there are two more inter-governmental projects: Tianjin Eco-city and Chongqing Connectivity Initiative.
As China shifts its focus from developing cities in isolation to regional development blueprints, Singapore is well-placed to tap new opportunities, including those under China's Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regional plans.
Mr Heng said: "We have a very good head start because in many of these key regional development areas, we have had bilateral councils for a number of years now."
Singapore has eight business councils with China, including the Singapore-Shanghai Comprehensive Cooperation Council established in April. It is also keen to have more financial tie-ups, something the central banks of the two countries will be working on.
Turning to Singapore's next general election, Mr Heng said the ruling People's Action Party has been making preparations all along, and it now has a "fairly good slate of candidates".
As the party has a policy of regularly renewing its political office-holders and parliamentarians, it has been interviewing a wide range of potential representatives.
"Until the election itself, we will continue looking for candidates so we can have a stronger team in the coming years," he said, adding that the administration has been working since the last election to deliver what was promised to voters.
He cited taking care of seniors with the Merdeka Generation Package, changes to the education system and promoting lifelong learning, as well as extending the retirement and re-employment ages.
He said: "Ministers have been working very hard and very well to make sure Singapore remains relevant and useful, and we can continue to grow our economy, take care of our people, and provide better education, healthcare and housing."
He later met Vice-Premier Liu He, where they exchanged views on global economic developments and discussed new initiatives to further bilateral cooperation.
In a Facebook post as he wrapped up his visit to China, Mr Heng said he had a fruitful and productive trip with his fourth-generation leadership colleagues, where they spent time taking stock of progress made on government-to-government projects. During the visit, Mr Heng co-chaired for the first time the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) with Chinese Vice-Premier Han Zheng.
Mr Wang and Mr Liu are key lieutenants of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Mr Wang is widely considered Mr Xi's right-hand man and close confidant, while Mr Liu is China's point man in its ongoing trade negotiations with the United States.
At Mr Heng's meeting with Mr Wang, the two leaders exchanged views on enhancing bilateral cooperation, including under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and in response to common challenges such as ageing populations. The BRI is a signature policy of Mr Xi, whose vision is to recreate a 21st-century Silk Road of overland corridors and shipping lanes.
Mr Wang, who is an old friend of Singapore and former JCBC co-chair, said during their meeting that Mr Xi had asked that the two of them (Mr Heng and Mr Wang) meet during this trip.
Recalling that he was the minister-in-attendance when Mr Xi visited Singapore in 2015, and that they had met at a number of Group of 20 meetings, Mr Heng told reporters the Republic is one of the few countries with such a level of engagement with the Chinese leadership.
"That creates a lot of opportunities for interaction, and a lot of opportunities for businesses and our people," he said.
Other topics that Mr Heng discussed with Chinese officials included key trends and global developments such as economic restructuring, skills training, and the impact of ageing populations and the fourth industrial revolution.
Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister, also discussed with Mr Liu new initiatives to further bilateral cooperation, including in financial connectivity which would support regional development. Earlier in the trip, Mr Heng had also met Chongqing party chief Chen Min'er and Tianjin party secretary Li Hongzhong.
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat says Singapore's new political team aims to build on past foundations and scale new peaks in bilateral ties
By Tan Dawn Wei, China Bureau Chief In Chongqing and Lim Yan Liang, China Correspondent, The Straits Times, 16 Oct 2019
Ten members of the 4G cohort drove home the point yesterday as they spoke to Singapore media at the end of a bilateral meeting in Chongqing that was of particular significance as the Singapore team was composed completely of this new generation of political leaders.
The delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who co-chaired the 15th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation, the highest-level platform for discussions between Singapore and China.
Mr Heng, who took over the reins from former deputy prime minister Teo Chee Hean earlier this year, said his first meeting in the new role was forward-looking and productive.
He also took the opportunity to "understand China's development priorities and direction in the coming years, and to look at how we can build on these priorities", he added.
As Singapore transitions to a new political team and marks three decades of diplomatic relations with China next year, the vision of the 4G crew is to build on the foundation of the past decades and "scale new peaks" in ties with China, he said.
An emerging area of collaboration is smart cities, which address today's trends of rapid urbanisation and digitalisation, said Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran.
The two sides yesterday signed an agreement on a smart cities initiative in Shenzhen that would, among other things, help promote talent flow in both directions.
Another area is the environment, with both sides "at the forefront" and joining forces to fight climate change on the world stage, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli.
The two nations are also applying technology to achieve zero-waste cities at Tianjin Eco-city, Singapore's second flagship project with China, added Mr Masagos.
The frequent visits to China by Singapore ministers and officials show the relationship "is not static and monolithic", noted Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing.
These also show they are keen to keep pace with China's developments and understand the different priorities of various provinces as well as the central government.
Mr Chan outlined three priority areas Singapore will focus on in its partnership with China: Internationalisation of the Chinese economy, plugging into the mainland's regional development strategies, and non-physical aspects of the new economy, such as professional services and data flows.
"All these are intangibles, but they all play a part in the new economy, and this is also what the Chinese are focused on," he said.
The Guangzhou-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area economic blueprint is of particular interest, as the ministers spoke about plugging into the masterplan with such existing projects as the Guangzhou Knowledge City and the new smart city agreement for technology capital Shenzhen.
The continued emphasis on ensuring that cooperation is updated to match China's priorities has served the partnership well.
Manpower Minister Josephine Teo noted that the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative, the third flagship bilateral project, has been elevated to a strategic national-level project and given high priority, as it catalyses the development of China's western region and links up the Belt and Road routes, while fulfilling broader economic integration between China and South-east Asia.
Mr Heng said another important area of cooperation is capital market connectivity, and the development of a more resilient financial system able to channel capital to productive uses across the different areas.
He recounted a Chinese official noting on Monday that Singapore was unique in that it has many cooperation platforms with China.
"The phrase he used was duyi wuer (unique and unmatched)," Mr Heng added. "This is something that both sides value, and we would like to take this forward."
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on the trade war, China ties and Singapore's coming polls
4G leaders continuing to nurture ties with China: DPM Heng
Preparations began when they were junior ministers in various bilateral councils, says DPM
By Tan Dawn Wei, China Bureau Chief In Beijing, The Straits Times, 18 Oct 2019
Preparatory work began when they were still junior ministers involved in various Singapore-China business councils, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, 57, said in reply to a question on how the 4G leadership will engage Beijing.
Mr Heng had led a team of Singapore's next cohort of leaders to attend the annual Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting, held in the south-western city of Chongqing on Tuesday.
Asked how confident the 4G team is in dealing with the Chinese leaders, especially given the disparity in age and political experience, Mr Heng cited the ministers' work in numerous bilateral councils.
"The engagements did not just start. The engagements have been going on for a while," he told Singapore reporters in an interview rounding up his four-day visit to China yesterday.
The JCBC, started in 2004, is the highest-level cooperation summit between the two countries and is co-chaired by their deputy prime ministers. Mr Heng's counterpart is Vice-Premier Han Zheng, 65, a member of the most powerful decision-making body, the Politburo Standing Committee.
Nine agreements were signed at the end of Tuesday's talks, including a youth internship exchange programme and a smart-city initiative with technology capital Shenzhen.
Besides being Mr Heng's first outing as co-chair since taking over from former deputy prime minister Teo Chee Hean, who is now Senior Minister, this year's talks are also significant, with as many as six 4G ministers, and two senior ministers of state and one minister of state, attending.
How can these younger leaders be more effective in engaging with China in the coming years?
"If you look back at the cooperation that we have had with China over the years, it has to be relevant to both countries' needs, and we have to bear in mind that whatever we do, Singapore must stay relevant and useful not just to China, but to the world," said Mr Heng, who was last in China only five months ago, when he visited four Chinese cities in a week. "And it is important for us to look at how we can play a role at the various stages of the different countries' development."
Both countries first collaborated by building the Suzhou Industrial Park 25 years ago. Today, there are two more inter-governmental projects: Tianjin Eco-city and Chongqing Connectivity Initiative.
As China shifts its focus from developing cities in isolation to regional development blueprints, Singapore is well-placed to tap new opportunities, including those under China's Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regional plans.
Mr Heng said: "We have a very good head start because in many of these key regional development areas, we have had bilateral councils for a number of years now."
Singapore has eight business councils with China, including the Singapore-Shanghai Comprehensive Cooperation Council established in April. It is also keen to have more financial tie-ups, something the central banks of the two countries will be working on.
Turning to Singapore's next general election, Mr Heng said the ruling People's Action Party has been making preparations all along, and it now has a "fairly good slate of candidates".
As the party has a policy of regularly renewing its political office-holders and parliamentarians, it has been interviewing a wide range of potential representatives.
"Until the election itself, we will continue looking for candidates so we can have a stronger team in the coming years," he said, adding that the administration has been working since the last election to deliver what was promised to voters.
He cited taking care of seniors with the Merdeka Generation Package, changes to the education system and promoting lifelong learning, as well as extending the retirement and re-employment ages.
He said: "Ministers have been working very hard and very well to make sure Singapore remains relevant and useful, and we can continue to grow our economy, take care of our people, and provide better education, healthcare and housing."
DPM Heng meets key Chinese leaders, reaffirms strong ties
By Lim Yan Liang, The Straits Times, 18 Oct 2019
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat capped off his four-day visit to China yesterday by meeting China's key political leaders.
Mr Heng called on Chinese Vice-President Wang Qishan in the morning, where the two leaders reaffirmed the strong cooperation between Singapore and China built by past generations of leaders on both sides.
By Lim Yan Liang, The Straits Times, 18 Oct 2019
Mr Heng called on Chinese Vice-President Wang Qishan in the morning, where the two leaders reaffirmed the strong cooperation between Singapore and China built by past generations of leaders on both sides.
He later met Vice-Premier Liu He, where they exchanged views on global economic developments and discussed new initiatives to further bilateral cooperation.
In a Facebook post as he wrapped up his visit to China, Mr Heng said he had a fruitful and productive trip with his fourth-generation leadership colleagues, where they spent time taking stock of progress made on government-to-government projects. During the visit, Mr Heng co-chaired for the first time the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) with Chinese Vice-Premier Han Zheng.
Mr Wang and Mr Liu are key lieutenants of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Mr Wang is widely considered Mr Xi's right-hand man and close confidant, while Mr Liu is China's point man in its ongoing trade negotiations with the United States.
At Mr Heng's meeting with Mr Wang, the two leaders exchanged views on enhancing bilateral cooperation, including under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and in response to common challenges such as ageing populations. The BRI is a signature policy of Mr Xi, whose vision is to recreate a 21st-century Silk Road of overland corridors and shipping lanes.
Mr Wang, who is an old friend of Singapore and former JCBC co-chair, said during their meeting that Mr Xi had asked that the two of them (Mr Heng and Mr Wang) meet during this trip.
Recalling that he was the minister-in-attendance when Mr Xi visited Singapore in 2015, and that they had met at a number of Group of 20 meetings, Mr Heng told reporters the Republic is one of the few countries with such a level of engagement with the Chinese leadership.
"That creates a lot of opportunities for interaction, and a lot of opportunities for businesses and our people," he said.
Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister, also discussed with Mr Liu new initiatives to further bilateral cooperation, including in financial connectivity which would support regional development. Earlier in the trip, Mr Heng had also met Chongqing party chief Chen Min'er and Tianjin party secretary Li Hongzhong.
Singapore and China sign bumper number of deals at their 15th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation meeting
By Tan Dawn Wei, China Bureau Chief, The Straits Times, 16 Oct 2019
CHONGQING • Singapore and China have inked as many as nine agreements at their latest apex bilateral meeting, held for the first time in the south-western Chinese city of Chongqing.
The two countries signed a raft of pacts - from Customs twinning to a smart city project in Shenzhen and a youth internship exchange programme - at their 15th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation meeting.
The substantial number of deals - up from seven signed at last year's talks - could be seen as a sign of a new chapter in the relationship between the two countries, as Singapore transitions to a new generation of political leaders.
Yesterday, the co-chairmen, Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and Chinese Vice-Premier Han Zheng, acknowledged the milestone in their opening remarks at the bilateral meeting and subsequent council meeting.
Referring to the 30th anniversary of relations between Singapore and China next year, Mr Han said there were a lot of expectations about this year's meeting as the two countries face common challenges amid a wave of protectionism and anti-globalisation sweeping the world.
With China facing a prolonged trade war with the United States and Singapore's economy flatlining, there is greater impetus for both countries to cooperate economically, say analysts.
Mr Heng, who is co-chairing the council for the first time, said both countries attach great importance to the annual summit, which is reflected by "the high-level representation and substantial achievements" of the projects.
Referring to the significant number of fourth-generation leaders from Singapore attending the meeting, he said their presence will hopefully "pave the way for the next generation of leaders to strengthen our bilateral relationship".
Among the agreements signed was one between Singapore's Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and the Shenzhen government on a smart city initiative that will connect business ecosystems and promote links between people and businesses from the island-state and the Chinese technology capital.
MCI said in a statement that the projects under this initiative will be in areas like digital connectivity, talent exchange and development, and innovation and entrepreneurship.
Singapore aims to be the world's first smart nation.
Another agreement is for internship exchanges for students and recent graduates of polytechnics and universities.
To be launched next year, the programme will allow up to 500 Singaporean full-time students and recent graduates each year to work at a China-based company of their choice for up to six months. Chinese students will also have similar opportunities.
This is the first bilateral internship exchange scheme that Singapore has with another country, and Singapore is the first Asian country to have such an arrangement with China.
Singapore Customs and its Chinese counterpart also signed a deal for smoother Customs clearance for Singapore's intergovernmental project in Chongqing.
Yesterday, Mr Heng and Mr Han also announced that the upgrade to the two countries' free trade agreement will take effect today.
The upgrade allows more petrochemical products to qualify for preferential treatment and grants Singapore companies greater access to China's legal, maritime and construction services sector.
It also includes enhancements in investment protection, Customs procedures and trade facilitation, trade remedial measures, as well as commitments in new areas such as e-commerce, competition and the environment.
The free trade agreement has existed since 2009 and was China's first comprehensive bilateral free trade pact with an Asian country.
Negotiations for its upgrade started in 2015 and took eight rounds of talks over three years.
In another announcement, China's central bank agreed to grant a settlement agent licence to DBS, which will allow it to trade, settle and provide custody for interbank bond market instruments on behalf of foreign investors.
During yesterday's meeting, the two sides also discussed the progress of their three joint projects: Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), Tianjin Eco-city and Chongqing Connectivity Initiative.
The oldest of the three, the 25-year-old Suzhou project is moving beyond its brick-and-mortar industrial park beginnings, with Singapore now stepping in with professional services, intellectual property management and financial services to support Chinese companies to go global.
In the innovation space, Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) will have its first foreign outpost, called the A*Star Partners' Centre@SIP, to facilitate partnerships between Singapore and Chinese companies.
Tianjin Eco-city, which now has 8,200 registered companies and over 100,000 people living or working in its 30 sq km area, is now developing into a smart city, with pilot projects such as for autonomous public buses and smart carparks.
Singapore and China are also looking to replicate the eco-city's model in other Chinese cities and Belt and Road countries.
Chongqing is a relatively new focus and is Singapore's effort to plug into China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The two countries are working on a long-term project that will connect the less-developed western region of China to the rest of the world.
Singapore is providing modern services in the areas of logistics, financial services, aviation and information and communications technology.
The two sides are also working on a trade corridor that will integrate western China with South-east Asia by connecting Chongqing to Qinzhou in Guangxi by rail, and to Singapore and beyond by sea.
China's BRI is a signature project by President Xi Jinping, whose vision is to create a 21st century Silk Road of overland corridors and shipping lanes.
By Tan Dawn Wei, China Bureau Chief, The Straits Times, 16 Oct 2019
The two countries signed a raft of pacts - from Customs twinning to a smart city project in Shenzhen and a youth internship exchange programme - at their 15th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation meeting.
The substantial number of deals - up from seven signed at last year's talks - could be seen as a sign of a new chapter in the relationship between the two countries, as Singapore transitions to a new generation of political leaders.
Yesterday, the co-chairmen, Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and Chinese Vice-Premier Han Zheng, acknowledged the milestone in their opening remarks at the bilateral meeting and subsequent council meeting.
Referring to the 30th anniversary of relations between Singapore and China next year, Mr Han said there were a lot of expectations about this year's meeting as the two countries face common challenges amid a wave of protectionism and anti-globalisation sweeping the world.
With China facing a prolonged trade war with the United States and Singapore's economy flatlining, there is greater impetus for both countries to cooperate economically, say analysts.
Mr Heng, who is co-chairing the council for the first time, said both countries attach great importance to the annual summit, which is reflected by "the high-level representation and substantial achievements" of the projects.
Referring to the significant number of fourth-generation leaders from Singapore attending the meeting, he said their presence will hopefully "pave the way for the next generation of leaders to strengthen our bilateral relationship".
Among the agreements signed was one between Singapore's Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and the Shenzhen government on a smart city initiative that will connect business ecosystems and promote links between people and businesses from the island-state and the Chinese technology capital.
MCI said in a statement that the projects under this initiative will be in areas like digital connectivity, talent exchange and development, and innovation and entrepreneurship.
Singapore aims to be the world's first smart nation.
Another agreement is for internship exchanges for students and recent graduates of polytechnics and universities.
To be launched next year, the programme will allow up to 500 Singaporean full-time students and recent graduates each year to work at a China-based company of their choice for up to six months. Chinese students will also have similar opportunities.
This is the first bilateral internship exchange scheme that Singapore has with another country, and Singapore is the first Asian country to have such an arrangement with China.
Singapore Customs and its Chinese counterpart also signed a deal for smoother Customs clearance for Singapore's intergovernmental project in Chongqing.
Yesterday, Mr Heng and Mr Han also announced that the upgrade to the two countries' free trade agreement will take effect today.
The upgrade allows more petrochemical products to qualify for preferential treatment and grants Singapore companies greater access to China's legal, maritime and construction services sector.
It also includes enhancements in investment protection, Customs procedures and trade facilitation, trade remedial measures, as well as commitments in new areas such as e-commerce, competition and the environment.
The free trade agreement has existed since 2009 and was China's first comprehensive bilateral free trade pact with an Asian country.
Negotiations for its upgrade started in 2015 and took eight rounds of talks over three years.
In another announcement, China's central bank agreed to grant a settlement agent licence to DBS, which will allow it to trade, settle and provide custody for interbank bond market instruments on behalf of foreign investors.
During yesterday's meeting, the two sides also discussed the progress of their three joint projects: Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), Tianjin Eco-city and Chongqing Connectivity Initiative.
The oldest of the three, the 25-year-old Suzhou project is moving beyond its brick-and-mortar industrial park beginnings, with Singapore now stepping in with professional services, intellectual property management and financial services to support Chinese companies to go global.
In the innovation space, Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) will have its first foreign outpost, called the A*Star Partners' Centre@SIP, to facilitate partnerships between Singapore and Chinese companies.
Tianjin Eco-city, which now has 8,200 registered companies and over 100,000 people living or working in its 30 sq km area, is now developing into a smart city, with pilot projects such as for autonomous public buses and smart carparks.
Singapore and China are also looking to replicate the eco-city's model in other Chinese cities and Belt and Road countries.
Chongqing is a relatively new focus and is Singapore's effort to plug into China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The two countries are working on a long-term project that will connect the less-developed western region of China to the rest of the world.
Singapore is providing modern services in the areas of logistics, financial services, aviation and information and communications technology.
The two sides are also working on a trade corridor that will integrate western China with South-east Asia by connecting Chongqing to Qinzhou in Guangxi by rail, and to Singapore and beyond by sea.
China's BRI is a signature project by President Xi Jinping, whose vision is to create a 21st century Silk Road of overland corridors and shipping lanes.
The pacts signed
The Straits Times, 16 Oct 2019
• An agreement between Singapore's Ministry of Communications and Information and the Shenzhen government on a smart city initiative that will connect business ecosystems between people and businesses on both sides. It will allow companies and talents from both countries to tap economic opportunities in South-east Asia and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.
• A youth internship exchange programme that provides for 500 students or recent graduates of both countries to spend up to six months a year working for a company of their choice in the host country.
• A Customs twinning deal between the two countries to optimise Customs clearance along the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative's New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor through the exchange of data and sharing of best practices.
• An exchange programme for middle-to senior-level officials signed between the two foreign ministries, allowing officials from both sides to make study visits and attend training courses.
• An agreement to collaborate on developing a 2 sq km demonstration area in Guangzhou Knowledge City into an innovation hub. The private sector-led project, housing knowledge-based industries, was last year elevated to a state-level collaboration.
• The setting-up of a senior officials' meeting to jointly promote the development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. The meeting is meant to help drive areas of cooperation in this project and resolve any issues that may come up.
• A deal between Ipos International, the expertise and enterprise engagement arm of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore, and Suzhou Industrial Park to help companies in the park with their overseas intangible asset and intellectual property management.
• A deal to promote the replication of Tianjin Eco-city's development experience in other Chinese cities, and in Belt and Road countries.
• An agreement between Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority and the Chongqing government to boost international dedicated connectivity between the island-state and the south-western Chinese city, which means better connectivity performance.
The Straits Times, 16 Oct 2019
• An agreement between Singapore's Ministry of Communications and Information and the Shenzhen government on a smart city initiative that will connect business ecosystems between people and businesses on both sides. It will allow companies and talents from both countries to tap economic opportunities in South-east Asia and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.
• A youth internship exchange programme that provides for 500 students or recent graduates of both countries to spend up to six months a year working for a company of their choice in the host country.
• A Customs twinning deal between the two countries to optimise Customs clearance along the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative's New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor through the exchange of data and sharing of best practices.
• An exchange programme for middle-to senior-level officials signed between the two foreign ministries, allowing officials from both sides to make study visits and attend training courses.
• An agreement to collaborate on developing a 2 sq km demonstration area in Guangzhou Knowledge City into an innovation hub. The private sector-led project, housing knowledge-based industries, was last year elevated to a state-level collaboration.
• The setting-up of a senior officials' meeting to jointly promote the development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. The meeting is meant to help drive areas of cooperation in this project and resolve any issues that may come up.
• A deal between Ipos International, the expertise and enterprise engagement arm of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore, and Suzhou Industrial Park to help companies in the park with their overseas intangible asset and intellectual property management.
• A deal to promote the replication of Tianjin Eco-city's development experience in other Chinese cities, and in Belt and Road countries.
• An agreement between Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority and the Chongqing government to boost international dedicated connectivity between the island-state and the south-western Chinese city, which means better connectivity performance.
Tianjin Eco-city in drive to go waste-free
Singapore-China project testing solutions in waste management that may be applied here
By Tan Dawn Wei, China Bureau Chief In Tianjin, The Straits Times, 17 Oct 2019
More than a decade after transforming a salt pan and wastewater pond into an eco-city of autonomous buses and green buildings, Singapore and China are now turning their second joint venture into a zero-waste city.
Tianjin Eco-city, the 11-year-old intergovernmental project between the two countries, is testing a number of waste management solutions that could eventually be brought to other Chinese cities and also back to Singapore.
China picked 16 cities to pilot its zero-waste programme in April this year, including Shenzhen, Weihai and Tianjin Eco-city.
During the trial, which ends in December next year, it will test-bed advanced waste management technologies such as on-site plastics recycling and organic waste recycling.
On his first visit to Tianjin Eco-city yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said he was happy to see the progress it has made after more than a decade.
"In the next phase, I think we are looking at how we can set the vision for the next level of development," he said, referring to the city's zero-waste programme.
Singapore launched its own zero-waste masterplan in August, laying out its long-term strategies in using a circular economy to become a waste-free nation.
As Tianjin Eco-city aims to get greener, it also wants to be smarter. Since last year, the city's Smart City Operations Centre has been a one-stop command post to centrally monitor all public utilities infrastructure, and direct all municipal services and emergency management.
The centre crunches citywide data on transport, energy, environment as well as information from the municipal authorities to derive patterns and preventive modelling used to improve the quality and efficiency of city management.
For instance, it uses a combination of Geographic Information System, drone scanning and robot surveillance data to identify areas of water leakage in its pipe network.
It has a network of sensors at its disposal, such as more than 400 street lamp-posts that contain sensors and closed-circuit television cameras to track environmental and traffic conditions.
The eco-city has also piloted a range of smart applications, including autonomous public buses and smart carparks. It has also partnered JD.com, China's second-largest e-commerce company, to trial autonomous courier vehicles and an unmanned supermarket.
With the new developments come opportunities for Singapore companies, Mr Heng said. These could be in the areas of urban planning and design, waste management, recycling and green building.
"With the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Internet of Things, the use of Internet software and digital technology can help us to manage cities much more efficiently.
"I do hope that many of our companies will take an active interest in this," he told reporters.
The eco-city will next look to replicating its sustainable-living model in other Chinese cities and even countries with Belt and Road projects.
The Belt and Road Initiative is a signature policy of President Xi Jinping, whose vision is to recreate a 21st-century Silk Road of overland corridors and shipping lanes.
"There is much for Singapore and China to learn from each other and turn challenges into opportunities," Mr Heng said in a Facebook post last night.
On Tuesday, the two countries signed an agreement at the annual Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation meeting to apply the Tianjin Eco-city experience elsewhere.
Outlining the deal, Minister-in-charge of Tianjin Eco-city Desmond Lee said it will also focus on joint research on green and sustainable living and training officials to plan and execute such projects.
"Each city, each country will have a different pace of development, different needs, and applying the learning from Tianjin Eco-city as well as from the joint research we are going to undertake together will allow our companies from both China and Singapore as well as other partners to be able to explore such developments in those places," he said.
Yesterday, Mr Lee, who is also Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for National Development, opened the Singapore Centre, a one-stop shared office for Singapore businesses looking to have a presence in Tianjin Eco-city and the greater Tianjin area. It provides affordable office space for rent, and also helps these firms with business applications and setting up.
Singapore-China project testing solutions in waste management that may be applied here
By Tan Dawn Wei, China Bureau Chief In Tianjin, The Straits Times, 17 Oct 2019
More than a decade after transforming a salt pan and wastewater pond into an eco-city of autonomous buses and green buildings, Singapore and China are now turning their second joint venture into a zero-waste city.
Tianjin Eco-city, the 11-year-old intergovernmental project between the two countries, is testing a number of waste management solutions that could eventually be brought to other Chinese cities and also back to Singapore.
China picked 16 cities to pilot its zero-waste programme in April this year, including Shenzhen, Weihai and Tianjin Eco-city.
During the trial, which ends in December next year, it will test-bed advanced waste management technologies such as on-site plastics recycling and organic waste recycling.
On his first visit to Tianjin Eco-city yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said he was happy to see the progress it has made after more than a decade.
"In the next phase, I think we are looking at how we can set the vision for the next level of development," he said, referring to the city's zero-waste programme.
Singapore launched its own zero-waste masterplan in August, laying out its long-term strategies in using a circular economy to become a waste-free nation.
As Tianjin Eco-city aims to get greener, it also wants to be smarter. Since last year, the city's Smart City Operations Centre has been a one-stop command post to centrally monitor all public utilities infrastructure, and direct all municipal services and emergency management.
The centre crunches citywide data on transport, energy, environment as well as information from the municipal authorities to derive patterns and preventive modelling used to improve the quality and efficiency of city management.
For instance, it uses a combination of Geographic Information System, drone scanning and robot surveillance data to identify areas of water leakage in its pipe network.
It has a network of sensors at its disposal, such as more than 400 street lamp-posts that contain sensors and closed-circuit television cameras to track environmental and traffic conditions.
The eco-city has also piloted a range of smart applications, including autonomous public buses and smart carparks. It has also partnered JD.com, China's second-largest e-commerce company, to trial autonomous courier vehicles and an unmanned supermarket.
With the new developments come opportunities for Singapore companies, Mr Heng said. These could be in the areas of urban planning and design, waste management, recycling and green building.
"With the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Internet of Things, the use of Internet software and digital technology can help us to manage cities much more efficiently.
"I do hope that many of our companies will take an active interest in this," he told reporters.
The eco-city will next look to replicating its sustainable-living model in other Chinese cities and even countries with Belt and Road projects.
The Belt and Road Initiative is a signature policy of President Xi Jinping, whose vision is to recreate a 21st-century Silk Road of overland corridors and shipping lanes.
"There is much for Singapore and China to learn from each other and turn challenges into opportunities," Mr Heng said in a Facebook post last night.
On Tuesday, the two countries signed an agreement at the annual Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation meeting to apply the Tianjin Eco-city experience elsewhere.
Outlining the deal, Minister-in-charge of Tianjin Eco-city Desmond Lee said it will also focus on joint research on green and sustainable living and training officials to plan and execute such projects.
"Each city, each country will have a different pace of development, different needs, and applying the learning from Tianjin Eco-city as well as from the joint research we are going to undertake together will allow our companies from both China and Singapore as well as other partners to be able to explore such developments in those places," he said.
Yesterday, Mr Lee, who is also Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for National Development, opened the Singapore Centre, a one-stop shared office for Singapore businesses looking to have a presence in Tianjin Eco-city and the greater Tianjin area. It provides affordable office space for rent, and also helps these firms with business applications and setting up.
DPM Heng Swee Keat in Chongqing with 4G leaders to meet top Chinese officials
Heng to co-chair Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation meeting for the first time
By Tan Dawn Wei, China Bureau Chief, The Straits Times, 15 Oct 2019
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat was treated to a dinner cruise along the mighty Yangtze River yesterday after he arrived in the southwestern city of Chongqing to attend Singapore's highest-level bilateral meeting with China.
Both countries are expected to sign a few deals after their annual talks, just as in previous meetings. But what is significant this year is the number of fourth-generation ministers on the trip.
Mr Heng will be co-chair of the meeting for the first time.
His hosts on the cruise were Chinese Vice-Premier Han Zheng and Chongqing party boss Chen Min'er, who was in Singapore last month, where he met Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and other leaders.
Today, Mr Heng and Mr Han will lead top officials to discuss existing and future collaborative projects at the 15th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting, the apex annual bilateral platform between the two countries.
These will include updates on the three inter-governmental projects: the Suzhou Industrial Park, Tianjin Eco-city and Chongqing Connectivity Initiative. A fourth project, the Guangzhou Knowledge City, previously an initiative led by the private sector, was elevated to a state-level project last year.
For the past few years, the Singapore Government has, as part of an effort to promote political continuity, been steadily exposing its fourth-generation, or "4G", ministers to the Chinese leadership.
These ministers also chair the myriad business councils that Singapore and various Chinese provinces have established.
Six full ministers are in tow this year: Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran; Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing; Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli; Minister for Education Ong Ye Kung; Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo; and Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee.
Also in the delegation are Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information, and Culture, Community and Youth Sim Ann; Senior Minister of State for Law and Health Edwin Tong; and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Social and Family Development Sam Tan.
The JCBC meeting is taking place for the first time in Chongqing, where Singapore is actively plugging into China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative with a long-term project that will connect the less-developed western region of China to the rest of the world.
It is providing modern services in the areas of logistics, financial services, aviation, and information and communications technology.
The two countries are also working on a trade corridor that will integrate western China with South-east Asia by connecting Chongqing to Qinzhou, in Guangxi province, by rail, and to Singapore and beyond by sea.
China's Belt and Road Initiative is a signature project by President Xi Jinping, whose vision is to create a 21st century Silk Road of overland corridors and shipping lanes.
In a Facebook post last night, Mr Heng said there is great potential for Singapore and Chongqing to work together under the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative. One project is the trade corridor, known as the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor.
"Moving forward, Singapore and Chongqing will be mutual hubs to strengthen business and trade ties between Singapore and Chongqing and the rest of the world," he wrote.
On a lighter note, Mr Heng said: "When I last met Chen Min'er in September, I showed him our Singapore skyline. Glad to be able to enjoy Chongqing's beautiful night cityscape this time!"
Yesterday, the delegation also visited Guoyuan Port, a national logistics hub; Feixiang IIOT, a joint venture between Alibaba Cloud and Chongqing's Nan'an District; and the Multi-Modal Distribution and Connectivity Centre gallery.
The Multi-Modal Distribution and Connectivity Centre is a joint venture between Singapore and China that is now developing a physical hub to plan, develop, manage and optimise multi-modal operations across road, rail, river and air.
Singapore and China take turns to host the annual JCBC meeting, which has been going on since 2004.
Only once, in 2016, did the meeting not take place. Relations between the two countries took a hit that year, after Beijing took offence with Singapore's position on the disputed South China Sea.
Related
Op-ed by DPM Heng Swee Keat: 新中携手共攀新高峰 (Singapore and China: Scaling New Peaks Together)
Heng to co-chair Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation meeting for the first time
By Tan Dawn Wei, China Bureau Chief, The Straits Times, 15 Oct 2019
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat was treated to a dinner cruise along the mighty Yangtze River yesterday after he arrived in the southwestern city of Chongqing to attend Singapore's highest-level bilateral meeting with China.
Both countries are expected to sign a few deals after their annual talks, just as in previous meetings. But what is significant this year is the number of fourth-generation ministers on the trip.
Mr Heng will be co-chair of the meeting for the first time.
His hosts on the cruise were Chinese Vice-Premier Han Zheng and Chongqing party boss Chen Min'er, who was in Singapore last month, where he met Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and other leaders.
Today, Mr Heng and Mr Han will lead top officials to discuss existing and future collaborative projects at the 15th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting, the apex annual bilateral platform between the two countries.
These will include updates on the three inter-governmental projects: the Suzhou Industrial Park, Tianjin Eco-city and Chongqing Connectivity Initiative. A fourth project, the Guangzhou Knowledge City, previously an initiative led by the private sector, was elevated to a state-level project last year.
For the past few years, the Singapore Government has, as part of an effort to promote political continuity, been steadily exposing its fourth-generation, or "4G", ministers to the Chinese leadership.
These ministers also chair the myriad business councils that Singapore and various Chinese provinces have established.
Six full ministers are in tow this year: Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran; Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing; Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli; Minister for Education Ong Ye Kung; Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo; and Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee.
Also in the delegation are Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information, and Culture, Community and Youth Sim Ann; Senior Minister of State for Law and Health Edwin Tong; and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Social and Family Development Sam Tan.
The JCBC meeting is taking place for the first time in Chongqing, where Singapore is actively plugging into China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative with a long-term project that will connect the less-developed western region of China to the rest of the world.
It is providing modern services in the areas of logistics, financial services, aviation, and information and communications technology.
The two countries are also working on a trade corridor that will integrate western China with South-east Asia by connecting Chongqing to Qinzhou, in Guangxi province, by rail, and to Singapore and beyond by sea.
China's Belt and Road Initiative is a signature project by President Xi Jinping, whose vision is to create a 21st century Silk Road of overland corridors and shipping lanes.
In a Facebook post last night, Mr Heng said there is great potential for Singapore and Chongqing to work together under the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative. One project is the trade corridor, known as the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor.
"Moving forward, Singapore and Chongqing will be mutual hubs to strengthen business and trade ties between Singapore and Chongqing and the rest of the world," he wrote.
On a lighter note, Mr Heng said: "When I last met Chen Min'er in September, I showed him our Singapore skyline. Glad to be able to enjoy Chongqing's beautiful night cityscape this time!"
Yesterday, the delegation also visited Guoyuan Port, a national logistics hub; Feixiang IIOT, a joint venture between Alibaba Cloud and Chongqing's Nan'an District; and the Multi-Modal Distribution and Connectivity Centre gallery.
The Multi-Modal Distribution and Connectivity Centre is a joint venture between Singapore and China that is now developing a physical hub to plan, develop, manage and optimise multi-modal operations across road, rail, river and air.
Singapore and China take turns to host the annual JCBC meeting, which has been going on since 2004.
Only once, in 2016, did the meeting not take place. Relations between the two countries took a hit that year, after Beijing took offence with Singapore's position on the disputed South China Sea.
Related
Op-ed by DPM Heng Swee Keat: 新中携手共攀新高峰 (Singapore and China: Scaling New Peaks Together)
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