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SINGAPORE – As the relationship between Singapore and China evolves, the two countries are working together in new areas such as public health and seeking ways to deepen connectivity, Vice Premier Heng Swee Keat said on Tuesday (December 8).
The foundations are being laid now, even as they are strategizing towards a more prosperous future together, he told reporters after the 16th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) between Singapore and China.
The JCBC is the highest level bilateral platform between the two countries. It is co-chaired by DPM Heng, who is also the finance minister and coordinating minister for economic policies, and Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng.
Heng identified connectivity, digitization, and sustainable development as increasingly critical areas for collaboration in a post-Covid-19 world.
“With our two countries successfully containing our outbreaks, improved connectivity will position our countries well for a new normal that is more digital and with greater emphasis on sustainability,” Heng said.
Ten memoranda of understanding (MOUs) and agreements on health, food safety and the environment, among other things, were signed Tuesday at the virtual summit meeting.
The leaders also discussed bilateral cooperation under the Belt and Road initiative, economic cooperation, trade and innovation, financial cooperation, public health cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and sustainable development, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
They also discussed the China-Singapore Guangzhou City of Knowledge, which is a state-level bilateral cooperation project, the statement added.
Heng said, “This year’s substantive agenda reflects the breadth and depth of our cooperation. This is built on a solid foundation established by leaders from both sides and successive generations of JCBC co-chairs.”
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed how Singapore can continue to contribute to China’s development strategies in the region for its bilateral projects, such as the Singapore-China Shenzhen Smart City initiative.
Heng said: “Digitization has become more important … and digitization can help improve the quality of life in the city.”
The Ministry of Communications and Information and the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government signed a memorandum of understanding on the Singapore-China (Shenzhen) Smart City Initiative at the JCBC meeting in Chongqing last year.
Communications and Information Minister S. Iswaran said at the briefing that significant progress has been made on the initiative since the memorandum of understanding was signed in areas such as digital commerce, cross-border data management and innovation and Business spirit.
On Covid-19 travel measures, Heng added that Singapore and China will discuss how to better use existing expressways, increase the frequency of flights, and re-establish normal person-to-person exchanges at the right time.
“This will contribute to the recovery of our economies and the livelihoods of our people,” he said.
On public health collaboration, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said at the briefing that it is important that both countries work closely together to enhance cooperation in public health management in order to protect the health of the people.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, both countries have supported each other and discussed prevention and control strategies for Covid-19, and how to safely resume social and economic activities,” he added.
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