DPM Gan Kim Yong's Opening Remarks at the 20th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation

Your Excellency Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, colleagues from China, a very warm welcome to Singapore for this 20th JCBC and Related JSC Meetings.

This year marks the 20th edition of the JCBC.

Through the JCBC, we have advanced many concrete initiatives across a wide spectrum of sectors. This has expanded over the years, from trade and finance to also encompass areas like legal and judicial cooperation, the digital economy, green development, and cultural exchanges.

This demonstrates the substantive and multi-faceted nature of our bilateral relations, as well as the firm commitment at the highest level to advance the Singapore-China partnership.

This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the Suzhou Industrial Park, our first Government-to-Government project.

Not only has the SIP become one of China’s most competitive development zones, it continues to be a pathfinder for bilateral cooperation.

The success of the SIP paved the way for the Tianjin Eco-city and Chongqing Connectivity Initiative, the other two G-to-G projects.

Today, they continue to spearhead innovative models of growth and affirm our partnership with each other.

This year’s JCBC is taking place against the backdrop of a complex global environment.

Technological progress has driven productivity gains and created opportunities for growth. At the same time, economic headwinds and climate change pose significant challenges that every country is now facing.

I am therefore pleased that we will be discussing ways to deepen cooperation in traditional areas, as well as how to expand partnerships in emerging sectors.

For instance, we will be exchanging views on strengthening our bilateral economic partnership.

We have launched new initiatives, such as the establishment of green and digital shipping corridors as well as the facilitation of green financing flows.

As our countries face similar challenges ranging from demographic pressures to supply chain vulnerabilities, it is timely that we step up cooperation on food security, healthcare, and leadership development. We will continue to tap on our longstanding partnerships in innovation and science and technology to find solutions to these challenges, including new drivers of growth.

Our people-to-people exchanges are crucial to bilateral ties, and we must therefore continue to strengthen connectivity and enhance cultural and educational exchanges.

I look forward to a fruitful exchange of views, and it is now my pleasure to invite Vice Premier Ding to make his opening remarks.