PM Lee Hsien Loong at the Work Commencement Ceremony of the Singapore Pavilion at the World Expo 2010

Vice Mayor Yang Xiong
Ladies and Gentlemen

I am happy to join you this afternoon for the Work Commencement Ceremony of the Singapore Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

In May next year, China will host the largest World Expo in history, when the Shanghai World Expo 2010 opens with the theme “Better Cities, Better Lives”. 70 million visitors are expected to attend this event and enliven the banks of the Huangpu River.

So far, more than 200 countries and organizations have confirmed their participation. I am therefore confident that the Shanghai World Expo will be a great success.

Singapore’s Participation in the Shanghai World Expo 2010

Singapore is a strong supporter of the Shanghai World Expo. The Singapore Pavilion, titled “Urban Symphony”, will be Singapore’s largest undertaking at a World Exposition. We hope the Pavilion will interest and delight both Chinese visitors and international audiences.

The Singapore Pavilion will bring Singapore’s local heritage and customs to life for visitors. Our cultural and racial diversity are key aspects of our Singaporean identity, and our Pavilion will let visitors experience the distinctive sights and sounds of Singapore society.

The Singapore Pavilion will also showcase our transforming landscape. Over the next few years, we are adding new infrastructure, including the integrated resorts, the Gardens by the Bay and new Marina Bay downtown. These will completely rejuvenate our city centre. With our Pavilion, we hope to present a microcosm of the exciting, green and vibrant city that we are building for ourselves.

Celebrating China’s Rapid Transformation

Shanghai’s development is even more dramatic than Singa pore’s. Visitors to Shanghai cannot help but notice the rapid transformation of the city. Each year new and dramatic skyscrapers change the skyline. Shanghai is now a cosmopolitan city with a high quality living environment. The city is a vibrant commercial and financial hub, and also offers exciting shopping, dining and entertainment experiences. It is therefore fitting that the World Expo 2010 will be held here.

Shanghai’s rapid development is itself part of the incredible transformation of China. What we see in Shanghai is repeated in many cities all across China. The growth of China in the last several decades is unprecedented in human history, and has lifted millions of Chinese out of poverty. Singapore wishes China well and wants China to succeed. A stable, strong and responsible China is good for Singapore and Asia.

Growing our Bilateral Relations

We are glad that Singapore has in a modest way contributed to China’s development. Our relations with China go back many years. We started collaborating with China on the Suzhou Industrial Park in 1994, and just celebrated its 15th Anniversary last month. Our two countries are also working together on the Tianjin Eco-City. There are many other commercial projects, undertaken by our private sectors.

Today, our bilateral ties are deep and multi-faceted. We enjoy strong trade and investment flows between our countries. China is Singapore’s 3rd largest trading partner, and our top investment destination. Singapore is China’s 8th largest trading partner. Last year, we signed the Singapore-China Free Trade Agreement which lays the foundation for further growth in bilateral trade and investments.

Our people-to-people exchanges are also active. Singapore welcomed more than 1 million Chinese visitors last year, and Singaporeans made nearly 900,000 trips to China. To each other, we are highly attractive as destinations for business and leisure.

Singapore wants to continue participating in China’s future development. Our companies are bullish about China. The global economic crisis has affected all countries, but we think China will recover faster than most economies, and will help to lift Asian economies. Therefore, we will encourage our companies to build links with Chinese firms, seek out attractive business opportunities and work together for mutual benefit.

Conclusion

The Shanghai World Expo in 2010 is an exciting opportunity to showcase China’s growth and achievements. Singapore is very happy to be part of this exciting project.

最后,让我衷心地祝愿上海世博会取得圆满成功。我也希望我们所展现的独特、多姿多彩的新加坡生活面貌,能够为参观者带来耳目一新的体验。

谢谢!