Opening Remarks by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong at Singapore-China Business Roundtable

His Excellency Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China

Distinguished Guests

Good morning to all of you,

1.         I would like to first extend a very warm welcome to Premier Li Qiang. This is his first Official Visit to Singapore as Premier, and his presence here reaffirms the warmth and strength of our bilateral relationship.

2.        This year, Singapore and China mark 35 years of diplomatic relationship, a partnership built on mutual respect, trust and a shared conviction that we go further when we go together.

a.        Over the decades, our leaders have nurtured bonds of friendship grounded in sincerity and understanding;  

b.        While our business communities have converted that spirit of cooperation into meaningful collaborations across many sectors.

3.        Yesterday, we signed 8 Memoranda of Understanding in areas such as green development, the digital economy and info-communications.

4.        Today's roundtable builds on this strong momentum.

a.        Singapore has been China's largest foreign investor since 2013, with cumulative investments exceeding S$220 billion across manufacturing, healthcare, real estate and finance.

i.          I look forward to further discussion with our colleagues from China, on how we can strengthen our cooperation.

5.       Shortly, we will have a presentation from the four Singapore companies with us here today – PSA International, Raffles Medical Group, Sembcorp and Singapore Exchange – whose work exemplifies how our firms continue to find new areas of opportunity in China.

a.        I also want to thank the four Chinese companies who have made their presentations.

6.        We want to continue to see how we can cooperate together, and I hope today’s sharing will open new doors for our companies, deepen mutual understanding, and chart new frontiers of partnership between Singapore and China.

7.        Now, I would like to invite our Singapore business leaders to speak. These four companies have built strong and enduring partnerships with China and bring deep expertise in their respective sectors.