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Ministry of Trade and Industry
2. Speeches

Speech by Minister of State Gan Siow Huang at the SICC-JCCI SJ60 Commemorative Event

30 July 2026

Good evening.

  1. I’m very excited to be here for this SJ60 event. I’m looking forward to some good sake, good satay and good company.

  2. Thank you to the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce and Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry for jointly organising this reception to commemorate Singapore-Japan’s 60 years of diplomatic relations.

  3. Recently at JETRO Singapore’s 70th anniversary business forum, Ambassador Ishikawa’s speech reminded me that our business communities had been working together a full decade before our official diplomatic ties were forged, and well before the founding of Singapore. Since then, we have enjoyed an enduring and trusted partnership, built on mutual respect, shared values, and a common commitment to progress. This year, we formally elevated our bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership, which will deepen Singapore and Japan’s cooperation.

  4. Generations of partnerships and exchanges between our peoples, institutions and businesses have built and deepened the foundations of our bilateral relations.

    In the early days, Japanese companies brought investment, technology and expertise to spur Singapore’s industrialisation, and Singapore in turn became a trusted gateway for Japanese companies into the ASEAN market. Today, we continue to explore new frontiers such as space cooperation, new energies and quantum computing. Together, we can ensure that our supply chains remain resilient, our workforce is future-ready, and our growth is sustainable.

  5. SICC and JCCI have played an invaluable role in strengthening these community relations, making it especially meaningful that they are jointly hosting this SJ60 reception. SICC has long connected Singapore with the international business community including our friends from Japan, while JCCI’s role in strengthening the presence of Japanese businesses in Singapore has been pivotal.

    They exemplify the strong business and people connections that have complemented our government-to-government relations.

  6. These links matter even more in today’s world. The global landscape is becoming more fragmented and uncertain.

    Businesses operate in an increasingly complex environment, marked by geopolitical tensions, technological disruptions and evolving supply chains. Nevertheless, Singapore and Japan continue to hold to our shared belief of openness, cooperation and the rules-based trading system as foundations for mutual growth.

  7. Looking forward, our new Strategic Partnership aims to deepen cooperation in five priority areas of growing importance to both nations:

    • free trade and economic cooperation;

    • digitalisation and technology;

    • security and defence;

    • green transition and energy;

    • and partnerships and exchanges.

  8. As the governments strengthen cooperation to provide greater certainty in these areas, business communities like SICC and JCCI remains pivotal in bringing about practical economic cooperation.

  9. Our partnership also has a wider regional dimension. Frameworks like the ASEAN economic agreements, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership are important to facilitate trade, investment and connectivity across our region.

    As we prepare to take on the ASEAN Chairmanship next year, we will work closely with businesses to unlock new opportunities across Southeast Asia and contribute to the region’s collective progress and prosperity.

  10. SJ60 is not only a celebration of the past. It is also an opportunity to shape the future. SICC and JCCI have brought us together to commemorate our 60 years of friendship. I encourage all of you to use this evening to reconnect with longstanding partners, forge new relationships, and explore fresh areas of collaboration.

    Together, I believe that we will build an even stronger, more innovative and more resilient Singapore–Japan partnership – one that will continue to thrive for the next sixty years and beyond.

  11. Thank you, and I wish all of you a very meaningful evening.

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