SINGAPORE - Singapore's trade and economic partnership with the Chinese Southern province of Guangdong has been taken a step further with the setting up of its first overseas representative office here.

The Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City Investment and Development Co's Singapore representative office was unveiled by Guangzhou City vice-mayor Chen Zhiying and Singbridge Corporate chief executive Chong Phit Lian on Tuesday.

The new office will focus on enhancing relationships with collaboration partners, promoting investments into the Knowledge City, conducting research on relevant industries, exploring opportunities for collaboration, and coordinating event organisation and official visits.

"By establishing an overseas representative, we aim to expand our footprint and help bring more international investors and partners into the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City," said Mr Chin Phei Chen, chief executive of the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City Investment and Development company.

He added that the development is now ready for the first batch of corporations to set up shop by 2015.

The unveiling comes just after 18 memorandums of understanding - worth about $4.7 billion - were signed between Singapore and Guangdong on Monday. The signings were witnessed by Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew and Politburo member and Guangdong party secretary Hu Chunhua.

Guangdong is Singapore's top trading partner in China, with two-way trade reaching $22.4 billion last year.