SINGAPORE - The Singapore-China Forum on Leadership will be held virtually on Friday (Oct 29), with the Republic making a planned transition to Education Minister Chan Chun Sing as co-chairman on its side.

This is the first time the forum, which was first held in 2009 and is in its eighth iteration, is being held online.

Mr Chan, who is also Minister-in-charge of the Public Service, is co-hosting this year's forum with Mr Jiang Xinzhi, who is China's Executive Vice-Minister of the Central Organisation Department that controls personnel appointments for the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Both men will deliver the keynote speeches.

Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, who was co-chairman of the previous forums, will meet Mr Chen Xi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of the Central Organisation Department, via videoconference before the forum.

The forum, which Singapore and China typically take turns to host, enables political leaders and senior officials of both countries to discuss experiences and challenges on leadership development. The seventh forum in 2019 was held in China.

The Singapore delegation, led by Mr Chan, includes Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, Minister of State for Communications and Information and National Development Tan Kiat How and Parliamentary Secretary for Communications and Information and Health Rahayu Mahzam, as well as senior government officials.

The Chinese delegation, led by Mr Jiang, includes Central Party School Executive Vice-President Li Shulei, Vice-Minister of the Central Organisation Department Wang Xiaoping, Central Organisation Department Secretary-General Hu Jinqi, Vice-Minister of Civil Affairs Wang Aiwen and Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Jianghao, as well as senior Chinese officials.