SINGAPORE - China, with its large and growing economy, has an important stake in the evolving regional architecture, and it has declared its commitment to maintaining a stable and peaceful regional order, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean has said.
Mr Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, was speaking at the Business China Awards dinner held at the Resorts World Convention Centre here on Wednesday (Nov 25).
"A stable regional order that is not overshadowed by nationalism and territorial disputes will boost investor confidence in the region and provide a conducive environment for businesses to thrive," he said.
China's commitment also includes cross-strait relations, Mr Teo said. Referring to the meeting of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeo here three weeks ago, he said that Singapore was "honoured to have hosted the historic meeting between leaders from the two sides of the Taiwan Strait."
More than 500 political, business and academic leaders from Singapore and China attended the dinner on Wednesday, which was also held to celebrate Business China's eighth anniversary.
Business China was set up in 2007 by former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, and former Chinese premier Wen Jiabao to create a network for Singaporeans who can connect to China economically and culturally.
The Business China awards - into its sixth year now - were jointly presented by Business China and OCBC Bank to recognise businessmen, professionals and organisations.
An esteemed Chinese civil servant, a prominent Singaporean singer-songwriter, and a leading multi-national and multi-business conglomerate were honoured this year for their contributions to Singapore-China ties.
Mr Li Rongrong, 71, the founding chairman of China's State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration of the State Council, was honoured for building strong links with the Singapore business community during his tenure from 2003 to 2010.
Singaporean singer Tanya Chua, 40, was recognised for her achievements in the Chinese pop music scene.
The enterprise award went to Keppel Corporation, which was lauded for its excellent track record in China since the early 1980s. It also well-known for leading the Singapore consortia for Suzhou Industrial Park and Tianjin Eco-City.
