S’pore-China ties strengthened by friendships built over the years: DPM Gan Kim Yong
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
(From left) SPH Media chairman Khaw Boon Wan, Ambassador-at-Large Tommy Koh, DPM Gan Kim Yong and Ms Lee Huay Leng, editor-in-chief of SPH Media's Chinese Media Group, at the book launch on Oct 3.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
Follow topic:
- Singapore-China ties deepened over 35 years due to trust built by leaders, businesses and citizens, as DPM Gan Kim Yong noted at a book launch.
- Singapore is China's largest foreign investor, and the only nation with three G2G projects. Prof Tommy Koh said ties have evolved and both countries can still learn from each other.
- Singapore and China upgraded ties in 2024 to an "All-Round, High-Quality, Future-Oriented Partnership" with agreements in green finance and digital economy.
AI generated
SINGAPORE - Ties between Singapore and China have grown deeper and more resilient in the past 35 years, the result of leaders from both countries investing in building personal trust and mutual understanding.
These ties are complemented by friendships forged between business leaders, scientists, students, artists and ordinary citizens, said Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong on Oct 3.
DPM Gan was speaking at the launch of a new book to mark 35 years of diplomatic ties
The book is meaningful, as the essays within – covering areas such as politics and diplomacy, trade and investment, arts and culture, and people-to-people exchanges – offer vivid testimonies of how ties have grown over the decades, DPM Gan said.
Even before diplomatic relations were formally established in 1990, the two countries had been laying the foundations for ties, he noted.
He recounted founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s first visit to China in 1976, which was followed by high-level exchanges and the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping’s reciprocal visit to Singapore in 1978.
“We saw in each other not only good neighbours, but also potential friends who could learn from each other and grow together,” he said.
Ambassador-at-Large Tommy Koh, who co-edited the book, recalled how he was, in 1990, appointed to lead a delegation to negotiate the agreement for the two countries to establish diplomatic relations.
The agreement to formalise ties was signed on Oct 3 that year by then Foreign Minister Wong Kan Seng and his Chinese counterpart Qian Qichen.
Among the more than 100 guests who attended the book launch at the National Library were Mr Wong, some members of Professor Koh’s 1990 delegation, and China’s Ambassador to Singapore Cao Zhongming.
Prof Koh noted that the bilateral relationship has blossomed over the last 35 years – the Republic is China’s largest foreign investor, and also the only country with which China has three government-to-government (G2G) projects.
Professor Tommy Koh (left), Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ms Lee Huay Leng, editor-in-chief of SPH Media’s Chinese Media Group, sign books at the launch of their book.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
These are the Suzhou Industrial Park established in 1994, Tianjin Eco-City in 2008, and Chongqing Connectivity Initiative in 2015.
“Singapore has made important contributions to China’s journey of reform and opening to the world,” said Prof Koh. “In the last 35 years, the relationship has evolved from one between teacher and student to one between equals, but we can still learn from each other.”
Besides these three G2G projects, the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City has grown into a vibrant hub for talent, research and innovation, said DPM Gan, who is also Minister for Trade and Industry.
“Each project represented a new chapter in the journey from friendship to partnership,” he added.
“Together, they showcased how Singapore and China could combine strengths – Singapore’s connectivity, systemic thinking and openness to the world; with China’s dynamism, innovation and sheer scale.”
Bilateral ties reached a new level in 2024 when Singapore and China upgraded their relationship to an “ All-Round, High-Quality, Future-Oriented Partnership
At that year’s Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation, the two countries signed new agreements across green finance, digital economy, capital markets and public health.
Both sides are also opening up new frontiers such as green and digital shipping corridors, as well as in sustainable finance and climate resilience, noted DPM Gan.
The Deputy Prime Minister said Singapore and China must continue to strengthen ties between its people to ensure that the next generation carries forward the legacy of friendship and mutual respect.
The two countries can also show a path forward in today’s turbulent world, where respect, openness and dialogue can create win-win outcomes despite differences in size and national circumstance, he added.
One of the book’s contributors was Mr Terence Ho, a former Nominated Member of Parliament and Singapore Chinese Orchestra’s executive director.
The book, Singapore And China: Neighbours To Friends, Friends To Partners, is available in English and Chinese.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
He said the spirit of collaboration between artists, musicians and other cultural leaders from both nations had, time and again, resulted in works that honoured tradition while embracing innovation.
“These exchanges not only enrich our cultural landscapes, but also strengthen the fabric of our bilateral friendship, inspiring future generations to carry this legacy forward,” he said.
Editor-in-chief of SPH Media’s Chinese Media Group Lee Huay Leng, who co-edited the volume, said the book’s essays contained personal narratives and also historical accounts, such as of the connection between China’s Mandarin script reform and the city-state’s adoption of simplified Chinese characters.
“We hope it captures the breadth and depth of Singapore’s engagement with China’s development, and also reflects how a group of Singaporeans perceive China at this moment,” she said.
The book is published by SPH Media’s Focus Publishing and will be sold at $38 at leading bookshops. The Chinese edition can also be purchased online through SPH Media’s e-commerce platform, ZShop Straits Times Press Books
