S’pore, China can deepen collaboration, develop solutions that benefit the world: Chee Hong Tat

SINGAPORE – Singapore and China can continue to deepen and expand collaboration in various areas, which could yield solutions with benefits for the wider world, said Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat on July 6.

He highlighted three areas – sustainable energy, artificial intelligence and eldercare – in a speech at the Lianhe Zaobao Singapore-China Forum 2026.

No country has all the answers or the capacity and resources to act alone in handling the challenges thrown up by climate change, technological advancements and demographic shifts, noted Chee.

It is in this spirit of shared challenges that Singapore and China can build on the strong foundation laid by previous generations and work on these three areas for mutual benefit, he said.

The lessons learnt and solutions developed can also be of use to the wider region and the world, he added.

On the green transition, the minister said China has established itself as a global leader in renewable and clean energy technologies, such as solar, wind and battery energy storage systems. 

By combining these capabilities with Singapore’s expertise in sustainable urban planning and integrated development, both countries can develop practical solutions for their own climate ambitions, he said. 

Meanwhile, on AI, he said China’s experiences in deploying AI, robotics and intelligent manufacturing at scale in sectors like construction, logistics and urban infrastructure offer insights into how innovation can drive productivity across industries.

But the cooperation goes beyond technological capabilities as technology does not exist in a vacuum, he said.

He added that Singapore and China can learn from each other in setting up regulatory, economic and social frameworks to support the use of these technologies in society.

Singapore’s approach has been guided by the principle that new technologies should improve jobs, raise productivity and ultimately benefit businesses and workers, said Chee.  

He acknowledged concerns about the disruption that AI will bring, but said: “We should also at the same time focus our attention on how to use AI and other advanced technologies to generate new jobs, to improve the way we work and prepare our people for the new roles created.” 

Taking questions on AI from the audience after his speech, Chee said: “The faster technology develops, the more we must ensure that other areas keep pace, such as security, privacy and regulations governing their use.”

He added that while Singapore cannot be as technologically advanced as China, it does not mean both countries cannot cooperate in this area.

Both sides must see benefits for cooperation to be long term and sustainable, he said.

On eldercare, he said both Singapore and China will be “super-aged” societies by 2030.

To this end, Singapore has rolled out several initiatives in recent years, including senior-friendly housing types, safety upgrades in existing homes and better connectivity to active ageing programmes within neighbourhoods.

Citing these programmes, Chee said China has also made similar progress, such as by expanding the concept of mutual-aid eldercare, where younger seniors support older seniors through both practical assistance and emotional care.

He added that Singapore and China can learn from each other to develop solutions that could benefit other countries that are also experiencing ageing to different degrees.

Cooperation between Singapore and China must evolve

The minister, who serves as Singapore co-chairman of the Singapore-Tianjin Economic and Trade Council, said later during a dialogue with the audience that the cooperation between both countries must keep pace with the times.

China’s development and technological capabilities have advanced rapidly and methods of cooperation also have to evolve, he said.

He cited how the Tianjin Eco-City project initially relied on Singapore bringing its technology to China when it launched, but this model is now outdated.

Chee suggested expanding the scope of the project beyond ecology and the green economy to other promising industrial sectors.

Rather than confining projects to designated zones like the Eco-City, he also proposed expanding it geographically to encompass the entire city of Tianjin.

Instead of focusing mainly on bringing Singaporean companies to invest in China, the cooperation can also shift to helping highly capable Chinese companies expand overseas by using Singapore as a regional hub, said Chee.

“We must always keep pace with the times and not stagnate with existing or previous models of thinking,” said Chee.

The forum, which is in its eighth edition, was themed “The Global Order: Changing Tunes, New Realities”.

Chee also listed three areas where China’s ongoing policy reviews will be key for the stability and prosperity of the global economy.

The first is the continued expansion of China’s domestic consumption, with a focus on growing a vibrant services sector.

This is a response to the aspirations of China’s growing middle class and will create new employment opportunities, noted Chee.

It will also contribute to a more balanced global trading environment – a shared interest for all nations.

The second area is the continued efforts to stabilise China’s property market, which is key to maintaining social harmony and long-term economic confidence, he said.

The third area is the importance of people-to-people and cultural exchanges among the younger generation, he said.

“In a world where artificial intelligence is used more pervasively, these genuine human connections become even more important,” he added. 

These connections are important as well for young people from China and the United States, he said, adding: “We must avoid a situation where our young become inward-looking and lose their curiosity in understanding a different society and culture.

“Or worse, if they start to view the other side as an enemy or a threat, instead of just a competitor that we can co-exist with and even collaborate with on certain issues when interests are aligned.” 

During the dialogue, Chee was also asked about Singapore-based AI start-up Manus. The Chinese-founded company had moved to Singapore and was sold to Meta, but the US$2 billion (S$2.6 billion) deal was eventually blocked by the Chinese government over concerns of sensitive technology transfer and intellectual property.

Audience members asked how geopolitics had affected similar AI companies based in Singapore and why the Singapore Government did not say anything on the Manus deal.

To this, Chee said there was no need for the Singapore Government to say anything as no Singapore law was broken.

However, the Chinese government and US government will have their own national security and strategic considerations, which Singapore respects, he added.

“We feel that it is important if we want to continue with this collaboration between countries that we must understand and respect each other’s priorities and considerations,” he said.

“It’s not for me to say what tech companies can or cannot be allowed to leave the country and to come to Singapore. That is not for Singapore to say. That is for their respective governments, whether it is China or the US, to decide based on their own national security considerations.”

He added that Singapore’s focus is to establish itself as a trusted place for business and finance with rule of law and a stable environment. To this end, disclosure, transparency and trust are all crucial, he said.