CG Ong Siew Gay's Speech at Singapore's 48th National Day Lunch Reception

Shanghai Municipal People’s Government Deputy Secretary-General Mr Jin Xinming

Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress Standing Committee Member and Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Mr Zhang Minxuan

Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Shanghai Committee Executive Vice Chairman of Committee for Study Mr Chai Junyong

Shanghai Municipal People’s Government Foreign Affairs Office Deputy Director-General Mr Fan Yufei

Colleagues from the Consular Corps,

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to this celebration of Singapore’s 48^th National Day. This is a joyous occasion when Singapore celebrates our achievements in the past five decades, and looks forward to even better times ahead.

There are good reasons to be optimistic.  The world is slowly coming out of the 2008 recession although the recovery signs are still weak.  In the US, IMF expects recovery to accelerate in the second half of this year.  The eurozone area is expected to climb back to positive growth territory after a difficult year. Signs of improvement are also expected elsewhere.  These are nascent, but encouraging signs which lend confidence to governments and investors around the world.

China is also experiencing a slowdown.  Chinese officials expect GDP growth to go below 8 percent, to a projected 7.5 percent.  The state of the Chinese economy and the likely policy response to the slowdown has been in the news lately.  We remain optimistic of China's economic outlook, and are confident that China has enough resolve and resources to stay the course, meet its targets and achieve stable and sustainable growth, structural upgrading and substantive reforms.

Likewise, Singapore’s growth next year looks promising. We anticipate a higher growth of about 3.8%, compared to a projected 2.3% this year.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Singapore’s links with the international markets remain key to our national survival.  China is an important economic partner with whom we share a robust relationship.

In 2012, China was our 3^rd largest trading partner and our top investment destination while Singapore was China's third largest external investor.  We are also Shanghai's fourth largest investor in 2011.

Investments into the Yangtze River Delta alone take up approximately more than a third of Singapore’s total investments into China.  Among the provinces, municipalities and Special Autonomous Regions in Mainland China, Jiangsu is our top investment destination accounting for 35% of our total investments into China, while Shanghai ranks third with 10%.

Our robust economic ties with China at the provincial level are driven by several cooperation councils with key provinces and municipalities.  These councils provide leaders, officials, and investors a good platform to network and explore collaboration. Within this region, there is the Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council and Singapore-Zhejiang Economic and Trade Council.

There are frequent high-level visits in our region. Anhui Party Secretary Zhang Baoshun’s visit to Singapore in April this year followed the visit by Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong to Anhui last September.  Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam visited Beijing and Shanghai in May.  DPM Tharman met with Shanghai Party Secretary Han Zheng and conducted a Roundtable Dialogue at the China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong (CELAP).  Later this year, we will welcome Minister Heng Swee Keat to co-chair the 7^th Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council with Governor Li Xueyong, and Minister Grace Fu to co-chair the 9^th Singapore-Zhejiang Economic and Trade Council with Vice Governor Liang Liming.

At the people-to-people level, Singapore remains a key destination for study visits by Chinese officials. A large proportion of the officials would hail from the Yangtze River Delta region. There are also approximately more than 8,000 Singaporeans living, working and studying here in Shanghai alone.  This forms the largest Singaporean community in China.

In the tourism sector, China is Singapore’s 2^nd largest visitor-generating market after Indonesia.  In the first nine months of 2012, there were 1.5 million visitor arrivals from China while 1.03 million Singaporeans visited China in the same year.

As China continues in its astounding growth, it has caught up and overtaken others in many areas.  Singapore recognises that there is greater room for mutual learning.  We are as interested in learning from China’s success as we are in sharing our developmental experience.

Our bilateral collaboration has also evolved to suit China’s changing developmental needs and priorities. We want to ensure that cooperation remain continually relevant and move with the times (or as our Chinese friends would say, 与时俱进). For instance, the Suzhou Industrial Park was conceived in the early 1990s to share Singapore’s experience in industrialisation, master planning and international investment promotion.  This successful modern township will be celebrating its 20^th anniversary next year.  (I am especially pleased to recognise our good friends and a large contingent from the Suzhou Industrial Park today.)

With China’s focus on sustainable development, we launched in 2007 the Tianjin Eco-city. More recently, both sides have moved into private sector-led but government-supported projects. They include the Sino-Singapore Nanjing Eco Hi-Tech Island in Nanjing, the Suzhou-Nantong Science and Technology Industrial Park in Nantong and the Suzhou-Chuzhou Industrial Park in Anhui.  In particular, Singapore Nanjing Eco Hi-Tech Island and the Suzhou-Nantong Science and Technology Industrial Park have both been elevated to become provincial-level development projects last year. I am especially honoured that a senior delegation from Nantong is here today to join in our celebration. 

Leveraging on Singapore’s competitive advantage and our developmental experience, both sides have ventured into new spheres of collaboration in areas such as food safety, urban development, social management and financial cooperation.

I am especially happy to note that the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, or ICBC’s branch in Singapore, has in April this year, successfully launched operations as an RMB Clearing Bank. This makes Singapore the first offshore RMB Clearing Centre outside Greater China.  Given Singapore’s status as an established regional and global financial center, we have a strong role to play in the RMB’s internationalisation.  Further liberalisation of China’s financial sector will boost Shanghai’s development into an international financial hub.  This will generate greater opportunities for collaboration between our two cities.

Already, there is great room for further collaboration between these two highly urbanised cities faced with the common challenges of a widening income gap, maintaining social harmony, an ageing population and a challenging new media environment. 

Shanghai is a bustling city throbbing with opportunities and energy.  I am confident that under the new leadership, Shanghai will continue to play a critical role in China’s reform and development. 

Singapore looks forward to deepen and broaden our collaboration with Shanghai and the greater Yangtze River Delta region. We strongly believe that our multi-faceted cooperation will bring mutual benefits and prosperity for the peoples of both countries.

上海市人民政府副秘书长金兴明秘书长

上海市人大常委会委员，外事委员会副主任张民选委员

上海市政协学习委员会常务副主任柴俊勇主任

上海市人民政府外事办公室副主任范宇飞主任

各位领事团的同僚门

尊敬的女士们先生们，

欢迎大家参加新加坡第48届国庆日的招待午宴。对于新加坡而言, 这是一个特别值得庆祝的节日，也是一个让我们一同回顾新加坡的过去,展望未来的日子。

我们有理由感到乐观。全球经济复苏的迹象虽然仍不明显，但我们可以肯定经济已慢慢地走出阴霾。根据国际货币基金组织的估计，美国经济将在下半年加速复苏。欧元区明年年初也有望走出衰退。经济好转的迹象也遍布其他地区。虽然这都只是初步的迹象，但足以让我们感到鼓舞。　

中国经济的增长同样也在减速。中国官方预计今年国内生产总值将会低于8%，预期目标为7.5%。近期媒体也经常报导关于经济放缓，以及官方将会出台什么经济政策的新闻。总的来说，我们对前景感到乐观，也深信中国政府有足够的决心和资源，达到预期的目标，取得稳定和可持续的增长，实现结构升级和实质性经济改革。我们对中国经济的长期前景拥有十足的信心。

而新加坡经济明年的增长前景也备受看好。预期明年的增长将超出今年的2.3%，达到3.8%。

女士们，先生们，

新加坡与国际市场的紧密联系是我们国家生存之道的关键。而中国是新加坡非常重要的经济合作伙伴之一。在2012年，中国是我们的第三大贸易伙伴，也是我们的首要投资目的地。 与此同时，新加坡是中国的第三大外资来源地。我们也是上海在2011年的第四大外资来源。

值得一提的是，我们在长江三角洲的投资占了我们在中国总投资额的超过三分之一的数额。江苏是我们在中国最大的投资目的地，而上海排名第三。江苏与上海分别占了新加坡在中国投资额的百分之35和百分之10。

新加坡通过和几个主要省份和直辖市所设立的合作理事会，带动了我们和几个主要地区的经济互动。这些双边理事会，提供了双方领导，官员以及商家企业一个探讨合作的平台。在长三角地区，就有新加坡-江苏合作理事会和新加坡-浙江经贸理事会。

两国高层领导人的频繁互访是我们广泛实质的双边合作的基础。继新加坡荣誉国务资政吴作栋在去年九月份访问安徽之后，安徽省委书记张宝顺书记今年四月也访问了新加坡。副总理兼财政部长尚达曼在今年的五月份访问了北京和上海。在上海，尚达曼副总理会见了中共中央政治局委员，上海市委书记韩正书记，也与中国浦东干部学院举办了圆桌讨论会。今年下半年，我们将迎接王瑞杰部长访问江苏，并与李学勇省长共同主持第七届新加坡-江苏合作理事会。以及傅海燕部长访问浙江，与梁黎明省长主持第九届新加坡-浙江经济贸易理事会。今天高兴欢迎来自浙江省的朋友们。

新中两国之间的民间交流也非常频繁。新加坡仍是中国官员考察的首选目的地之一。有一大部分到新加坡考察培训的干部就来自长三角地区。

在上海，就有超过８千名新加坡侨民在这里居住，工作和学习。这是我们在中国最大的新加坡侨民社群。

在旅游业方面, 中国是新加坡的第二大客源市场。在２０１２　年的头九个月我们迎接了一百五十万个中国旅客。而２０１２全年前来中国游玩的新加坡旅客也高达一百零三万人次。

随着中国的迅速发展，中国正在迎头赶上，并在很多领域超越其他国家。这是必然的趋势。新加坡和中国之间的学习也是双向和相互的。我们也乐于积极借鉴中国的成功经验，并乐意继续与中国分享我们的发展经验。

双边关系随着中国在不同发展阶段的需求不断更新，紧跟时代的步伐, 不断的与时俱进。例如，苏州工业园区在90年代早期的建设就是想通过园区，与中国分享新加坡在工业化，总体规划和吸引外资的经验。转眼间，苏州工业园已经发展成一个高度宜居的综合开发区。经过多年的努力和自我提升, 创造了优质的国际品牌。园区就将在明年庆祝二十周年了！（今天我也特别开心地看到来自苏州工业园区的好友和强大的阵容。）

在中方政府更加重视可持续发展的背景下，我们在２００８年推出了天津生态城的项目。近年来，双边合作也扩展到由企业带头，政府支持的项目。在长江三角洲地区，此类项目就包括了南京生态科技岛，苏州南通科技产业园、苏州滁州工业园区。南京生态科技岛和苏州南通科技产业园更是在去年被江苏省提升为省级开发区。在此，我非常高兴欢迎来自南通的朋友。　

借新加坡的竞争优势和发展经验，近几年来双边也开启了其他领域的合作如食品安全，城市发展，社会管理和金融业的合作。

其中，让我们感到十分兴奋的是今年四月，中国工商银行的新加坡分行被指定为人民币结算银行。借此，新加坡也成为大中华以外的第一个人民币清算中心。作为区域和国际金融中心的新加坡，我们相信新加坡一定能在人民币国际化的下一阶段发挥更重要的功能。我们也深信中国金融业的进一步开放一定会推动上海国际金融中心的发展，带给新加坡和上海双边更多合作的机会。

作为高度城市化和国际化的城市，新加坡和上海都面临着许多共同的挑战。其中就包括贫富差距的扩大，维护社会和谐，人口老龄化以及新媒体环境带来的种种课题。这些领域也提供双方许多交流经验和合作的好机会。

上海是一个充满机会和活力的国际大都。我深信在新的领导班子下，上海将在中国改革开放的道路上扮演着重要 的角色。

新加坡期待深化与上海，安徽，浙江和江苏的合作。我们坚信双边多方位的合作一定会有利于两国人民的繁荣与福祉。

最后，请和我一起举杯！为新加与上海，江苏，浙江和安徽之间的友谊，为两国人民的健康与繁荣！

To the friendship between Singapore and Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui and the good health and prosperity of our two countries and peoples!

干杯！

.     .     .     .     .

(08 August 2013)