Singaporean consulate in Shanghai celebrates 52nd National Day

Updated: August 22, 2017 Source: Global Times
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Singapore Ambassador to China Stanley Loh (third from right) celebrates the 52nd Singapore National Day last Friday with Chinese guests and officials. [Photos: Qi Xijia/GT]

To celebrate Singapore's 52nd National Day, hundreds of guests joined together for a banquet hosted by the Consulate General of the Republic of Singapore in Shanghai last Friday.

Singapore Ambassador to China Stanley Loh gave a speech at the celebration looking back at the history of his small country and how it has prospered into an international, multiracial society. This transformation, he believes, is largely due to "the determination and cohesion of Singaporeans and the ability to constantly adapt to change."

He said that Singapore's economy is currently undergoing restructuring and the government is helping companies to innovate, expand and develop new markets as well as helping its workers acquire new skills to take advantage of emerging opportunities.

Turning to China, Loh calls Singapore's friendship with the People's Republic of China "broad" and "long-standing built upon the close ties between our successive generations of leaders."

"This has allowed us to take a big picture, long-term and constructive view of bilateral relations, and has provided a strong foundation for our economic cooperation today," he pointed out.

HIGH-LEVEL EXCHANGES

Since the beginning of 2017, there have been 16 vice-ministerial level and higher visits from Singapore to China, and nine such visits by Chinese delegations to Singapore. Loh noted that Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a "good meeting" on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany.

"These frequent high-level exchanges have generated a strong momentum for bilateral cooperation," he said.

In past years, the two countries have enjoyed strong cooperation in areas of trading, leadership, social governance, sustainable development and rule of law. These government-to-government projects included the Suzhou Industrial Park, the Tianjin Eco-City and the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative.

Loh believes a new area for further cooperation will be in the Belt and Road initiative, noting that Singapore was an early and strong supporter of the initiative.

SINCERE AND RELIABLE

"To deepen cooperation on the Belt and Road, our top leaders have agreed to establish three platforms for cooperation in infrastructure connectivity, financial connectivity and third-party collaboration, including joint training for officials from other Belt and Road countries," he said.

Turning to the regional relations, Loh said that Singapore has a traditionally strong presence in China's Yangtze River Delta region, which has the "highest concentration of Singapore investments among the various regions in China."

More specifically, Loh noted that financial cooperation with Shanghai "has seen good progress," citing that the third edition of Singapore-Shanghai Financial Forum in Singapore in April and the opening of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank's first overseas branch in Singapore this year as some key highlights.

At the end of his speech Loh expressed his appreciation for Chinese and other foreign guests' long-standing contributions to the Singapore-China relation, as well as his appreciation to fellow Singaporeans in Shanghai for keeping their flag flying high and upholding Singapore's reputation as an honest, sincere and reliable partner.


Editor: zhangjunmian