On March 22, the three-day 2023 Conference on International Industrial Cooperation (Singapore) & China's Machinery and Electronics Show opened grandly at the Marina Bay Sands Convention and Exhibition Center in Singapore. Nearly 600 representatives from China and foreign countries in the RCEP region, international organizations, industry associations, financial institutions, and enterprises attended the conference.
The opening ceremony was presided over by Zheng Chao, Executive Vice President and Chairman of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (hereinafter referred to as CCCME). Leaders and guests who delivered speeches at the opening ceremony included: Kho Choon Keng, President of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (hereinafter referred to as SCCCI); Zhang Yujing, President of CCCME; Ling Ji, Vice Minister and Deputy China International Trade Representative of MOFCOM (Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China); Tan Sheng Hui, Minister of State for Trade and Industry of Singapore; Sun Haiyan, Ambassador of Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Singapore; Zhang Xiangchen, Deputy Director-General of World Trade Organization; Guo Ningning, Executive Vice Governor of Fujian Province, China; Huang Chunshun, Plenipotentiary Representative of the Chairman of the Thailand-China Business Council and Zheng Xuexuan, Chairman of China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd (hereinafter referred to as CSCEC).
‘China and Singapore are friendly neighbors and comprehensive partners that keep up with the times.’ Ling Ji, Vice Minister and Deputy China International Trade Representative of MOFCOM, expressed in a video speech that this conference is not only an important initiative to strengthen cooperation in green industry development and digital economy between China and Singapore, but also an active attempt to build a high-level regional industrial chain and supply chain cooperation platform. It is of positive significance to promote two-way investment between China and Singapore and deepen regional industrial cooperation.
In his speech, Tan Sheng Hui, Minister of State for Trade and Industry of Singapore, stated that companies in Singapore, China, and the RCEP region should focus on Green Development, Digital Empowerment, Land-Sea Trade Corridor, SDG Finance, and Intelligent Manufacturing when exploring business opportunities for cooperation. In particular, in the areas of Green Development and Digital Economy, Singapore and China can engage in even closer business cooperation. The governments of Singapore and China will also strive to provide support and favorable environments, and hope that companies from both sides can work together to explore new opportunities.
Sun Haiyan, Ambassador of Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Singapore, expressed that since the beginning of this year, everyone has clearly felt the trend of China's high-speed economic revitalization, which has increased confidence and enthusiasm for cooperation with China, and the key areas of cooperation are the real economy and manufacturing. China's real manufacturing industry has the guidance and support of the government, with prominent advantages and enormous potential. The Conference on International Industrial Cooperation provides a platform for in-depth understanding of China's real economy and manufacturing industry, which helps promote cooperation among industries.
Zhang Xiangchen, Deputy Director-General of World Trade Organization, delivered a video speech on the conference. He stated that holding this event is of great significance in promoting further cooperation and development between Singapore and China. More importantly, the conference has invited RCEP member countries to explore opportunities for industrial cooperation. The economic development of RCEP member countries is at different stages, with strong complementarity. Industrial cooperation will create new space for the economic and social development of RCEP member countries.
‘The conference comes at an opportune time and will deepen the collaboration of international industrial chains and supply chains, effectively promoting economic and trade cooperation in the RCEP region’. Guo Ningning, Executive Vice Governor of Fujian Province, China, stated in his speech that friendly exchanges between Fujian and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (hereinafter referred to as ASEAN) have a long history, and economic and trade cooperation has become increasingly close over time. ASEAN has now become Fujian's largest trading and investment partner. Guo Ningning expressed the expectation to take this conference as a new starting point to work together with ASEAN countries, including Singapore, to jointly promote the high-quality construction of the ‘One Belt One Road Initiative’.
This event is themed ‘Green Development, Digital Empowerment, Land-Sea Trade Corridor, SDG Finance, and Intelligent Manufacturing’. It is jointly organized by CCCME and SCCCI, with guidance from MOFCOM and Singapore's Ministry of State for Trade and Industry. Industry experts, scholars, professional organizations, and enterprises are invited to explore new opportunities and offer suggestions and ideas for the high-quality development of the machinery and electronics industry.
The opening ceremony also held signing and achievement release ceremonies, witnessing the signing and release of a series of international cooperation achievements, including the ‘Joint Action Plan on the Promotion of Green Development’, ‘Memorandum of the Establishment of International Industrial Cooperation Service Platform’ and ‘China Carbon Disclosure Platform for Machinery and Electronics’. The leaders and guests in attendance also participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for China's Machinery and Electronics Show and toured the exhibition.
At the luncheon hosted by Ng Siew Quan (Executive Vice President of SCCCI), Lee Yi Shyan, Chairman of Business China, delivered a speech as a guest speaker. Zheng Chao, Executive Vice President of CCCME, read out a congratulatory letter from Chen Jian, former Vice Minister of MOFCOM and Senior Advisor to the Expert Committee of CCCME, to the conference.