Northeast Asia
People's Republic of China
Singapore's diplomatic relationships and recent highlights with People's Republic of China.
Overview
Singapore enjoys longstanding and substantive relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), anchored by frequent high-level exchanges, multifaceted cooperation, growing people-to-people exchanges, and robust economic ties. In 2015, Singapore and China celebrated the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and released a Joint Statement that characterised bilateral relations as an “All-Round Cooperative Partnership Progressing with the Times”. Singapore and China are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations in 2020.
Since 2013, China has been Singapore’s largest trading partner, and Singapore has been China’s largest foreign investor. Following PRC President Xi Jinping’s State Visit to Singapore in 2015, both sides agreed to launch negotiations to upgrade the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (CSFTA) which had entered into force on 1 January 2009. The upgrade of the CSFTA was concluded in November 2018 and the signing of the CSFTA Upgrade Protocol was witnessed by PM Lee Hsien Loong and Premier Li Keqiang during the latter’s Official Visit to Singapore in conjunction with the 33rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits. It comprised a meaningful and substantive package in terms of market access for Singapore’s export of goods and services into China, and provided greater transparency and predictability for business activities between the companies from Singapore and China.
Singapore and China have established three Government-to-Government projects, namely (a) the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park; (b) the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City; and (c) the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity. We have also established a state-level bilateral level cooperation project, the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City and several private sector-led, government-supported projects such as the Singapore-Sichuan Hi-Tech Innovation Park, the Nanjing Eco High-Tech Island, and the Jilin Food Zone. In addition, we also launched the Singapore-China (Shenzhen) Smart City Initiative. At the provincial level, we have eight provincial business and economic councils with Sichuan, Shandong, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Tianjin, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Shanghai. Since the mid-1990s, more than 50,000 Chinese officials have come to Singapore for various study visits and training programmes.
Despite the challenges brought about by COVID-19, both sides have maintained close bilateral cooperation. Singapore and China launched a fast lane in early June 2020 to allow for essential business and official travel with six Chinese provinces/municipalities. This fast lane was Singapore’s first with another partner, and China’s first with a Southeast Asian country.
Recent highlights
2020
Minister (Foreign Affairs) Dr Vivian Balakrishnan had three phone conversations with PRC State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 29 January, 18 March and 28 April.
Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies and Minister (Finance) Heng Swee Keat had two phone conversations with PRC Vice Premier Han Zheng on 7 February and 31 July.
Minister (Manpower) and Second Minister (Home Affairs) Josephine Teo co-chaired the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative 5th Joint Implementation Committee Meeting with Chongqing Mayor Tang Liangzhi via videoconference on 12 May.
Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies and Minister (Finance) Heng Swee Keat gave a pre-recorded Keynote Speech at the 12th Lujiazui Forum on 18 June.
Minister (Foreign Affairs) Dr Vivian Balakrishnan participated in the Belt and Road Initiative Videoconference on COVID-19 Cooperation chaired by PRC State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 18 June.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had a phone conversation with PRC President Xi Jinping on 14 July.
Politburo member and Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office Director Yang Jiechi visited Singapore from 19 to 21 August.
Minister (Transport) Ong Ye Kung co-chaired the Singapore-Guangdong Collaboration Council with Guangdong Governor Ma Xingrui via videoconference on 31 August.
Senior Minister of State (Foreign Affairs) (Transport) Chee Hong Tat had a videoconference with Shandong Party Secretary Liu Jiayi during the Shandong-ASEAN cross-border business connect session on 22 September.
Second Minister (Trade and Industry) (Manpower) Tan See Leng hosted the Singapore-Sichuan Trade and Investment Committee with Sichuan Governor Yin Li and Vice-Governor Li Yunze via videoconference on 29 September.
Minister (Foreign Affairs) Dr Vivian Balakrishnan met PRC State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Singapore on 13 October.
2019
Minister (Trade and Industry) Chan Chun Sing visited Chongqing from 7 to 8 January to co-Chair the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative Joint Implementation Committee meeting.
Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies Tharman Shanmugaratnam visited Beijing from 22 to 25 March to attend the China Development Forum.
Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Song Tao visited Singapore from 23 to 26 March.
Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean visited Beijing, Suzhou, Shanghai and Yan’an from 10 to 15 April.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited Beijing from 25 to 29 April to attend the 2nd Belt and Road Forum.
President Halimah Yacob visited Beijing from 14 to 16 May to attend the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilisations.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister (Finance) Heng Swee Keat visited Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong from 22 to 29 May.
PRC State Councilor and Defence Minister GEN Wei Fenghe visited Singapore from 29 May to 1 June to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue.
PRC Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and President of the Chinese Association for International Understanding Ji Bingxuan visited Singapore from 17 to 20 June.
Minister (Communications and Information) S Iswaran visited Beijing and Shenzhen from 2 to 5 July.
Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong visited Beijing to attend the 8th World Peace Forum and Hong Kong to attend the forum on “US-China Trade and Economic Relations: What Now? What Next?” from 7 to 10 July.
Minister (Trade and Industry) Chan Chun Sing visited Beijing from 2 to 4 August to co-Chair the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative Joint Working Committee meeting and attend the 8th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Intersessional Ministerial Meeting.
Minister (Manpower) Josephine Teo visited Chongqing from 26 to 29 August to attend the 2nd International Smart China Expo, where Singapore was the Country-of-Honour.
Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon visited Beijing from 28 to 30 August to co-chair the 3rd Singapore-China Legal and Judicial Roundtable.
Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chongqing Party Secretary Chen Min’er visited Singapore from 10 to 13 September.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister (Finance) Heng Swee Keat visited Chongqing, Tianjin and Beijing from 14 to 17 October in conjunction with the 15th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation co-chaired by DPM and PRC Vice Premier Han Zheng.
Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies Tharman Shanmugaratnam visited Beijing from 20 to 22 November to participate in the Bloomberg New Economy Forum.
Minister (Home Affairs) (Law) K Shanmugam visited Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Shanghai from 5 to 13 December.
2018
PM Lee Hsien Loong made an official visit to Beijing, Bo’ao and Shanghai from 8 to 12 April. PM Lee attended the Bo’ao Forum for Asia Annual Conference.
DPM and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean made an official visit to Beijing, Tianjin, Nanning, Chongqing, Xining and Lanzhou from 28 June to 6 July.
PRC State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi made an official visit to Singapore from 1 to 5 August in conjunction with the 51st ASEAN Foreign Minister and Related Meetings.
PRC Prosecutor-General Zhang Jun made an official visit to Singapore from 16 to 18 August.
Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong visited Chongqing Municipality from 21 to 24 August to deliver the keynote speech at the inaugural Smart China Expo.
PRC Chief Justice Zhou Qiang made an official visit to Singapore from 29 August to 1 September to co-chair the 2nd Singapore-China Legal and Judicial Roundtable with Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon.
PRC Vice Premier Han Zheng made an official visit to Singapore from 19 to 21 September to co-chair the 14th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation with DPM and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean.
Minister (National Development) and Second Minister (Finance) Lawrence Wong visited China from 27 to 29 September for the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city.
Minister (Trade and Industry) Chan Chun Sing visited Shanghai from 4 to 7 November for the inaugural China International Import Expo.
PRC Vice President Wang Qishan made an official visit to Singapore from 5 to 7 November.
PRC Premier Li Keqiang made an official visit to Singapore from 12 to 16 November in conjunction with the 33rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.
Minister (Culture, Community and Youth) Grace Fu visited Fujian from 1 to 4 December.
Minister (Education) Ong Ye Kung made an official visit to Guangdong from 5 to 7 December.