MFA Press Statement: Working Visit by Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Trade and Industry, Dr Tan Wu Meng to Tokyo, Japan to attend the 13th Japan Singapore Symposium, 18 to 19 Mar 2019

Senior Parliamentary Secretary (SPS), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Trade and Industry, Dr Tan Wu Meng made a working visit to Tokyo, Japan from 18 to 19 March 2019 to attend the 13^th Japan-Singapore Symposium. SPS Tan delivered a Keynote Address at the 13^th Japan-Singapore Symposium’s Public Forum this morning. The transcript of SPS Tan’s Keynote Address is enclosed below.

SPS Tan had a bilateral meeting with Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Norikazu Suzuki, who also delivered a Keynote Address at the 13^th Japan-Singapore Symposium’s Public Forum. SPS Tan and Parliamentary Vice Minister Suzuki reaffirmed the excellent state of Singapore-Japan relations, underpinned by regular high-level exchanges and strong economic ties. They also discussed ways to advance Singapore-Japan bilateral relations through cooperation in emerging areas such as e-commerce and the ASEAN Smart Cities Network. 

SPS Tan also met Parliamentary Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Akimasa Ishikawa. SPS Tan thanked Japan for its strong leadership in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Both Singapore and Japan also looked forward to the substantive conclusion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) this year. SPS Tan and Parliamentary Vice Minister Ishikawa also discussed ways to further enhance cooperation between Singapore and Japan, both bilaterally and at multilateral fora such as the World Trade Organisation. 

In addition, SPS Tan separately met Chairman of the Japan-Singapore Parliamentary Friendship League, Yasuhisa Shiozaki and former State Minister for Foreign Affairs Seiji Kihara. In these meetings, SPS reaffirmed our strong bilateral relations and exchanged views on developments in Singapore, Japan and the region.

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TRANSCRIPT OF KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY DR TAN WU MENG AT THE 13^THJAPAN-SINGAPORE SYMPOSIUM PUBLIC FORUM, 19 MARCH 2019

Your Excellency Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Norikazu Suzuki

Chairman of the Japan-Singapore Parliamentary Friendship League Yasuhisa Shiozaki

Japan-Singapore Symposium Co-Chairmen Ambassador Yoshiji Nogami and Ambassador Tommy Koh

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

1 Good morning. I am delighted to be here today at the 13^th Japan-Singapore Symposium (JSS). It is a pleasure to be addressing this very distinguished gathering.

2 Over the past 24 years, the JSS has been a useful platform for candid discussions on regional and global issues of the day. It is also an opportunity to showcase the strong economic, academic, and socio-cultural ties that bind Singapore and Japan. As we saw in Suzuki-san’s presentation, culture binds our countries together. I am confident that the discussions today will contribute useful insights and ideas to further strengthen our bilateral and regional cooperation.

Singapore-Japan Bilateral Relations

3 Singapore and Japan enjoy excellent and multi-faceted ties, underpinned by frequent high-level exchanges, strong economic links, and compatible strategic outlooks. We were very happy to host Prime Minister Abe’s visit to Singapore for the 33^rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in November last year. As G20 Chair, Japan has also invited Singapore to attend the G20 Summit and related meetings this year as a guest country. We look forward to contributing constructively and supporting Japan’s G20 Presidency.

4 Our economic linkages are robust and mature. At its heart is the Japan-Singapore Economic Partnership Agreement, or the JSEPA, Japan’s first bilateral economic partnership agreement and Singapore’s first with a major trading partner. The JSEPA has paved the way for our strong bilateral economic ties.  As of end-2017, Japan was Singapore’s third-largest source of foreign direct investment. Singapore was Japan’s top Asian investor and fourth largest cumulative source of foreign investment. We are also branching out from traditional areas such as logistics, real estate and trading, to new sectors like food services and healthcare.  You can now find Singapore household brands such as Bee Cheng Hiang here in Japan. Japanese companies also have a long history of investing in Singapore, and many of these companies are moving towards cutting edge, high value-added activities like innovation and R&D.  NEC announced the opening of the NEC Open Innovation Centre in Singapore in September last year, the first such facility outside Japan.  With our societies facing similar challenges in the 4^th industrial revolution, there will be many more opportunities to collaborate in new areas such as digital economy, artificial intelligence, smart cities and healthcare.

5 Singaporeans’ affinity for Japan is evident in the over 400,000 Singaporeans, or one-tenth of the Singapore population, who visited Japan in 2018. One-tenth of Singapore’s population. Last year, we also received almost 800,000 visitors from Japan. The Singapore Tourism Board and Japan National Tourism Organisation have collaborated in various partnerships to further boost two-way tourism, including a fashion collection and photobook by Japanese high fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto and bento boxes featuring Singaporean dishes in Japanese supermarket chain Seijo Ishii. Muji and Don Quijote – better known as Don Donki in Singapore – are also rapidly expanding their presence in Singapore.

6 Japan and Singapore are close partners with many shared interests and common challenges. I am confident that there are many areas where we can expand our cooperation in an age of disruption, innovation and uncertainty.

I have three ideas to share.

7 First, I am pleased that our Foreign Ministers have renewed the Japan-Singapore Partnership Programme for the 21^st Century, or JSPP21 in short last December. The JSPP21 is our flagship programme that provides technical assistance to developing countries. To date, more than 6,400 government officials from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Pacific have participated in over 370 JSPP21 training courses. I believe that the JSPP21 will continue to share many useful experiences to address the development challenges in the region.

8 Second, we share a common interest in infrastructure development in the region. Asia is the fastest growing region in the world, and we should explore synergies between Singapore’s Infrastructure Asia and Japan’s Partnership for Quality Infrastructure to cooperate in third country joint projects to meet the infrastructure needs of the region.  I understand that our officials and companies are already in discussions.

9 Third, deepening collaboration in new areas such as e-commerce, and further liberalisation of the Singapore-Japan Air Services Agreement will allow us to better weather the global economic headwinds together, and build connectivity and trade in the region.

Regional Partners

10 In the region, Singapore and Japan are close and natural partners. Japan is one of ASEAN’s most substantial and longstanding Dialogue Partners, and a strong supporter of ASEAN’s Community-building efforts. Japan’s steadfast technical assistance and human resource development support has helped ASEAN Member States grow their economies. Last year, ASEAN and Japan finalised the Agreement on Technical Cooperation between ASEAN and Japan, and both sides are now expanding cooperation in areas such as connectivity and cybersecurity. Singapore will launch the ASEAN-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence later this year, to enhance the region’s cybersecurity capacity and resilience. We welcome further collaboration with Japan in this area.

11 Amidst an increasingly complex and challenging global geopolitical and economic environment, there are many opportunities for Singapore and Japan to work together in the region. As a world leader in innovation and technology, Japan’s strong support would be a key factor in realising the ASEAN Smart Cities Network, or ASCN, which was launched during Singapore’s ASEAN Chairmanship. We welcome Japan’s proposal to host ASCN representatives to a High-Level Meeting in Japan. I believe that the ASCN will provide new opportunities for ASEAN and Japan. 

12 Singapore and Japan also work closely together in regional and international frameworks such as the UN, APEC, and the WTO, to advance multilateralism and free trade in the face of growing protectionist and inward-looking sentiments. Japan’s leadership was crucial to the conclusion of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and we look forward to working with Japan towards an early conclusion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

13 Singapore appreciates Japan’s efforts to articulate its vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, which encompasses many of our shared priorities such as ASEAN Centrality, regional peace, stability and economic development. We welcome Japan’s commitment to deepen its engagement with ASEAN, as well as efforts to maintain an open and inclusive regional architecture and rules-based international order.

Conclusion

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentleman,

14 The JSS, and its long history of candid and robust exchanges, reflects the longstanding relationship and close cooperation between our two countries. I am confident that the discussions today will further deepen our mutual trust and understanding, and produce fruitful and constructive ideas for our future cooperation.

15 Thank you.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

19 MARCH 2019

Photo Caption: SPS Dr Tan Wu Meng delivering the Keynote Address at the 13th Japan-Singapore Symposium, 19 March 2019

Photo Caption: SPS Dr Tan Wu Meng meeting Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Norikazu Suzuki, 19 March 2019

Photo Caption: SPS Dr Tan Wu Meng meeting Parliamentary Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Akimasa Ishikawa, 19 March 2019