Visit of President Halimah Yacob to Beijing, The People's Republic of China, 15 May 2019

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PRESS STATEMENT

VISIT OF

PRESIDENT HALIMAH YACOB

TO BEIJING, THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

15 MAY 2019

President Halimah Yacob delivered a speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilisations today.  President Halimah spoke about Singapore’s experiences in fostering a harmonious multi-racial and multi-religious society, including Singapore’s policies to promote mutual respect and understanding among all communities.  President Halimah’s full speech, in English and Chinese, is appended.    

President Halimah had a bilateral meeting with Premier Li Keqiang, during which both leaders expressed satisfaction with the state of Singapore-China relations.  They welcomed the positive momentum in high-level exchanges and cooperation, including under the Belt and Road Initiative.  They looked forward to more collaboration in areas that draw on Singapore and China’s strengths, including enhancing connectivity in Western China, smart cities twinning, innovation, third country collaboration and human resource development.  Both leaders encouraged more mutual learning and people-to-people exchanges.  President Halimah and Premier Li also reaffirmed the importance of an open and inclusive rules-based multilateral trading order. 

President Halimah met and was hosted to lunch by Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Secretariat Wang Huning. A wide range of issues were discussed, including social governance, as well as challenges relating to ageing population and urban development.  President Halimah and Secretary Wang welcomed more cultural exchanges between Singapore and China, which would further strengthen mutual understanding between both countries and their peoples. 

President Halimah will return to Singapore tomorrow.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

15 MAY 2019

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REMARKS BY PRESIDENT HALIMAH YACOB AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE CONFERENCE ON 
DIALOGUE OF ASIAN CIVILISATIONS IN BEIJING ON 15 MAY 2019, 10.30AM

AT THE CHINA NATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

Your Excellency President Xi Jinping

Excellencies 

Distinguished Guests 

Ladies and Gentlemen 

1 Good morning. Let me begin by expressing my appreciation to China and President Xi for inviting me to speak at the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilisations. Amidst the rising discord, distrust and division around the world, it is timely to exchange views on maintaining social harmony andcohesion.

2 Many countries today have populations which are ethnically and religiously diverse, and face the common challenge of uniting their populations around a shared national identity. Even nations with more homogeneous populations have to interact with and cooperate with other countries and populations, given how globalisation and technology have brought countries together. Dialogue and empathy are essential to build better understanding and trust and bridge differences.

3 Singapore is a small country with a very diverse population. We are majority Chinese, but with sizeable minority populations of Malays, Indians and Eurasians. All the major faiths of the world – Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism – are present in Singapore. It is common to see mosques, temples and churches in Singapore standing side-by-side on the same street. Geographically, Singapore is surrounded by neighbours that have majority non-Chinese populations. It is therefore vital for Singaporeans to live harmoniously both among ourselves, and with our neighbours in the region.

4 As a multiracial, multi-religious country, our founding principle is to treat all Singaporeans equally regardless of race, language or religion. Our founding fathers fought tenaciously for this principle when Singapore was originally part of the Federation of Malaysia. Eventually the inability to settle this fundamental issue led to our separation from Malaysia, and our independence in 1965.

5 Since then, Singapore has striven to promote tolerance, harmony, respect and mutual understanding between different races and religions. We foster cohesion through inter-ethnic and inter-religious institutions and organisations that promote interaction, understanding and cooperation between different groups in society. We use English as our common working language, not Chinese, so that no minority group is disadvantaged, and all the races can socialise and interact with ease. Our schools are raciallyintegrated. We have deliberate rules to ensure that our public housing estates have a good racial mix, and toprevent ethnic ghettoes from forming. By living together, Singaporeans learn to get along with one another. All Singaporean young men do two years of national service together, which means generations of male Singaporeans interact with each other, learn the same values, and train together to defend our country and ideals. Our Constitution protects the position of minority communities and ensure their representation in our political system. Recently, we amended the Constitution to ensure that minorities will regularly be elected as the President of the Republic of Singapore.

6 We see religion as a positive factor to strengthen society, but we are a strictly secular state, and we are even handed in our approach to all the different religions. The different faiths make a cardinal virtueof tolerance and mutual accommodation. Each group maintains their own cultural and religious practices,and we do not allow any group to impose its practices or requirements on others.

7 We work hard to build inter-religious understanding and tolerance. We have strict laws against the denigration of other faiths and the mixing of religion and politics is prohibited. All groups have to respectother faiths, adopt a “give- and-take” approach, and be sensitive and restrained in proselytisation. Our community groups and grassroots organisations play an important role in reaching out and bringing together people across different faiths. 

8 For us, religious harmony will always be a work in progress. In recent years, Singaporeans of all faiths have become more fervent in their religious convictions. It is important that our people are good citizens of Singapore, at the same time as they are good Buddhists, Taoists, Christians, Muslims, or Hindus.

9 Indeed, Singapore sees our diversity as a strength. The different backgrounds and perspectives offered by the diverse composition of our society add depth to our understanding of a fast changing world. The world is made of many types of communities, so our diversity helps us in understanding the differences of other global communities. Our effort to integrate and harmonise the different communities has made us a more resilient society.

10 Externally, our approach has also served us well. Cultural and language similarities as well as familial ties do help Singaporeans make friends with other Asian countries, and to create a sense of affinity because we can understand one another well. But we conduct our relations with other countries as a Singapore nation, and not as a Chinese nation, a Malay nation, or an Indian nation.

11 Singapore’s situation is a microcosm of a larger challenge faced by the world in getting people ofdifferent religions, values and backgrounds live together harmoniously. We are still a young country, andhave to find our own path forward. Next month, Singapore will host the International Conference on Cohesive Societies under the theme “Many Communities, One Shared Future” to facilitate dialogue onsocial harmony. We hope to use the opportunity to share our experience as well as to learn from others. Most certainly, President Xi Jinping’s initiative in organising this conference is a very good example of how we can conduct dialogue within the Asian civilisations, as well as a dialogue that reaches out to other civilisations in the world. I also agree with the previous points stated by the other speakers that this is what we need to do – understand our own civilisations better, and to create harmony, respect, tolerance, and understanding. However, that does not mean our civilisation should be exclusive. We should be a civilisation that can work with other civilisations because this diversity will enrich and enhance the world.

12 Let me conclude by reciting to you the National Pledge that our students recite every day inschool. It is a summary of my speech today and it is an example of how we place human beings at the centre of everything that we do. The ability to do so and being able to navigate our own environment and work with others around us in order to achieve prosperity, progress not just for Singapore, but for the world as well.

“We the citizens of Singapore,

pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion, 

to build a democratic society,

based on justice and equality

so as to achieve happiness,prosperity and, progress for ournation.”

13 Thank you.

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Chinese Translation

新加坡总统哈莉玛

于亚洲文明对话大会开幕典礼发表的演讲

日期：2019年5月15日，早上10时30分

地点：中国国家会议中心

尊敬的中华人民共和国主席习近平阁下

尊敬的各位阁下

各位贵宾

女士们，先生们：

1 大家早上好。首先，我要感谢中国和习近平主席邀请我在亚洲文明对话大会上致辞。目前，我们在全球各地看到越来越多社群之间失和、互相猜疑，甚至出现分裂。在这个时候，我们正应该就如何保持社会和谐与凝聚力，交流看法。

2 目前，许多国家的人口都属于不同的种族和宗教。这些国家所面对的共同挑战，是塑造人民的国家身份认同，并以其将人民团结起来。由于全球化和科技拉近了各国之间的距离，即使同质社会的人民也必须和其他国家的人民互动、合作。要促进不同社群之间的了解和信任，弥合彼此之间的差异，有效的对话以及同理心至关重要。

3 新加坡是个小国，人口由许多不同种族构成，虽然以华人为主，非华族的少数族群如马来族、印族和欧亚裔人数也相当可观。新加坡人信奉世界的主要宗教：佛教、道教、基督教、回教和兴都教。在新加坡，我们经常会看到回教堂、华人和兴都教庙宇，以及天主教和基督教教堂，鳞次栉比地坐落在同一条街上。从地理位置来说，新加坡邻国的人口也以非华族居多。因此，新加坡人不论是跟彼此，或是邻国，都必须和谐共处。

4 作为多元种族、多元宗教的国家，新加坡建国的根本原则是不分种族、语言或宗教，人人都有平等地位。当新加坡还是马来西亚联邦的一部分时，我们的建国元勋坚守这个原则，但由于理念不同，无法解决这个根本的问题，新加坡最终在1965年脱离马来西亚，成为独立国家。

5 自此以后，新加坡一直致力于促进不同种族和宗教之间的包容、和谐和相互理解。我们设立跨种族和宗教的机构和组织，鼓励社会不同群体之间相互交流、理解和合作，以加强社会凝聚力。新加坡使用英语作为共同的工作语言，而不是华语，在避免少数族群处于劣势的同时，也让不同种族的国人轻松地交流和沟通。我们的学校有多元种族的师生。在住屋方面，我们制定政策，确保各政府组屋区都有不同种族的居民，不会有单一族群聚居的现象，同时让同一个邻里的国人彼此，和谐共处。此外，所有年轻的新加坡男性都必须完成两年的国民服役，这也意味着世世代代的新加坡男性能够互相交流，接受同样的价值观，共同捍卫新加坡和我们的理想。我们的宪法也保障少数族群的地位，确保他们在新加坡的政治体系中获得代表。近年来，我们也修订了宪法，确保少数族群能定期当选新加坡共和国总统。

6 我们虽然将宗教视为有利社会发展的因素，但新加坡坚持世俗主义，公平对待所有不同宗教，各宗教之间也以互相宽容和礼让为重。在新加坡，各群体都奉行各自的文化和宗教习俗，也不得将自己的习俗或意愿强加于他人。

7 我们致力于促进宗教之间的理解和包容，也立法遏制诋毁他人宗教的行为，并严禁宗教和政治之间相互干涉。所有宗教团体都必须彼此尊重，互相迁就、礼让，在宣导教义和信仰方面要保持敏感与克制。我们的社区团体和基层组织就在联系与团结属于不同宗教信仰的国人这方面，扮演了重要的角色。

8 对我们来说，宗教和谐的建设永远都在进程中。近年来，新加坡人对各自的宗教信仰更虔诚了。但重要的是，我们必须确保我们的人民是新加坡的好公民，而不仅是一名虔诚的佛教徒、道教徒、基督徒、回教徒或兴都教徒。

9 的确，在我们看来，新加坡社会的多元性就是我们的优势。我们的多元社会聚集了来自不同背景的人们，在看待问题方面，他们独到的见解，能帮助我们深入了解这瞬息万变的世界。我们的世界由许多不同社群组成，而新加坡的多元性恰好帮助我们了解世界其他社群之间的差异。我们为融合不同族群所付出的努力，使我们成为更坚韧的社会。

10 这个策略在我们的对外关系方面也起了作用。新加坡人和其他亚洲人民之间不只文化和语言相近，甚至有亲戚关系，这些帮助我们和其他亚洲国家建立友好关系，也因为互相了解而产生亲切感。不过，我们是以新加坡这个多元的国家身份和其他国家进行外交，而不是华族国家、马来族国家或印度族国家。

11 新加坡的现状，反映了世界各国正在面对的一项挑战，那就是如何使属于不同宗教、拥有不同价值观、来自不同背景的人们和睦相处。我们还是个年轻的国家，必须探索出适合自己的道路。下个月，新加坡将主办社会和谐国际大会，主题是 “众多社群，共同未来”，旨在推动有关社会和谐的讨论。我们希望借此机会分享我们的经验，也向其他国家学习。习主席倡议召开这次大会，正好体现了我们如何能够在各亚洲文明之间展开对话，以及让对话延伸至世界上其他文明。我也同意其他演讲者之前所提出论点，就是我们必须更了解自己的文明，同时创造和谐、尊重、包容和谅解。不过，这并不表示我们的文明必须与外界隔绝，而是应该能够和其他文明携手合作，加强多元性，让世界更丰富多彩。

1最后，让我以新加坡学生每天都在学校一起宣读的信约，结束我的演讲。这个信约概括了我今天的演讲内容，也体现了我们凡事以人为本的信念。这个信念，以及我们应对周遭环境、与他人合作的能力，能帮助我们为新加坡，甚至全世界，实现繁荣与进步：

“我们是新加坡公民

誓愿不分种族、言语、宗教，团结一致

建设公正平等的民主社会

并为实现国家之幸福、繁荣与进步，共同努力。”

13 谢谢。