MFA Press Statement: Visit by Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong to Shandong Province, The People's Republic of China (10 to 13 April 2014)

Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong met Shandong Party Secretary Jiang Yikang, Shandong Governor Guo Shuqing, Jinan Party Secretary Wang Min and Mayor Yang Luyu in Jinan, Shandong Province, earlier today. ESM and the Shandong leaders reaffirmed the longstanding ties and extensive cooperation between Singapore and Shandong. They also acknowledged the good progress and effectiveness of the Singapore-Shandong Business Council (SSBC) as a platform to enhance bilateral cooperation between Singapore and Shandong.

Shandong Party Secretary Jiang Yikang called ESM an old friend of China and Shandong, and briefed ESM on Shandong’s development in the past decade. Party Secretary Jiang also called for deeper and more extensive cooperation between Singapore and Shandong in new areas such as finance, human resource development and social management. This topic would be discussed at the 18th meeting of the SSBC later this year. ESM congratulated Party Secretary Jiang and Shandong’s leaders on Shandong’s progress and agreed that Singapore and Shandong should continue to pursue broad-based cooperation. Party Secretary Jiang hosted ESM and the Singapore delegation to lunch.

Shandong Governor Guo Shuqing told ESM that Shandong was keen to learn from Singapore’s experience in many areas such as modern services, Research and Development, education, healthcare and innovation. To this end, both sides should establish a “new starting point” to strengthen bilateral cooperation building upon the strong foundation that has already been established.

Jinan Party Secretary Wang Min, who hosted ESM and the Singapore delegation to breakfast, encouraged more Singapore companies to invest in Jinan and Shandong, and assured that Jinan will provide a business-friendly environment for Singaporean companies. ESM, accompanied by Party Secretary Wang, attended a briefing on the Sino-Singapore Jinan Smart City Project, which is Singapore’s largest investment in Jinan to date.

ESM was accompanied by Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Singapore Co-Chair of the SSBC Teo Ser Luck, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and for Culture, Community and Youth Sam Tan, as well as officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Trade and Industry and International Enterprise Singapore. This visit seeks to reaffirm Singapore’s ties with Shandong, which is the first Chinese province with which Singapore established a business council in 1993.