Press Statements
Official Visit by Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong to Japan, 17 to 19 March 2026
18 March 2026
Official Visit by Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong to Japan, 17 to 19 March 2026.
Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong is on an Official Visit to Japan.
Prime Minister Wong met Japan Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae at the Prime Minister’s Office today. Prime Minister Takaichi also hosted Prime Minister Wong to a working dinner.
The two leaders affirmed the enduring partnership between Singapore and Japan on the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. They welcomed robust bilateral economic ties, noting that Singapore and Japan are each other’s top investors. They agreed to deepen cooperation in areas such as the green and digital economies as well as supply chain and economic resilience. This will help both countries better navigate the uncertain geopolitical environment, and deliver benefits for our peoples and businesses.
Prime Minister Wong and Prime Minister Takaichi agreed on the importance of working together to uphold free and open trade, the rules-based international order, and the open and inclusive regional architecture with ASEAN at its centre. As the country coordinator for ASEAN-Japan relations, Prime Minister Wong committed to work closely with Japan to implement the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). This includes deepening economic integration and collaborating on digital and green initiatives, such as the ASEAN Power Grid. The Prime Ministers exchanged views on regional and international developments, including the situation in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Wong and Prime Minister Takaichi announced the upgrade of Singapore-Japan relations to a Strategic Partnership. The Strategic Partnership provides a framework to deepen and expand bilateral cooperation in existing and forward-looking areas, which can serve as pathfinders for broader regional and international cooperation. The Joint Statement of the Japan-Singapore Strategic Partnership is at Annex.
Prime Minister Wong had separate meetings with former Japan Prime Ministers Ishiba Shigeru, Kishida Fumio and Aso Taro. He thanked them for their contributions to strengthening bilateral cooperation and deepening Japan’s engagement with the region. They also discussed regional and international affairs.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
18 MARCH 2026
ANNEX
JOINT STATEMENT ON THE ESTABLISHMENT
OF A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP
BETWEEN JAPAN AND THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE
1. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Republic of Singapore, Prime Minister of Japan Her Excellency Takaichi Sanae and Prime Minister of Singapore His Excellency Lawrence Wong announced the establishment of a Strategic Partnership between Japan and Singapore on 18 March 2026.
2. Japan and Singapore enjoy a longstanding and enduring partnership founded on common interests and similar outlooks. We uphold the international order based on the rule of law, a rules-based multilateral trading system, and a free, open, transparent, resilient, inclusive and rules-based regional architecture.
3. We acknowledge that, as a “Trusted Partner” of ASEAN, Japan has been contributing to the region’s peace, stability, prosperity and integrity through consistent and comprehensive engagement, including its unwavering support for ASEAN Centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). We share the mutual understanding that the AOIP and the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) share fundamental principles, and the promotion and implementation of the AOIP will also contribute to promoting an international order based on the rule of law and a rules-based Indo-Pacific that is free and open. In this regard, we welcome the adoption of the Joint Statement of the 28th ASEAN-Japan Summit on Further Promotion and Implementation of the AOIP, which affirms the synergy between the AOIP and the FOIP, and reaffirm our commitment to promote and implement concrete AOIP projects and activities that contribute to fundamental principles shared by the AOIP and the FOIP.
4. The Strategic Partnership between Japan and Singapore will deepen the foundations of our substantive and multifaceted relationship and expand cooperation in forward-looking areas, including in the five pillars below. It will also strengthen cooperation on a plethora of issues in the international arena, especially when the international security environment and multilateral trading system are confronting increasingly significant challenges.
I. Promotion of Free Trade and Economic Cooperation
5. We reaffirm our commitment to free and open trade, economic resilience, and mutual prosperity. The Japan-Singapore Economic Partnership Agreement is the cornerstone of our substantive and dynamic economic relationship. This is complemented by the Japan-Singapore Economic Dialogue as a high-level platform to discuss enhancing cooperation in priority areas such as:
5.1. Expanding bilateral cooperation in the digital economy in areas such as facilitating digital trade, addressing data-related issues, and setting rules and standards to build business and consumer trust, including through working closely as Co-Convenors of the WTO Joint Statement Initiative on E-Commerce.
5.2. Strengthening trade and investment flows through enhancing facilitation by renewing the Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) between Enterprise Singapore and Japan External Trade Organisation.
5.3. Cooperating on economic security by leveraging industrial complementarities, and reinforcing supply chain resilience and preparedness against future disruptions, starting with the prioritisation of the sectors.
5.4. Promoting open innovation and co-creation, enhancing startup cooperation, reviewing deployment potential and sharing best practices in technology adoption in areas such as digital and green transformations, deep tech (including AI, automation, quantum computing, fusion energy) and secure digital systems.
6. We express our shared commitment to support WTO reform to ensure its continued relevance and effectiveness in addressing current and emerging trade challenges. We will work towards deepening coordination at regional economic fora such as the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to advance our shared commitment to free and open trade. We will ensure the full and effective implementation of the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP) Agreement, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement, and Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), to deepen regional integration, promote greater regional trade and investments, foster innovation, and create growth opportunities. We reaffirm our commitment to lead discussions on maintaining and enhancing the high standards of the CPTPP and expanding its membership.
7. We will strengthen our collaboration in FinTech and digital assets, including by building on the Co-operation Framework between the Financial Services Agency of Japan and the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Both sides will also participate in FinTech events and digital asset initiatives of mutual interest.
8. Strengthening collaboration in the agriculture and food sector, including through facilitating agri-food trade, by renewing the MOC between Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Singapore’s Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment.
II. Digitalisation and Technology
9. With our respective strengths in research and development (R&D), innovation, digitalisation, and technology, we recognise the opportunities of collaborating to harness emerging technologies for good and develop them in a responsible way by:
9.1. Establishing an ICT policy dialogue and exploring the renewal of the MOC on ICT Cooperation between Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and Singapore’s Ministry of Digital Development and Information to explore cooperation in the digital fields including the digital infrastructure development.
9.2. Deepening collaboration on AI to build a safe, secure, and trustworthy AI ecosystem. This includes areas such as AI safety, AI governance, and AI models that respects local languages and cultures, including through the ASEAN-Japan Co-Creation Initiative for AI.
9.3. Advancing collaboration in digital and smart city projects in third countries under the framework of the MOC signed between Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise, with both sides exploring potential areas for cooperation.
9.4. Deepening collaboration on quantum through the implementation of the MOC on Quantum Science, Technology and Innovation signed between Japan’s Cabinet Office and Singapore’s Ministry of Digital Development and Information in January 2026.
9.5. Deepening partnerships on semiconductors, particularly in R&D collaboration for next-generation semiconductor technologies.
9.6. Strengthening cybersecurity cooperation, including through information exchange, capacity building and other collaborative activities, as enhanced by renewing the MOC between Japan’s Centre of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (renamed as the National Cybersecurity Office) and Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency (CSA).
9.7. Harmonising cybersecurity standards through the establishment of a MOC on mutual recognition of Internet-of-Things cybersecurity schemes between CSA and METI.
9.8. Cooperating in digital government through exchanges and knowledge sharing between the Digital Agency of Japan and GovTech Singapore, including exploring the renewal of the MOC.
9.9. Cooperating in protection of personal information, including through information exchange and other collaborative activities, as enhanced by the MOC to be signed in 2026 between the Personal Information Protection Commission Japan and Personal Data Protection Commission Singapore.
9.10. Expanding collaboration on space through the implementation of the MOC on space cooperation to be signed in 2026 between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the National Space Agency of Singapore (NSAS).
9.11. Promoting research cooperation to advance cutting-edge fields such as AI, quantum, and future communications, by facilitating international joint research, researcher and talent exchanges, and multi-stakeholder collaboration among Japan, Singapore, and ASEAN partners through the Networked Exchange, United Strength for Stronger Partnerships between Japan and ASEAN (NEXUS).
III. Security and Defence
10. We have a shared interest in regional peace and stability, including maritime security, while acknowledging an increasingly challenging security environment and the vital importance of open sea lanes to both countries. To deepen the security ties and the close practical coordination between our respective agencies in addressing security threats and disaster management, we will strengthen our cooperation by:
10.1. Facilitating high-level exchanges between the defence authorities including a regular Ministerial meeting on the occasion of the Shangri-La Dialogue.
10.2. Deepening collaboration between operational authorities including through bilateral and multilateral exercises.
10.3. Facilitating greater exchanges in areas of mutual interest, including in common platforms, lean-manning concepts, and unmanned systems.
10.4. Enhancing the defence equipment and technology cooperation by leveraging the Agreement concerning the Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology, including, where appropriate, deepening cooperation through professional exchanges in defence industry and technology, as well as by fostering innovation through startups collaboration.
10.5. Exploring science and technology collaborations in public safety-related applications.
10.6. Enhancing exchanges between law enforcement agencies, and efforts to combat transnational crime including drug trafficking, online scams, money laundering, trafficking in persons and cybercrime, as well as terrorism and violent extremism.
10.7. Enhancing exchanges between agencies in addressing disaster management.
10.8. Enhancing cooperation on arms control and disarmament efforts, including in the context of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Review cycle.
IV. Green Transition and Energy Cooperation
11. We reaffirm the importance of strengthening joint action to mitigate climate change and its effects. We will strengthen cooperation to facilitate our transition into a green economy, including through platforms such as the Asia Zero Emission Community, by:
11.1. Establishing bilateral frameworks to support Japan’s and Singapore’s net-zero goals, such as the Energy, Sustainability and Climate Change Framework between Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry.
11.2. Expanding cooperation on projects that contribute to green energy and the energy transition as well as decarbonisation technologies, while maintaining energy security. Areas include hydrogen/ammonia, offshore wind, civil nuclear, carbon capture and storage, biofuels, sustainable aviation fuels, LNG and subsea cables.
11.3. Expanding opportunities for participation in sustainable and transition financing solutions, such as the Financing Asia’s Transition Partnership and for the development of the ASEAN Power Grid.
11.4. Deepening environmental cooperation, including through renewing the MOC on Environmental Matters between Japan’s Ministry of the Environment and Singapore’s Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment. We will also continue operationalising the updated Strategic Program for ASEAN Climate and Environment (SPACE) 2025, including through initiatives such as Partnership to Strengthen Transparency for co-Innovation (PaSTI), the ASEAN-Japan Global Stocktake (GST) Report, ASEAN-Japan Resource Circulation Partnership (ARCPEEC), and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Implementation Support.
11.5. Strengthening collaboration on decarbonisation and digitalisation of shipping based on the MOC on Green and Digital Shipping Corridor between Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Singapore’s Ministry of Transport.
11.6. Deepening cooperation on climate science and climate adaptation, including through expanding the scope of the MOC between Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Singapore’s Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment.
V. Partnerships and Exchanges
12. We recognise that mutual trust and understanding must be sustained through increasing and regular engagements at all levels, including through institutional, social, arts and culture, youth, and academic exchanges. We concur on strengthening institutional ties by:
12.1. Continuing the annual Japan-Singapore Policy Dialogue between the Foreign Ministries to take stock of relations and enhance cooperation.
12.2. Fostering mutual understanding between officials under the annual Raffles Programme, where Japanese senior officials visit Singapore at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore (MFA).
12.3. Continuing to collaborate in providing third-country training programmes for developing countries under the Japan-Singapore Partnership Programme for the 21st Century (JSPP21) between the Japan International Cooperation Agency and MFA.
12.4. Enhancing civil service exchanges through the Knowledge Exchange Programme between Japan’s National Personnel Authority and Singapore’s Public Service Division.
13. We concur on stepping up cooperation in social issues such as family and children’s development, and healthcare, including health security, healthcare technology and R&D, aged care, health regulation, and communicable disease control.
14. We concur on strengthening people-to-people ties by:
14.1. Expanding opportunities for youth exchanges and facilitating bilateral cooperation in education, including through school partnerships and student exchanges, the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme and the Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Programme (SSEAYP). We welcomed the 49th SSEAYP’s port call in Singapore in February 2026 and Singapore’s continued participation in the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths.
14.2. Continuing to promote exchanges in arts and culture through exhibitions, performances, and joint programmes, including those hosted by the Japan Creative Centre.
14.3. Enhancing cooperation to further expand mutual travel between Japan and Singapore while welcoming that the annual number of two-way tourists reached approximately 1.36 million in 2025.
14.4. Deepening collaboration in civil aviation, including enhancing air connectivity between Japan and Singapore, leveraging on the Japan-Singapore Dialogue on Aviation Collaboration between the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau and Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.
Implementation
15. We task our Ministers and officials to work to implement the Japan-Singapore Strategic Partnership. The Foreign Ministers will oversee progress in implementation. The Partnership will be regularly reviewed to ensure that bilateral cooperation remains relevant and future-ready.
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