Transcript of Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and for Home Affairs Sim Ann's Keynote Speech at the 18th Japan-Singapore Symposium, Tokyo, Japan, 17 September 2025

Distinguished participants,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. Good morning. It is my pleasure to be back in Japan for the 18^th Japan-Singapore Symposium (JSS). I am also glad that we are gathering in Tokyo again. This is a great opportunity to catch up with our Japanese friends and deepen the ties between our two peoples. Please allow me to convey a short message in Japanese, to our Japanese friends.

2. このたび日本を訪問する機会を得ましたことを、大変光栄に思っております。次回はぜひシンガポールにお越しいただけますよう、心よりお待ち申し上げております。 [Translation: I am very pleased to be here in Japan. I hope that we can welcome you to Singapore the next time.]

3. The theme of this year’s Symposium is “Japan-Singapore Cooperation in a World Remade”. This is very apt because the world, as we know it, is indeed being remade. The global consensus that had once brought peace and prosperity to our countries and region is fraying. The rules-based international order painstakingly built over decades is no longer seen as the default framework. Binding treaties and alliances are no longer treated as sacrosanct. A world where “might is right” is a more dangerous world for all. At the same time, open markets and free trade are increasingly viewed with scepticism. Global supply chain integration has taken a backseat, giving way to protectionism and onshoring. These pressures will have an outsized impact on global investors and open economies like Singapore and Japan. It is unclear if a new world order will eventually emerge, or if the global order will continue to fragment. What is clear, however, is that the global rules of engagement are changing.

4. Singapore’s approach in this uncertain environment is to remain anchored in our principles. We are committed to rules-based multilateralism and the peaceful resolution of disputes according to international law. We continue to seek opportunities and partnerships for greater economic integration. Our conviction is that the pressing global challenges we face require more cooperation, and not less. In this effort, Japan and Singapore are natural and like-minded partners. Our two countries have a similar strategic outlook shaped by our shared interests in sustaining peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and beyond.

5. As we chart a path forward, let me suggest three ways in which Singapore and Japan can work together to navigate these unchartered waters.

6. First, let us continue to invest in our bilateral partnership to ensure that it remains dynamic and relevant for this brave new world. We have a mature relationship, with substantive cooperation in many traditional areas. We should continue to pursue collaboration in forward-looking areas, just as we have done before. When the Japan-Singapore Economic Partnership Agreement (JSEPA) was signed in 2002, it broke new ground as Japan’s first bilateral economic partnership agreement and Singapore’s first FTA with a major trading partner. Today, we are among each other’s top trading partners. In 2023, Singapore was Japan’s top investor by flow and third-largest source of FDI stock. Singapore is also Japan’s second largest digital trade partner.

7. Looking ahead, there is ample scope to deepen cooperation in emerging areas, such as in the digital economy, AI governance, and the green transition. Our bilateral cooperation in some of these areas can be pathfinders for the rest of the world. I am therefore glad that our two countries signed a Memorandum of Cooperation last August to collaborate on carbon capture and storage. The Memorandum facilitates knowledge exchange on key technologies in this domain, as well as best practices for cross-border carbon capture and storage. These efforts will help accelerate the adoption of this important decarbonisation pathway. Likewise, I welcome the steady progress of the Singapore-Japan Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (GDSC) since I last spoke about it last year. Both sides have been exploring deeper collaboration in areas like port decarbonisation, ammonia bunkering, cybersecurity, digital data exchange, and autonomous shipping. We also look forward to opportunities to deepen our partnership in the digital economy, building on our interests in encouraging interoperable systems and developing common rules and frameworks.

8. Let me also say that the strength of our friendship fundamentally rests on the excellent people-to-people ties between Singaporeans and Japanese. In 2024, nearly 700,000 Singapore residents visited Japan – which is a remarkable figure given our small population of six million. Meanwhile, close to 600,000 Japanese visitors came to Singapore. Let us continue to find more ways to encourage meaningful exchange to foster greater trust and mutual understanding.

9. Second, let us strengthen ASEAN-Japan cooperation to ensure that our region remains peaceful, stable, and prosperous. Japan has long been a reliable friend of ASEAN, contributing to the region’s stability, development, and prosperity for more than five decades. As the current country coordinator for ASEAN-Japan relations, Singapore is committed to advancing the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, under which ASEAN and Japan will be “Partners for Peace and Stability”, “Partners for Co-creation of Economy and Society of the Future”, and “Heart-to-Heart Partners across Generations”. We will work with Japan to deepen ASEAN-Japan cooperation in areas including defence, trade, as well as the digital and green economies. We welcome Japan’s critical role in forging a stable, open, and inclusive regional order, and look forward to Japan’s continued contributions to the tangible implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

10. Third, Singapore and Japan must work together to find creative, pragmatic solutions to buttress the rules-based multilateral order. We should continue to build resilient networks and work pragmatically with other like-minded partners on specific issues even when universal consensus is elusive. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has named this approach “flexible multilateralism”. One example is the recently concluded E-Commerce Agreement at the World Trade Organisation, which was an outcome of a plurilateral Initiative on E-Commerce co-convened by Singapore and Japan alongside Australia. When successfully incorporated into the WTO framework, the Agreement will strengthen the global digital trade environment by establishing the first ever set of global baseline rules on e-commerce.

11. Continuing to work with groups of like-minded partners to deepen integration across regional blocs with strong economic heft will serve as a bulwark against the fragmentation of the global economy. Japan, of course, played a pivotal role in bringing the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) into being. The CPTPP is seen as a gold standard agreement. Today, there is scope to build on it. Some ideas include exploring new partnerships between the CPTPP and the EU, which together represent around 30% of the world’s GDP, or between the CPTPP and ASEAN. Such initiatives and linkages not only expand opportunities for growth, but enable Singapore and Japan, together with our like-minded partners, to exercise agency collectively. This will also send a strong signal that we remain committed to free trade and collaboration.

12. Let me conclude by mentioning that next year will be a very special year for Singapore and Japan. We will commemorate the 60^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. This is an important milestone that testifies to the depth and resilience of our friendship. As we look forward to enhancing our relations, the JSS plays a valuable role in bringing together leaders from both countries across academia, business, media, and government, to engage in a frank exchange of fresh ideas. My hope is that discussions this year will generate creative and novel ways for Singapore and Japan to jointly tackle global challenges, strengthen our partnership for the next 60 years and beyond, and contribute to shaping a more stable, inclusive, and resilient global order.

13. Thank you.

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