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Singapore to strengthen collaboration with China’s Greater Bay Area: Ong Ye Kung
SINO-SINGAPORE collaboration will continue to strengthen, despite disruptions that have been brought on by the pandemic, said Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung at the FutureChina Global Forum on Monday.
In his speech, Mr Ong outlined several points for deeper bilateral collaboration as China further develops the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the Yangtze River Delta regions.
In the finance sector, investments and knowledge exchange will be key to ensuring sustainable development in both Singapore and the GBA. As climate change continues to threaten development, Singapore players who are more experienced in risk management solutions can tap these opportunities.
Speaking on sustainable infrastructure development, Mr Ong said: “In Asia alone, from now till 2030, about US$1.7 trillion in funding is needed each year. With this immense demand, financial players in Singapore and the GBA ecosystems can collaborate and champion for capital to be channelled to green projects and sustainable development.”
Such efforts can dovetail with Singapore’s Green Plan and China’s aim to achieve carbon neutrality, and both countries can “jointly build a green economy”, according to Mr Ong.
He said: “In the post-pandemic era, as we start to adopt sustainable solutions that are environmentally-oriented, it opens greater room for both sides to explore collaborations. For a start, we could share best practices and experiences gleaned from developing solutions for new transport technologies, smart cities, water and waste management, and energy efficiency.”
Additionally, Mr Ong expressed the need for continued bilateral talent exchanges and interactions between the two countries’ innovation ecosystems.
“Both the GBA and Singapore have vibrant innovation ecosystems. Supported by a deep interconnected web of startups, investors and corporates, Singapore’s innovation ecosystem serves as a good base for the co-development of solutions, test-bedding, commercialisation, and for scaling up in the region,” he said of possible collaboration.
Mr Ong also cited new opportunities for exchange and cooperation in the manufacturing, biomedical, and intellectual property protection sectors as demand in these industries grows.
The minister expressed his assurance that leisure and work travel will resume post-pandemic as mutual recognition of health and vaccination certificates is achieved.
Source: https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/singapore-to-strengthen-collaboration-with-chinas-greater-bay-area-ong-ye-kung