DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY

Another highlight of China-Singapore cooperation focuses on digital connectivity in a bid to boost the development of digital economy, which has become more pertinent than ever amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first Joint Implementation Committee meeting of the Singapore-China (Shenzhen) Smart City Initiative was held online in June, during which eight MOUs were signed.

Analysts believe that the initiative would facilitate the digital collaboration between Southeast Asia and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in south China, a region which China aims to develop into "a role model of high-quality development."

In another development, Singapore and China's Chongqing co-hosted the Smart China Expo (SCE) Online in September. Singapore was a guest of honor for the previous two sessions of the expos in 2018 and 2019.

In her speech at the SCE, Singapore's Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo noted that Singapore and Chongqing have a shared commitment to be at the forefront of digital connectivity, and digital connectivity is a key pillar of the CCI.

She noted that COVID-19 has made "going digital" central to everyday interaction.

"Digital connectivity has also enhanced physical trade and connectivity between our regions. We have worked together to make the clearance of goods more efficient" by linking Singapore's Networked Trade Platform, a one-stop trade and logistics ecosystem which supports digitalization efforts, and China's single window platform, making the exchange of digital trade documents between the two countries seamless and reduce costs for businesses, said the minister.