Shanghai and Singapore embark on new journey

Shanghai and Singapore have agreed to further promote all-round collaboration, signing memorandums of understanding for cooperation in four major areas.

Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng commented at the second meeting of the Shanghai-Singapore Comprehensive Cooperation Council on Friday: "We are ready to join hands with Singapore to embark on a new journey of comprehensive collaboration and achieve mutual benefit at a higher level."

It is hoped that the two cities will work together to build a hub for "dual circulation", upgrade the capacity of free trade zones and serve the Yangtze River Delta development, thus making greater contribution to the development of Sino-Singapore relations.

Authorities, institutions and enterprises in the two cities signed MoUs at the meeting to strengthen partnership in four key areas — the Belt and Road development, financial cooperation, culture exchanges, and science and technology innovation.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Singapore. The two cities have been in long-term collaboration, and  have achieved remarkable results in six major areas since the first meeting of  the SSCCC.

"We hope to further consolidate collaboration in areas such as trade and people-to-people exchanges," said Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai, Singapore's Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, as well as Second Minister for Communications and Information.

Wong also expressed the intention to strengthen financial connectivity, promote exchanges in transport and supply chains, and deepen innovative ties between the two places. 

"While the COVID-19 epidemic has changed our way of work and communication, it has not weakened our resolve to deepen our partnership," Wong said.