SINGAPORE - Trade and economic collaboration between Singapore and China's southern province of Guangdong is set to deepen with the signing of 18 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) worth an estimated $4.7 billion yesterday.
The signings were witnessed by Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew and Politburo member and Guangdong party secretary Hu Chunhua, one of the Chinese Communist Party's rising stars.
Key projects include rebuilding Datansha island in the provincial capital Guangzhou and developing the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City, which is aimed at attracting knowledge-based industries.
Here since Sunday, Mr Hu, 51, met Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong yesterday and will call on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong today.
In a speech yesterday, Mr Hu said Guangdong has much to learn from Singapore's success.
'Singapore serves as a good example for Guangdong in terms of promoting industrial transformation and upgrading, developing modern industrial systems, balancing development and resource conservation and developing an environmentally friendly community,' he said at the Singapore- China (Guangdong) Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference, hosted by International Enterprise Singapore.
In his address, Mr Lui, who co-chairs the Singapore-Guangdong Collaboration Council, thanked Mr Hu for the time, effort and attention he gave to the Singapore projects in Guangdong.
'With his personal direction and support, I know we are bound for even better things.'
Guangdong is Singapore's top trading partner in China, with two-way trade reaching US$17.9 billion (S$22.4 billion) last year.
Singapore was China's largest foreign investor last year, with US$7.33 billion.
changmc@sph.com.sg This article was published on April 22 in The Straits Times.
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