Fujian Delegation Visits Singapore for Economic, Trade and Cultural Exchanges

FUZHOU,China,May 18,2023 -- From May 15 to 17,Zhou Zuyi,Secretary of Fujian Provincial Committee andChairman of the Standing Committee of Fujian Provincial People's Congress led adelegation to Singapore,according to the Information Office of FujianProvincial People's Government.

Acting on the important consensus reached by the state leaders of China andSingapore,the delegation organized extensive activities to promote businesscooperation and cultural exchanges,and visited Fujian communities. With theaim of deepening friendship and upgrading the cooperation between Fujian andSingapore,the visit sought to tap into the strengths of both sides and achievewin-win outcomes.

Singapore is a major destination for Fujian migrants in the past few centuries,and one of the first countries to participate in Fujian's opening up and development after the implementation of China's reform and opening up policy. At present,around 1.63 million overseas Chinese in Singapore are of Fujianorigin.

With geographical proximity and cultural affinity,Fujian and Singapore havemaintained frequent exchanges in various fields. After China and Singaporeestablished diplomatic relations in 1990,Fujian-Singapore cooperation hasgained a stronger momentum in the fields of science and technology,education,health,culture and tourism,adding impetus to the development of both sides.

In 2022,two-way trade between Fujian and Singapore amounted to 27.14 billionChinese yuan,an increase of 36.8% year-on-year. By the end of 2022,Singaporehad invested in 1,833 projects in Fujian Province,with a total contractualinvestment of USD11.87 billion.

In 1821,the first Chinese junk boat to sail directly from China to Singaporedeparted from Xiamen,Fujian Province. Since then,Fujian and Singapore haveenjoyed increasingly frequent economic and trade cooperation andpeople-to-people exchanges.

Economic and trade cooperation have brought Fujian and Singapore closer ineconomic ties. The Department of Commerce of Fujian Province and theInternational Enterprise Singapore and other institutions jointly held a seriesof promotional events such as the China (Fujian)-Singapore Symposium onEconomic,Trade,and Financial Cooperation in 2023,and the Summit forInternational (SG-CN Fujian) Technology Enterprises Cooperation in 2022. Theseevents served to encourage leading Singaporean enterprises in electronics,information technology,and petrochemical sectors to leverage their advantagesin capital,technology,equipment and products and establish operations inFujian,thus driving related industries in Fujian toward higher-qualitydevelopment and further enhancing economic and trade cooperation between Fujianand Singapore.