PR100087

FUZHOU, China, May 18, 2023 /Xinhua=KYODO JBN/--

From May 15 to 17, Zhou Zuyi, Secretary of Fujian Provincial Committee and

Chairman of the Standing Committee of Fujian Provincial People's Congress led a

delegation to Singapore, according to the Information Office of Fujian

Provincial People's Government.

Acting on the important consensus reached by the state leaders of China and

Singapore, the delegation organized extensive activities to promote business

cooperation and cultural exchanges, and visited Fujian communities. With the

aim of deepening friendship and upgrading the cooperation between Fujian and

Singapore, the visit sought to tap into the strengths of both sides and achieve

win-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 Fujian

origin.

With geographical proximity and cultural affinity, Fujian and Singapore have

maintained frequent exchanges in various fields. After China and Singapore

established diplomatic relations in 1990, Fujian-Singapore cooperation has

gained 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 billion

Chinese yuan, an increase of 36.8% year-on-year. By the end of 2022, Singapore

had invested in 1,833 projects in Fujian Province, with a total contractual

investment of USD11.87 billion.

In 1821, the first Chinese junk boat to sail directly from China to Singapore

departed from Xiamen, Fujian Province. Since then, Fujian and Singapore have

enjoyed increasingly frequent economic and trade cooperation and

people-to-people exchanges.

Economic and trade cooperation have brought Fujian and Singapore closer in

economic ties. The Department of Commerce of Fujian Province and the

International Enterprise Singapore and other institutions jointly held a series

of promotional events such as the China (Fujian)-Singapore Symposium on

Economic, Trade, and Financial Cooperation in 2023, and the Summit for

International (SG-CN Fujian) Technology Enterprises Cooperation in 2022. These

events served to encourage leading Singaporean enterprises in electronics,

information technology, and petrochemical sectors to leverage their advantages

in capital, technology, equipment and products and establish operations in

Fujian, thus driving related industries in Fujian toward higher-quality

development and further enhancing economic and trade cooperation between Fujian

and Singapore.

Source: The Information Office of Fujian Provincial People's Government