SM Lee says S'pore & Japan found ways to move beyond difficult historical past, hails strong ties

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong said leaders from Singapore and Japan have found ways to move beyond a difficult historical past to forge cooperation based on mutual economic and strategic interests, as well as nurtured an enduring friendship.

He was speaking at the Singapore National Day Celebrations at the Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan on Aug. 24.

SM Lee noted that Singapore will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2026.

The former prime minister also affirmed that the two countries will maintain this partnership in the years to come.

60 years of partnership

Japanese investments have been pivotal to Singapore’s economic take-off, with Japanese companies being among the first to believe in Singapore’s potential, SM Lee said.

He traced the building of ties to 60 years ago.

"Companies such as Sony, Panasonic, Shimano, and Sumitomo invested in Singapore, and became steadfast partners in our nation-building journey," he noted.

This created jobs, transferred technical knowledge and developed Singapore's industrial capabilities.

The Japan-Singapore Economic Partnership Agreement, signed in 2002, also marked another milestone in the partnership.

It was Japan’s first bilateral economic partnership agreement, and Singapore’s first Free Trade Agreement with a major trading partner.

"It was a gold standard agreement for a new era and served as a pathfinder for subsequent regional economic agreements," SM Lee said.

Now, the two countries are among each other’s top 10 trading partners.

Regional cooperation

Beyond building on bilateral relations, Singapore and Japan also work closely on regional cooperation, SM Lee said.

Both countries shared similar strategic outlooks, he noted.

"Singapore welcomes Japan’s efforts to step up its contributions to regional peace and security, such as through official development aid and official security assistance programmes to Southeast Asian countries," he said.

In its role as country coordinator for Asean-Japan relations, SM Lee said Singapore will strengthen the Asean-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to further enhance Japan’s engagement with the region.

People-to-people ties

SM Lee added that the "deep people-to-people ties" between ordinary Singaporeans and Japanese play an important role in the relationship.

Singapore and Japan are among each other’s top holiday destinations, with 700,000 Singapore residents visiting Japan and close to 600,000 Japanese visitors coming to Singapore in 2024.

Additionally, more than 30,000 Japanese live in Singapore, while about 3,000 Singaporeans live in Japan.

"Our youth are also forging ties in the next generation, with flourishing exchange programmes and research partnerships, and the continued interest in studying Japanese language and culture among Singaporean young people," SM Lee noted.

Such deep connections will foster trust and mutual understanding, laying a strong foundation for Singapore-Japan relations in the years ahead, he said.

"I am confident that the next chapter of Singapore-Japan relationship will be even more dynamic and progressive. By building on our strong foundations, we can create new partnerships that will benefit our people for many years to come."

Top photo from Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI)