People sustain a relationship, not just projects or agreements: Gan Kim Yong on S'pore-China 35 years of diplomacy

It is people, rather than projects and agreements, that sustains a relationship, said Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong on Oct. 3.

His remarks came at the book launch of "Singapore and China: Neighbours to Friends, Friends to Partners", released today (Oct. 3) at the National Library to commemorate the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and China.

The book, jointly edited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MFA) Ambassador-at-Large Professor Tommy Koh and SPH Chinese Media Group's Editor-in-Chief Lee Huay Leng, discusses the bilateral ties between both countries over more than three decades.

It is a collection of essays from 35 thought leaders across various disciples, most of whom have worked in or closely engaged with China in their careers.

Neighbours to friends, to partners

Singapore and China formally established diplomatic relations in 1990, but a bilateral relationship was already underway well before, Gan said.

He reflected on the development of the relationship in the past 35 years, from founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's first visit to China in 1976, to joint projects like the Suzhou Industrial Park and Tianjin Eco-City in 1994 and 2008 respectively.

"They showcased how Singapore and China could combine strengths – Singapore’s connectivity, systems thinking and openness to the world; with China’s dynamism, innovation and sheer scale," he said.

Learning from one another

On that front, Koh, who led Singapore's delegation to China to establish the diplomatic relationship, said that both countries have much to "learn from each other".

In response to a query by Mothership, he said Singapore has caught up with China in many ways, and there is a new paradigm where the countries can learn from each other.

While there are some areas China is "eager to learn" from Singapore, such as good governance and zero tolerance of corruption, there are also new areas for potential cooperation such as the digital and green economy.

On the other hand, China's different "concept of doing business and how they invest" from Singapore's is something worth learning from, his co-editor Lee said.

"So are we able to understand them and follow up with such change when they are bigger in this part of the world?" she asked rhetorically.

Bilateral ties

The economic partnership between both countries also forms a vital part of the bilateral relations, Gan said.

Singapore has been China's largest investor since 2013, while China is Singapore's largest trading partner.

Ultimately, he said it is the people that sustains the relationship, in particular the personal bonds and friendships formed between leaders and regular citizens on both sides.

"Each of these is another thread in the tapestry of our bilateral ties," he said.

Finally, Gan laid out three points to continue sustaining a strong relationship with China: Looking forward, strengthening people-to-people ties and creating win-win outcomes in a turbulent world.

"Let us carry forward the tapestry of trust and respect woven by past generations, and add new threads that will make it even richer and stronger."

Top images by Constance Tan/Mothership