China and Singapore on Monday agreed to expand bilateral cooperation and jointly defend the multilateral trade system, thereby underscoring closer economic coordination. Notably, the agreement reflects shared concern over rising global trade uncertainty and fragmentation.
The commitment followed a series of high-level bilateral meetings held in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing. Importantly, the discussions demonstrated sustained engagement between senior leaders from both countries.
Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang and Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong jointly chaired four major bilateral cooperation mechanisms. In particular, these included the China-Singapore Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation and three flagship project steering council meetings.
Specifically, officials reviewed progress at the Suzhou Industrial Park, the Tianjin Eco-City, and the Chongqing Strategic Connectivity Initiative. Collectively, these projects continue to serve as core pillars of long-standing China-Singapore collaboration.
During the meetings, both sides exchanged detailed views on advancing high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. At the same time, they explored expanding national-level projects and strengthening economic and financial coordination.
Moreover, the discussions covered innovation, sustainable development, public health cooperation, and people-to-people cultural exchanges. As a result, officials emphasized that these areas remain critical for long-term partnership growth.
Importantly, both governments agreed to better align development strategies to identify new shared economic opportunities. In addition, they committed to upgrading flagship projects through stronger and more consistent policy coordination.
Furthermore, officials stressed the need to cultivate new productive forces to deliver tangible and landmark outcomes across priority sectors. Consequently, they linked these efforts directly to maintaining competitiveness and economic resilience.
At the same time, both countries reaffirmed strong support for the multilateral trade system as a foundation for regional stability. Accordingly, they argued that open and rules-based trade frameworks remain essential for sustainable growth across Asia.
Ahead of the meetings, Ding and Gan held separate talks reviewing the broader trajectory of bilateral relations. During those talks, Ding credited the relationship’s stability to consistent strategic guidance from both national leaderships.
Additionally, he emphasized that mutual trust and respect for core interests remain vital for steady bilateral growth. Therefore, he urged sustained political alignment amid shifting geopolitical conditions.
Meanwhile, Gan reaffirmed Singapore’s strong commitment to long-term relations with China. Notably, he reiterated Singapore’s adherence to the one-China policy and opposition to Taiwan independence.
Furthermore, Gan added that Singapore seeks deeper exchanges at all government levels to further expand cooperation. In this context, he highlighted dialogue as essential for managing shared regional challenges.
Following the meetings, both leaders attended the launch of new international rail freight services from Chongqing. Specifically, the routes connect Chongqing with Central Asia and Southeast Asia under a multimodal logistics framework.
As a result, analysts view the railway launch as a practical step toward strengthening supply chain resilience and trade diversification. Overall, observers say the meetings reinforced a shared commitment to the multilateral trade system amid global economic fragmentation.
Looking ahead, officials expect intensified cooperation to strengthen regional connectivity, stability, and long-term prosperity.
