Port logistics and environmental services are two areas of focus in the year ahead, said the Singapore-Tianjin Economic and Trade Council (STETC) yesterday. Delivering a report card of sorts, council co-chair and Minister of National Development Khaw Boon Wan said that Singapore's investments in Tianjin exceeded US$2.5 billion, in the four years since the council was first formed in 2007. This was 15 per cent of investments flowing from Singapore into China over that period.
The council's success so far 'goes way beyond the Tianjin Eco-city, to the rest of Tianjin city and the Tianjin Binhai New Area', said Mr Khaw at the 4th council meeting yesterday, his first since taking over co-chairmanship from former minister Mah Bow Tan.
The Tianjin Eco-city, a key project under the council's purview, will be ready to receive its first residents in a few months' time, said Mr Khaw, who co-chaired the meeting with Tianjin Mayor Huang Xingguo.
Beyond that, Singapore-based companies have also been pursuing other opportunities in 'China's growth engine in the North', such as in education and water resource management, integrated property development and business parks, Mr Khaw said.
Jurong International, Tat Seng Packaging Group and Hi-P International were among the local companies which inked ten preliminary agreements for a range of projects including ones in urban solutions and logistics. One of the ten was to set up a Tianjin chapter of the Singapore Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China.
The two areas of focus in the year ahead - port and logistics and environmental services - are both ones in which Singapore companies have expertise and experience to share.
The first is in line with the Chinese State Council's approval to transform Tianjin's Dongjiang Free Trade Port Zone into North China's international shipping centre, while the latter rides on Tianjin being chosen to pilot projects in environmental services and eco-technologies.
'Building liveable and sustainable cities is really a global priority,' said Mr Khaw. 'Increasingly, people are realising that cities will succeed if you are most able to attract world class talent to come and work and live in your cities,' he said, adding that Tianjin's long history and cultural background gives it huge advantages in this 'contest of global talents'.
Mr Khaw said that a top priority of this council would be to learn from one another and 'make friends', as he has in his 15 years working with authorities in Jiangsu, along with Minister of State for National Development and Trade and Industry Lee Yi Shyan.
Mr Lee took over from Senior Minister of State Grace Fu as the vice-chairman of the STETC yesterday.
The council's success so far 'goes way beyond the Tianjin Eco-city, to the rest of Tianjin city and the Tianjin Binhai New Area', said Mr Khaw at the 4th council meeting yesterday, his first since taking over co-chairmanship from former minister Mah Bow Tan.
The Tianjin Eco-city, a key project under the council's purview, will be ready to receive its first residents in a few months' time, said Mr Khaw, who co-chaired the meeting with Tianjin Mayor Huang Xingguo.
Beyond that, Singapore-based companies have also been pursuing other opportunities in 'China's growth engine in the North', such as in education and water resource management, integrated property development and business parks, Mr Khaw said.
Jurong International, Tat Seng Packaging Group and Hi-P International were among the local companies which inked ten preliminary agreements for a range of projects including ones in urban solutions and logistics. One of the ten was to set up a Tianjin chapter of the Singapore Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China.
The two areas of focus in the year ahead - port and logistics and environmental services - are both ones in which Singapore companies have expertise and experience to share.
The first is in line with the Chinese State Council's approval to transform Tianjin's Dongjiang Free Trade Port Zone into North China's international shipping centre, while the latter rides on Tianjin being chosen to pilot projects in environmental services and eco-technologies.
'Building liveable and sustainable cities is really a global priority,' said Mr Khaw. 'Increasingly, people are realising that cities will succeed if you are most able to attract world class talent to come and work and live in your cities,' he said, adding that Tianjin's long history and cultural background gives it huge advantages in this 'contest of global talents'.
Mr Khaw said that a top priority of this council would be to learn from one another and 'make friends', as he has in his 15 years working with authorities in Jiangsu, along with Minister of State for National Development and Trade and Industry Lee Yi Shyan.
Mr Lee took over from Senior Minister of State Grace Fu as the vice-chairman of the STETC yesterday.