MEDIA STATEMENT

Minister and MOS Lee Yi Shyan visit and with 73-strong delegation

Singapore’s bilateral cooperation platform with ’s Province, the -Jiangsu Cooperation Council (SJCC), will hold its third annual meeting in Wuxi on 25 November 2009.

MR No.: 071/09 Singapore, Sunday, 22 November 2009

1. A delegation of top businessmen and officials will visit Jiangsu’s Suzhou and Wuxi from 23 – 26 November 2009. Led by Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Minister for Health and Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State (MOS) for Trade & Industry and Manpower, the delegation comprises Mr , Parliamentary Secretary for Trade & Industry and Information, Communications & the Arts, 53 representatives from 34 companies and 20 officials from Ministry of Trade & Industry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, IE Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board, Infocomm Development Authority and Building & Construction Authority. The companies, including SMEs, are from various industries, such as environmental services, port and logistics, education services, financial and legal services and more.

2. The mission is organised in conjunction with the third SJCC meeting to be held in Wuxi this year. SJCC is a bilateral cooperation platform co-chaired by Minister Khaw and Jiangsu Party Secretary Liang Baohua, with MOS Lee and Jiangsu Vice Governor Zhang Weiguo as the Deputy Co-Chair. IE Singapore is the Singapore Secretariat to the SJCC. The meeting will review cooperation initiatives in 2008, and discuss new collaboration areas for 2010. Specifically, the SJCC meeting agenda this year will include a briefing on the newly approved Jiangsu Coastal Development Plan as well as Lake Tai’s （太湖）conservation, which could open up new opportunities for Singapore businesses. IE Media Statement 22 Nov 09

3. The SJCC will culminate in the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding including two on the Singapore Eco Hi-tech Island, a key outcome of the 2009 workplan. During the mission, Singapore leaders will call on Jiangsu Party Secretary Liang Baohua, Jiangsu Governor Luo Zhijun, Suzhou Party Secretary Jiang Hongkun and meet with Jiangsu Vice Governor Zhang Weiguo, Nanjing Mayor , Wuxi Party Secretary Weize and Wuxi Mayor Mao Xiaoping.

4. The delegation programme will include visits to the Suzhou Industrial Park, the Wuxi Knowledge Park（K-Park, 无锡太湖新城科教产业园）, Wuxi-Singapore Industrial Park（无锡-新加坡工业园）, which is celebrating its 15th Anniversary and well as Lake Li (蠡湖）1, one of the lakes connected to Lake Tai.

5. On 26 November 2009, Minister Khaw, MOS Lee and Parliamentary Secretary Sam Tan will proceed to Shanghai to grace the Shanghai World Expo 2010 Singapore Pavilion topping out ceremony（封顶仪式）. MOS Lee will also officiate at the groundbreaking ceremony of Yanlord’s Shanghai New Jiangwan Urban Area Land in Pudong （上海新江湾地块）.

Bilateral trade and investment

6. In 2008, bilateral trade between Singapore and Jiangsu amounted to US$9.84 billion, an increase of 7.9% over 2007. Exports from Singapore amounted to US$3.8 billion while imports to Singapore reached US$6.04 billion. Singapore was Jiangsu’s ninth largest trading partner in that year. In the first nine months of 2009, bilateral trade amounted to US$5.7 billion. (Source: Jiangsu Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation)

7. In 2008, Jiangsu was the top recipient of Singapore’s overall foreign direct investments (FDI) in China, accounting for more than 30% of the FDI 2 . Singapore’s actual FDI in Jiangsu increased by 15% from 2007 (US$1.49 billion) to hit US$1.64 billion in 2008 with 109 projects. This made Singapore the fourth largest investor in Jiangsu in 2008. In the first nine months of 2009, Singapore's

1 Lihu was once badly affected by the pollution from Taihu as well as from agricultural and industrial activities on and around Lihu. However, Lihu has undergone water treatment since 2002 and is now a tourist site. The relevant authorities have made reference to Lihu’s successful water treatment experience for the conservation of Taihu. 2 This was followed by Guangdong accounting for 11%, Shanghai 10%, 9% and Sichuan 6%. Singapore’s total FDI in China was US$4.43 billion according to the Chinese Embassy in Singapore.

Page 2 of 5

IE Media Statement 22 Nov 09

actual FDI in Jiangsu reached US$1.04 billion with 93 projects. As of end September 2009, the cumulative actual FDI amounted to US$15.1 billion, with a total of 3,261 projects. (Source: Jiangsu Department of Foreign Trade and

Economic Cooperation)

8. Some of the existing Singapore projects in Jiangsu include: • Singapore-Nanjing Eco High-Tech Island led by Singapore consortium comprising Yanlord Land Group, Sembcorp Industrial Parks and Surbana Land; • Suzhou- High Tech Park, a partnership by China-Singapore SIP Development Co. (CSSD) with the Suzhou Industrial Park Administrative Committee (SIPAC) and Nantong Economic and Technological Development Area (NETDA); • Sembcorp Industries’ wastewater treatment plant for treating highly concentrated industrial wastewater directly from Free Trade Port Zone; • Hyflux’s wastewater treatment plants in Changshu, , Rudong, Taizhou, Wuxi, Xuzhou and , as well as other wastewater projects in Nantong, Yankou and Dafeng; • Ascendas iHubs in Suzhou and Nanjing, an integrated cluster of four new hi- tech office buildings and adjacent amenity centre; • Singapore Technologies Kinetics’ acquisition of Zhenjiang Huachen Huatong Road Machinery Co. Ltd; • CrimsonLogic’s phase one masterplanning for Jiangsu e-port; • Etonhouse International’s schools in Nanjing, Suzhou and Changzhou.

Annex: Chinese terms

---End--- Note to Editor Please use ‘IE Singapore’ or ‘IE’ if an acronym for ‘International Enterprise Singapore’ is required. In addition, unless otherwise stated, the use of statistics cited in our media releases, website or Statlink, should be attributed to IE Singapore.

Issued by IE Singapore on behalf of SJCC. For media enquiries, please contact:

Ms CHENG Kiat Loon Manager, Media and Marketing Communications Corporate Communications Group DID : + 65 6433 4465 Hp : + 65 9799 0904 Email : [email protected]

Page 3 of 5

IE Media Statement 22 Nov 09

About International Enterprise Singapore

International Enterprise (IE) Singapore is an agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry spearheading the development of Singapore’s external economic wing.

Our mission is to promote the overseas growth of Singapore-based enterprises and international trade. With a global network in over 30 locations and our 3C framework of assistance – Connections, Competency, Capital, we offer services to help enterprises export, develop business capabilities, find overseas partners and enter new markets. At the same time, we work to position Singapore as a base for foreign businesses to expand into the region in partnership with Singapore-based companies.

Please visit www.iesingapore.com for more information.

About Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council

The Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council (SJCC) was officially launched on 1 November 2007. Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Singapore Minister for Health and Mr Liang Baohua, Jiangsu Party Secretary are Co-Chairmen of the Council. Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State for Trade & Industry and Manpower, and Mr Zhang Weiguo, Jiangsu Vice Governor, assumed the positions of the Vice Co-Chairmen of SJCC and are assisting the two Chairmen in work relating to the council.

The Council aims to promote cooperation between Singapore and Jiangsu Province beyond economic areas, including training, tourism and education exchanges. It is formed by political leaders, government officials and private sector representatives from Singapore and Jiangsu.

The scope of cooperation shall include: • Regular high-level bilateral government official visits and exchange activities between the business communities of Singapore and Jiangsu. • Exchanging economic data and information to promote and guide bilateral trade and investment. • Resolving difficulties encountered in collaborative projects, establishing an excellent cooperation mechanism and an environment conducive for cooperation. • Other forms of work which are beneficial for economic and social development.

Page 4 of 5

IE Media Statement 22 Nov 09

ANNEX

Chinese terms

International Enterprise (IE) Singapore 新加坡国际企业发展局 (简称：企发局)

Mr Khaw Boon Wan 许文远先生 Minister for Health 新加坡卫生部长

Co-Chairman 新加坡-江苏合作理事会新方联合主席 Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council Mr Lee Yi Shyan 李奕贤先生 Minister of State for Trade & Industry and 新加坡贸易及工业部兼人力部政务部长 Manpower

Co-Vice Chairman 新加坡-江苏合作理事会新方联合副主席 Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council Mr Sam Tan 陈振泉先生 Parliamentary Secretary for Trade & Industry 新加坡贸易及工业部兼 and Information, Communications & the Arts 新闻、通讯及艺术部政务次长 Mr Liang Baohua 梁保华先生 Jiangsu Party Secretary 江苏省委书记

Co-Chairman Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council 新加坡-江苏合作理事会苏方联合主席 Mr Luo Zhijun 罗志军先生 Jiangsu Governor 江苏省长 Mr Jiang Hongkun 蒋宏坤先生 Suzhou Party Secretary 苏州市委书记

Mr Zhang Weiguo 张卫国先生 Jiangsu Vice Governor 江苏省副省长

Co-Vice Chairman 新加坡-江苏合作理事会苏方联合副主席 Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council Mr Ji Jianye 季建业先生 Nanjing Mayor 南京市长 Mr 杨卫泽先生 Wuxi Party Secretary 无锡市委书记 Mr Mao Xiaoping 毛小平先生 Wuxi Mayor 无锡市长

Page 5 of 5