Lan Shaomin, Communist Party’s Secretary to Suzhou, visited Singapore this week to strengthen ties and cooperation following the 25-year success of the Suzhou Industrial Park.
The China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) was Lee Kuan Yew’s first government project with former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping.
Lan addressed participants at a symposium in Singapore on Tuesday (Dec 2). Investors form Suzhou, China were considering business deals in Singapore.
Lan described the SIP as representative of the “complementary relationship” between Singapore and China.
He also reportedly met with Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing to discuss further industrial developments in the nearby Yangtze River Delta region.
https://www.facebook.com/ChanChunSing.SG/photos/a.908713829180601/2809635172421781/?type=3&theater
Singapore had an agreement with the Chinese government to build the industrial park in 1994 to jump start innovation and businesses in China. The Suzhou industrial park now spans 288 sq km with 25,000 companies and facilities for workers and residents.
The park accounts for 14 per cent of Suzhou’s gross domestic product and has contributed an estimate of 800 billion yuan (S$154.4 billion) in tax revenue according to a report by the South China Morning Post.
Singapore cut its 65 per cent share to 35 per cent in 1999 in the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Development Group (CSSD).
In addition to the Suzhou Industrial Park, Singapore has two other projects with the Chinese government which include the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city and the China-Singapore Demonstrative Initiative on Strategic Connectivity. -/TISG