On October 18, 2018, Minister Wang Zhigang of the Ministry of Science and Technology met with Heng Swee Keat, Finance Minister and Chairman of the National Research Foundation of Singapore. The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views and reached multiple consensuses on issues of common interest such as China-Singapore and China-ASEAN cooperation in science, technology and innovation. 

Minister Wang Zhigang quoted President Xi’s remark in the report to the 19th CPC National Congress that innovation is the primary driving force behind development and the strategic underpinning for building a modernized economy. In order to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of China and Singapore on establishing an all-round cooperative partnership progressing with the times, the two sides have, through mechanisms such as China-Singapore Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation, carried out fruitful science and technology cooperation in priority areas. In the future, China will be committed to working with Singapore on the basis of the joint research program to expand channels of pragmatic cooperation, create research cooperation platforms, explore science, technology and innovation cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, hold relevant events on the theme of the 2018 China-ASEAN Year of Innovation, and jointly develop a regional innovation community.

Heng Swee Keat appreciated China’s commitment. He introduced the priority areas and main directions of Singapore’s research budget, spoke highly of the bilateral science, technology and innovation cooperation, and said that the cooperation has promoted sustainable economic and social development of the two countries. He expressed Singapore’s commitment to further strengthening cooperation with China in science, technology and innovation and driving China-ASEAN innovation cooperation for social and economic development and for the benefit of people. 

Present at the meeting were Xie Xincheng, Vice President of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Ye Dongbai, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, Cai Jianing, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, Xu Jing, Director General of the Department of Innovation and Development, He Defang, Director General of the Department of Policies, Regulation and Supervision, Zhang Xiaoyuan, Director General of the Department of Resource Allocation and Management, Qin Yong, Director General of the Department of High-tech Development and Industrialization, and Stanley Loh, Ambassador of Singapore to China.