From March 24 to 28, Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, visited Beijing, accompanied by his wife Ms. Chang Hwee Nee, CEO of the National Heritage Board (NHB).
In March 2023, the leaders of China and Singapore jointly upgraded the two countries’ bilateral relations to an all-round high-quality future-oriented partnership. Guided by the strategic vision of head-of-state diplomacy, Beijing and Singapore signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation. Over the past two years, both sides have actively implemented the MOU, steadily expanding pragmatic cooperation across various sectors. During this visit, Heng and his delegation attended the ZGC Forum and visited several enterprises and museums, gaining a multifaceted understanding of Beijing’s high-quality development. He expressed a keen interest in deepening cooperation in sci-tech innovation, enhancing people-to-people exchanges, and promoting cultural dialogue between the two sides.
I. Attending the ZGC Forum to Advance Cooperation in Sci-tech Innovation
The 2025 ZGC Forum Annual Conference, themed “New Quality Productive Forces and Global Technological Cooperation”, featured five major sections, 128 events, and 60 parallel forums. Thousands of top scholars and guests from home and abroad engaged in discussions on cutting-edge topics. Heng attended the opening ceremony and remarked that we are riding an unprecedented wave of innovation, with technological breakthroughs accelerating at a historic rate. The achievements of China-Singapore cooperation in areas such as the digital economy and green technologies have set an example for regional development. Singapore looks forward to working closely with Beijing and Zhongguancun to address the global challenges facing humanity.
II. Experiencing Autonomous Driving to Expand Cooperation Opportunities
“Excellent, this is the future! I look forward to seeing Apollo Go in Singapore.” Heng visited Apollo Park in Beijing E-town, a testing ground for autonomous driving and vehicle-road collaboration, and took a test ride in the sixth-generation Apollo Go on public roads during peak hours. Deeply impressed by the experience, he lauded the technology as a milestone on social media.
III. Visiting Museum to Deepen Cultural Exchanges
During the visit to Beijing, Heng and his wife, Ms. Chang Hwee Nee, also toured the National Museum of China. They showed great interest in the permanent exhibition “Ancient China”, praising the profound cultural heritage and history reflected in the exhibits. They also expressed hope for mutual learning in areas such as collection conservation, exhibition planning, and academic research, further boosting cultural exchanges.
Beijing and Singapore have long maintained close and pragmatic cooperation. As the year 2025 marks the 35th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Singapore, Beijing Foreign Affairs Office will continue to coordinate efforts to promote comprehensive and multi-sector exchanges between the two sides, develop more signature cooperation projects, and further elevate the bilateral high-quality collaboration into new heights.
