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  Business Times 26 Apr 07
S'pore, Beijing to jointly develop eco-city in China
Premier Wen keen to develop Suzhou Industrial Park further: SM Goh
By NANDE KHIN IN BEIJING

Straits Times 26 Apr 07
S'pore, China to jointly develop an 'eco-city'
Project is part of efforts to raise bilateral cooperation to a higher, strategic level
By China Correspondent, Tracy Quek

Channel NewsAsia 25 Apr 07
S'pore, Beijing agree to jointly develop eco-city in China

BEIJING: In a move to take bilateral relations to a strategic level, Singapore and China have agreed to jointly-develop an environmentally-friendly city.

This decision was made in a meeting between Singapore Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing on Wednesday. Both leaders agreed to pursue this idea with an existing Chinese city and the project will be taken up by the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation.

The Suzhou Industrial Park is an icon of bilateral cooperation between Singapore and China, the success of which has led many other Chinese local governments asking Singapore to recreate the "Suzhou model" in their provinces.

While Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao would like to see Singapore transfer new software and new knowledge to Suzhou Industrial Park, both countries are also looking at developing an eco-city.

Details including the choice of the Chinese city are still being worked out. But Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said he hopes to put up a proposal to the Chinese side very soon.

Senior Minister Goh said one way is to form a consortium of companies to do this, with the support of government agencies.

It will be just like how Singapore's Environment and Water Resources Ministry helped Keppel, with its waste management project in Qatar. Mr Wen said he looks forward to settling details of this new project when he visits Singapore in November.

"The idea of getting a city to grow and sustain its development using Singapore's experiences is an example of bringing relations to a new level because it will benefit companies working with this and benefit a city as well as the two countries' cooperation," said Mr Goh.

Observers say, the new eco-city will be an important symbol of cooperation between the new leadership of Singapore and China. - CNA/yy

Straits Times 26 Apr 07
S'pore, China to jointly develop an 'eco-city'
Project is part of efforts to raise bilateral cooperation to a higher, strategic level
By China Correspondent, Tracy Quek

BEIJING - SINGAPORE and China will collaborate on a new joint project to develop an 'eco -city', which will showcase how rapid economic growth can be balanced with sound environmental protection.

The project, suggested by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong when he met Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao for talks in Beijing yesterday, is part of efforts to raise bilateral cooperation to a higher, strategic level.

'We are looking for new areas of cooperation, and I suggested that we look at how Singapore has integrated its economic development with environmental development, sustaining growth while making the whole city look beautiful,' said Mr Goh, who is in China on a four-day official visit.

'Mr Wen was quite interested in the idea and agreed in principle.'

Details of the 'eco-city', such as whether the project will be carried out in a small city or be part of a big metropolis, have yet to be worked out. But the venture could involve a consortium of Singapore companies backed by the Government and relevant agencies, added the Senior Minister.

China is trying to shift its inefficient and highly polluting mode of economic growth towards a more sustainable form of development that reduces the strain on the environment. This could open up many new opportunities for Singapore, which has strengths in environmental services and technology in areas like water treatment and sanitation.

A detailed proposal will be written up soon, and Mr Wen told Mr Goh that he looked forward to 'settling the details of the project' when he heads to Singapore in November to attend an annual meeting with Asean leaders.

During their 45-minute talk, Mr Goh and Mr Wen also discussed ways to improve other aspects of bilateral cooperation, such as the Suzhou Industrial Park and the proposed Singapore-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Mr Wen said both sides had made good progress on the FTA talks and should expedite negotiations 'in a spirit of mutual accommodation and mutual respect'.

The Chinese Premier also suggested that China and Singapore could work together to develop new markets and tie up with third-party countries.

International and regional affairs also featured in their talks. They discussed the Iranian nuclear issue, United States-China trade tensions, and Mr Wen's visit to Japan earlier this month, which Mr Goh said marked a turning point in ties between the two East Asian neighbours.

Earlier yesterday, Mr Goh met Mr Li Rongrong, chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (Sasac). Mr Goh said Sasac and Temasek Holdings, Singapore's investment company, enjoy 'very good' relations and could possibly invest in other countries together in future. Temasek has helped Sasac train 66 independent directors, and 300 chief executives and senior officials from China's state-owned enterprises.

Mr Goh winds up his trip today in Zhengzhou, capital city of central Henan province, where he will attend the Expo Central China 2007. He is also scheduled to meet Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yi. tracyq@sph.com.sg

Business Times 26 Apr 07
S'pore, Beijing to jointly develop eco-city in China
Premier Wen keen to develop Suzhou Industrial Park further: SM Goh
By NANDE KHIN IN BEIJING

SINGAPORE may take its water management and environment technology to China to jointly develop a Chinese eco-city. And cooperation on the flagship joint venture between the two countries - Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) - will be deepened.

Under the eco-friendly city project - carried out on a similar basis to SIP - an existing city in China would be developed in a way that ensures its growth is sustainable, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said yesterday.

Speaking to Singapore reporters after he met Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao here, Mr Goh said Mr Wen 'agreed in principle' to such a project.

'We were looking for new areas of cooperation and I suggested that we look at how Singapore has integrated our economic development with the environmental development - sustaining our growth while making the whole city beautiful: modern sanitation and reclaiming (waste) water for use and generally making the whole city into a green green beautiful city,' Mr Goh said.

Details of the project, such as which city will be redeveloped, have yet to be worked out. Mr Goh said Singapore will put a proposal for the project to the Singapore-China Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation.

The private sector would be involved in the project, Mr Goh said. 'The way forward will be to get some companies to form a consortium and we have to find out the companies which have the capacity and which are interested. And as the government, we will be happy to let some of the ministries and agencies provide necessary backup to the commercial companies.'

He cited how the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources was involved in Keppel's waste management project in Qatar.

Mr Wen is keen to keep the growth momentum of SIP going and to develop the park further, Mr Goh said. This is unlikely to be a physical expansion, given the limited land. Rather, it will be the development of 'new software' for the park.

Mr Goh said Mr Wen believes Singapore has gained new competencies aside from water and environmental management that can help SIP develop further.

Singapore and China are also keen on looking at joint projects involving third-party countries, Mr Goh said. He and Mr Wen discussed the matter yesterday but did not go into details.

They agreed that their countries should look at investing in new markets in third-countries and that these projects be done on a 'commercially viable basis' beneficial to all parties.
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