Building – and navigating – ties with China

CHINA is an important partner, and relations between Singapore and the great Asian power presently are very positive. Dubbed an “all-round high-quality future-oriented partnership”, the two governments cooperate in many areas and, at end-2024, upgraded their bilateral free trade agreement to facilitate greater market access.

This is a politics that matters to business – both larger companies and also small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) benefit. There is a two-way flow, too. Chinese corporations increasingly base themselves here, as do individual mainlanders – ranging from tycoon investors and professionals, to students and everyday service staff.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of official ties, and some call for relations to escalate further. I write this at Chinese New Year, a time when our multiracial society appears especially Chinese. Singapore is among only a handful of countries that celebrate the festival as a public holiday and, other than China, is the only independent state with a majority of ethnic Chinese.