Co-operation in the Information and Communications Technology Sector

Mr Leong Keng Thai, Deputy Chief Executive Officer/Director-General (Telecom) Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore Speech - SIO-IDA MOU Signing Ceremony, The Shanghai JC Mandarin

Mr Leong Keng Thai, Deputy Chief Executive Officer/Director-General (Telecom)
Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
Speech - SIO-IDA MOU Signing Ceremony, The Shanghai JC Mandarin
China, 1 November 2002

Senior Minister of State, Mr. Khaw Boon Wan
Vice Mayor, Ms. Yan Junqi,
Director-General, Mr. Fan Xiping,
Director-General, Mr Zhangjian,
Deputy Director-General, Mr. He Shouchang,
Distinguished guests, friends from the media, ladies and gentlemen, good morning.

1. First, let me extend a warm welcome to all for attending today's signing ceremony. The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore or IDA Singapore is very pleased to be here today to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Shanghai Informatization Office. The MOU will further enhance the collaborative relationship in infocomm between Singapore and Shanghai.

2. IDA Singapore is a statutory board under the purview of the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts in Singapore. We are charged with the mission to facilitate and promote Singapore as a global infocomm hub. One of our major roles is to encourage collaboration between Singapore and international companies in areas such as infocomm technology research and business partnerships.

3. With the aim to facilitate and expedite collaboration between Singapore and China in infocomm, the IDA Shanghai office, which is also the Infocomm Section under the Consulate-General of Singapore in Shanghai, was launched in July this year. Since the opening of the Infocomm Section, IDA has been working very closely with SIO to promote and facilitate bilateral exchanges and collaborations between infocomm industries of the two cities. For instance in March, we were honoured to have the company of Mr He and his team from SIO visit Singapore. We look forward to more of such visits by the Chinese government, infocomm companies as well as academic institutes.

4. The signing of today's MOU between SIO and IDA is a timely one and seeks to formalize such close working relations. It will see IDA and SIO working jointly to promote city informatization in Shanghai, Singapore and the Asia Pacific region. Co-operation and information exchanges between the two cities will include the areas of e-commerce, e-government and government network systems; information and network security; human resource development; and infocomm solutions. The IDA and SIO will also endeavour to facilitate collaboration among infocomm companies and businesses, to meet city informatization by recommending and introducing business partners and investors to one another, to participate in mutually beneficial projects, activities and programmes.

5. China is a major economy in the region and the world. We note that China is making great efforts in accelerating its informatization process in various sectors, and Shanghai is in a leading position in city informatization. Singapore and Shanghai share common interests in developing a knowledge economy and in bridging the digital divide in the region. We have much to offer and share with each other. The collaboration between the two cities will be a win-win partnership. With the SIO-IDA MOU, let us look forward to broader and greater collaboration in the infocomm sector between Singapore and Shanghai.

Thank you.