The Singapore Centre in Shanghai has opened. The Singapore Centre Shanghai will house Contact Singapore, Economic Development Board, IE Singapore and Singapore Tourism Board under one roof.

With the increasing trade, investment and visitor flows between Singapore and Shanghai, the Singapore Centre Shanghai will serve as a one-stop shop for Shanghainese to know more about Singapore as a destination to live, work and play.

For example, businesses in Shanghai can find out more about partnerships with Singapore companies through IE Singapore, as well as investment opportunities in Singapore through EDB, at a single destination.

It is the fifth Singapore Centre to be opened, after London, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Los Angeles.

Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Raymond Lim, officiated the opening of the Singapore Centre Shanghai on Saturday.

He was accompanied by Singapore Consul-General in Shanghai Mr Yip Wei Kiat and International Enterprise (IE) Singapore Chief Executive Officer Mr Chong Lit Cheong.

With 7,000 Singapore residents, Shanghai has the largest population of Singaporeans in China.

Shanghai is also growing in importance as Singapore’s economic partner. Bilateral trade between Singapore and Shanghai reached an all-time high of 6.99 billion US dollars in 2007, a 16.2 per cent growth from the previous year, and cumulative direct investment from Singapore into Shanghai peaked at 6.84 billion US dollars last year.

In 2007, Singapore was China’s 6th largest foreign investor with actual investment of 3.18 billion US dollars and there are now 143 Chinese companies listed in Singapore.

China is also Singapore’s second largest visitor-generating market, with Singapore welcoming some 1.11 million Chinese visitors in 2007, a 66 per cent increase over the last five years.

Contact Singapore will continue its outreach to skilled professionals and individual investors in China through the Singapore Centre Shanghai. The organisation will also enhance Singapore’s attractiveness as a talent destination through strengthened talent engagement processes and programmes.

EDB will leverage the set-up of the Singapore Centre to provide comprehensive one-stop services to Chinese enterprises. EDB has been engaging Chinese investors actively to utilise Singapore’s pro-business environment, excellent infrastructure, talent, and vibrant industry clusters to grow their business in the region and the world through Singapore.

The Singapore Centre Shanghai will enable STB to better meet the needs of the growing number of Chinese visitors in a seamless one-stop platform to etch an image of Singapore as a unique and compelling leisure destination, as well as a leading convention and exhibition city, and services centre of Asia.

Singapore Centre Shanghai is also expected to promote cross-agencies synergy. Said Mr Chong, "The Singapore Centre represents a whole new paradigm for projecting the Singapore brand in Shanghai, and in China. I am confident that with the co-location of the Singapore offices in Shanghai, we are able to achieve greater synergy, closer cooperation and collaboration as a well-networked Government and community." 

(Source: CNA)