Singapore and China advance cooperation at inaugural Singapore China Digital Policy Dialogue

27 JUN 2024

Singapore and China advance cooperation in trusted commercial data flows and AI governance at inaugural Singapore-China Digital Policy Dialogue

Singapore, 27 June 2024 – The inaugural Singapore-China Digital Policy Dialogue (DPD) was held today in Beijing, China. Co-chaired by Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information (MCI), Tan Kiat How, and Head of National Data Administration of the People’s Republic of China, Liu Liehong, the DPD gathered participants from Government, industry, and academia to facilitate high-level discussions on developments and policy matters in the digital domain.

  1. Building on the existing multifaceted cooperation and robust economic ties between Singapore and China, the first DPD sought to foster discussions in two key areas:

    (i) Advancing Singapore’s interests in trade and business facilitation through trusted commercial data flows; and

    (ii) Enhancing mutual understanding of approaches to Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance.

  2. Under the reporting of the work group for Trusted Flow of Commercial Data, both parties agreed to promote common baseline standards to facilitate the cross-border flow of data, and to exchange knowledge on cross-border data sharing mechanisms.

  3. Under the reporting of the work group for Artificial Intelligence Governance, both parties agreed to promote mutual learning across the private sector and research institutions in AI governance, and to enhance mutual understanding of governance frameworks.

  4. Overall, the DPD will strengthen technical exchanges and cooperation on the digital economy between government agencies, universities, research institutes, enterprises, and businesses of both countries.

Background on Singapore-China Digital Policy Dialogue

  1. Both countries agreed on the establishment of the DPD when then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong met with Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Li Qiang in April 2023.

  2. Following this, the establishment of the DPD by MCI and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of the People’s Republic of China was formally announced at the 19th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting co-chaired by then-Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang in Tianjin, China on 7 December 2023. The DPD will facilitate high-level discussions on developments and policy matters in the digital domain.

  3. Singapore and China’s longstanding relationship predates the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1990, and bilateral cooperation between Singapore and China has since grown in depth and scope1. China has been Singapore’s largest merchandise trading partner while Singapore has been China’s largest foreign investor since 2013 and we continue to make progress in new areas of cooperation such as green development and the digital economy.

  4. The second DPD is scheduled to take place in Singapore next year.

1 https://www.mfa.gov.sg/SINGAPORES-FOREIGN-POLICY/Countries-and-Regions/Northeast-Asia/Peoples-Republic-of-China