Singapore and China usher in new chapter of cooperation in Tianjin Eco-City

Enhanced Project Collaboration Framework

At the 15th Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Joint Steering Council (JSC) Meeting held in the Eco-City on 7 December 2023, Singapore and China unveiled a new project collaboration framework that will strengthen the Eco-City as a pathfinder for climate-friendly cities, and broaden bilateral cooperation to span green growth, low-carbon living, ecological resilience, innovation and talent development, and governance.

15 new cooperation initiatives

Under the new framework, both countries have put together 15 cooperation initiatives to deepen partnerships across the public sector, businesses and academia in both countries and covering wide-ranging domains in the coming years. These include two Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) signed between Minister for National Development Desmond Lee and, respectively, China’s Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MoHURD) Ni Hong and Tianjin Mayor Zhang Gong, at the JSC meeting to enhance bilateral cooperation in a new chapter of the Eco-City project.

Upgraded National Green Development Demonstration Zone

Both sides will also jointly develop the Eco-City as an upgraded ‘National Green Development Demonstration Zone’ – a zone that can exemplify high-quality low-carbon economic growth and serve as a model for other cities in China and beyond.

Minister Desmond Lee said: “This is a special year for our two countries. We upgraded our bilateral relations to an ‘All-Round High-Quality Future-Oriented Partnership’. We also celebrate the Eco-City’s 15th anniversary and the progress achieved in the last 15 years. With the new bilateral collaboration framework and 15 cooperation initiatives between Singapore and China on the Tianjin Eco-City, the Eco-City will be one of the tangible demonstrations of the practical benefits that our upgraded bilateral partnership will bring to our people. Having transformed salt pans, barren land and polluted waterbodies into a highly liveable home in the Eco-City over the last 15 years, the new initiatives lay a good foundation for Singapore and China to promote high-quality green growth in the Eco-City in the next bound of our collaboration. This is important, given the challenges of climate change. This will also allow us to jointly seize new opportunities in the green and digital economy.”

Green Business and Job Opportunities

To realise this vision, both countries have embarked on new initiatives that strengthen the Eco-City as a vibrant incubator of low-carbon businesses. For instance, Keppel Corporation has launched a ‘Low-Carbon and Smart City Alliance’ with Singapore small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to deploy sustainability-related solutions in the Eco-City and beyond. To date, four SMEs in the Alliance working on nano disinfection coating (Golden Forest), eco-friendly furniture (RenewMaterial), digital visualisation (Kardia World), and marketing (SPACElogic), have already piloted their solutions in the Eco-City. They join other Singapore companies, such as MooVita which is deploying its autonomous vehicle fleet in the Eco-City, to trial new solutions that contribute to the global agenda of climate action.

Green and Digital Shipping Corridor

Singapore and Tianjin will also establish a new Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (GDSC) - the first such corridor to connect Singapore and China. A vibrant low-carbon port economy in Tianjin, anchored by a smart and green Tianjin Port, can further propel the Eco-City’s development as an engine of green growth. It also opens up new growth opportunities from the decarbonisation of the maritime industry for both sides. The GDSC will offer a valuable test bed to trial digital solutions, alternative fuels and technologies, as well as facilitate manpower development to support the decarbonisation and digitalisation of the shipping industry. PSA International and Tianjin Port Group also intend to cooperate on green and smart port development.

Joint Innovation and Talent Exchanges

To further encourage the cross-pollination of ideas, researchers and students in both countries can look forward to more opportunities to jointly innovate net-zero solutions in the Eco-City, through new exchange programmes and internships.

The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) is setting up a SUTD Eco-City Research and Innovation Centre, together with the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Administrative Committee (ECAC) and the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd (SSTEC). SUTD is the first Singapore institute of higher learning to set up such a Centre in the Eco-City. Under this Centre, researchers, entrepreneurs and students from both countries can participate in joint R&D projects, enterprise development, education and training, and talent exchanges on low-carbon innovation. SUTD has also launched a new undergraduate programme in sustainable built environment. This programme includes university exchanges and internships in Tianjin and the Eco-City.

Living Lab for Urban Transformation

The Eco-City will continue to provide a useful ‘living lab’ for piloting new solutions for low-carbon and liveable cities. This year, the Eco-City enters a new phase of its urban transformation, with the groundbreaking of the Eco-City’s City Centre, where we will see a Green Innovation Park take shape. Coupled with Keppel’s upcoming development of a carbon-neutral smart precinct in the Eco-City’s Northern District, these offer new possibilities for deploying and scaling innovative solutions in Tianjin and beyond.

Riding on their collaboration in the recently completed Sino-Singapore Friendship Garden, National Parks Board and ECAC will next cooperate on R&D on contemplative landscape design and therapeutic gardens. They will use the Friendship Garden as a test bed for solutions that harness nature to improve urban dwellers’ well-being.

Deepening Ties Between Officials

Singapore and China will also deepen ties between officials through new study visits and training programmes on low-carbon growth. Both countries have kickstarted a new series of reciprocal job attachments on sustainability between Singapore and Tianjin officials. MND and MoHURD also launched a new annual Ministerial-level Leadership Dialogue on creating net-zero and liveable cities.

More information on the Eco-City project, as well as the new cooperation scope and 15 initiatives, can be found in Annexes A and B respectively.

Issued by : Ministry of National Development

Date : 7 December 2023

Annex A: Background Info on TEC

Annex B: New cooperation framework

Illustration: TEC Enhanced Cooperation Framework 2023