On 14 December 2021, Business China organised the sixth Distinguished Leaders Dialogue Series (DLDS) with Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Ms Grace Fu as guest speaker. Titled “Building a Resilient Future: Singapore’s Green Growth and Singapore-China Cooperation in Sustainability Developments”, the closed-door dialogue session was conducted in a hybrid format.
The one and a half hour dialogue session saw 69 invited attendees who included prominent business leaders, Advanced Leaders Programme (ALP) alumni, Business China corporate members and Business China Youth Chapter (BCYC) members. It was moderated by Business China CEO Ms Tin Pei Ling.
Business China Chairman Mr Lee Yi Shyan gave the opening remarks, recounting Singapore’s journey towards sustainability and a Green future. He then briefly introduced Minister Fu’s illustrious career in the private and public sector.
Minister Fu then took the stage to share her experience over the years where she visited China and worked with her Chinese counterparts, as well as both Singapore and China’s advancements in sustainable development.
The dialogue began after her informative speech, and audience were given the opportunity to ask questions. Questions asked in the session were largely focused around the theme. Minister Fu commented that China has recently shown a renewed focus on sustainable development, and transformation towards a green economy; hence she expressed her views on what this could mean for Singaporean businesses. Minister Fu also said that the green economy is a growing sector that presents many opportunities for businesses, including renewable energy, low-carbon technologies, and green financing.
Questions arising from the floor also saw the dialogue covered other broader topics, such as China’s economic philosophy as well as Singapore approach to maintaining its relevance to China. The dialogue also touched on a phrase mentioned by Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He in an article titled “The Need to Realise High-quality Development” published in People’s Daily: “Not robbing the rich to help the poor, not killing the rich to the point of poverty, avoid falling into the trap of welfarism”.
The Distinguished Leaders Dialogue Series is Business China’s flagship dialogue series. It features Singapore’s eminent political leaders, who share their invaluable insights on pertinent issues and trends related to China and ASEAN. It is attended by invited members and stakeholders of Business China.