On 25 November 2015, Business China celebrated its eighth anniversary and the sixth edition of the annual Business China Awards with about 500 guests, including distinguished business, political and community leaders from Singapore and the Greater China region. Guest-of-Honour Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Mr Teo Chee Hean presented the awards.
Recipients of this year’s Excellence, Enterprise and Young Achiever Awards were Mr Li Rongrong, Keppel Corporation and Ms Tanya Chua respectively.
Business China Excellence Award recipient, Mr Li Rongrong, is well-recognised for his contributions towards Singapore-China relations during his tenure as Chairman of China’s SASAC. Under his leadership, SASAC adapted and promoted Singapore’s best practices in corporate governance, and integrated these practices with China’s realities. The extensive knowledge transfer and frequent exchanges between Singapore business leaders and their counterparts in China enhanced mutual understanding and trust, and culminated in a sustainable long term partnership between Singapore and China.
Keppel Corporation, which received the Enterprise Award, saw the potential of the China market in the early 1980s and has since built up strong relationships and an excellent track record in China. Keppel is also the leader of the Singapore consortiums for two landmark bilateral projects – the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park and the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City, contributing to advancing sustainable urbanisation and strengthening ties between Singapore and China.
The 2015 recipient of the Young Achiever Award, Singaporean singer songwriter Ms Tanya Chua, is an established multi-talented singer songwriter in the Chinese pop music arena. Effectively bilingual, she is the sole Singaporean on the judging panel of China’s hit reality singing competition “Sing My Song”. Tanya also spearheaded Project WAO (Women as One), teaming up with three other female singers from Taiwan, Hong Kong and China to perform in unison with proceeds benefitting vulnerable women and girls in the Greater China area.
In his address, Guest-of-honour Deputy Prime Minister Mr Teo Chee Hean noted that, in the light of the 25th Anniversary of Singapore-China’s diplomatic relations, bilateral ties have always been forward-looking, innovative and pace-setting. He highlighted that “Our bilateral relations are undergirded by strong economic cooperation. China is Singapore’s largest trading partner. Over the past 25 years, bilateral trade volume has grown more than 20 times. China is also an important investment destination for our companies. Singapore has been China’s largest foreign investmentor country since 2013. ” DPM Teo was also confident that as both countries deepen cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, finance and social governance, it will bring our bilateral relations to an even higher level.
DPM Teo highlighted the roles of Business China in further enhancing Singapore-China relations. “From the economic perspective, Singapore businesses are familiar with China and can serve as a bridge between China and the region. Business China can also help Singaporeans and Singapore businesses gain useful insights and networks in China.”
In his welcome speech, Mr Chua Thian Poh, Chairman of Business China, said that, “Since the inaugural Business China Awards, the award recipients have proven that they are more than just leaders in their respective fields; they are also playing active roles in strengthening Singapore-China relations. Apart from establishing and expanding their businesses and careers in China, these exemplary role models are also maintaining effective bilateral cooperation on many levels, thereby fostering deeper understanding and communication between both countries.”
Mr Chua also remarked on the appointment of Business China’s new CEO, “I am confident that under the leadership of our newly appointed CEO, Ms Sun Xueling, Business China will continue to strive and fulfill our founding mission of promoting bilingualism and biculturalism, and to ride on the wave of opportunities of a growing China economy.”
OCBC Bank returns as the Joint Presenter of the Business China Award for the sixth consecutive year. Mr George Lee, Head of Global Corporate Banking, OCBC Bank, said, “The Award winners have contributed to the depth and strength of Singapore-China ties, and this is all the more significant as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of both countries’ bilateral relations this year. We hope these winners will inspire many other individuals and businesses to continue to build on the existing bilateral cultural and economic relations.”
Organised by Business China and jointly presented by OCBC Bank, the Business China Awards aims to honour outstanding businessmen, entrepreneurs, professionals and organisations for their successes and contributions to Singapore-China relations. In recognising these exemplary role models, the Awards also aims to promote bilingualism and biculturalism in Singapore.