Lunar New Year Celebration 2024
Business China Chairman Lee Yi Shyan
10 February 2024 (Saturday) 1100Hrs
SCCCI Auditorium Level 2
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of the Republic of Singapore, and Ms Jane Ittogi,
Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Trade and Industry,
Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Education,
Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister for Communications and Information and Second Minister for Home Affairs,
Senior Ministers of State, Ministers of State and Members of Parliament,
Mr Kho Choon Keng, President of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
Senior Government Officials, Your Excellencies and Leaders of Community Organisations,
SCCCI Honorary Presidents, Council Members and Business China Board Members,
Ladies and Gentlemen
Happy Lunar New Year to all!
Business China is honoured to co-organise this Lunar New Year Celebration with the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) again this year.
Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and with the new year comes new beginnings. I offer my wishes for everyone to enjoy a year of “roaring” success and good fortune.
In the Year of the Rabbit, global turbulence and a sluggish economic recovery were observed. Despite this, Singapore is responding by embracing the evolving landscape, and strengthening resilience with regional and global supply chains.
Concurrently, our enterprises are strategically optimising their core competencies, not only to surmount immediate obstacles, but also to proactively chart a course for the future.
Singapore’s multi-racial and multi-cultural social fabric has consistently been a cornerstone of our core competencies. As a global financial and business hub, this inherent strength holds significant value, enabling swift and seamless integration with regional markets.
Hence, Singapore has steadfastly upheld a bilingual education policy since its founding years. Preserving our mother tongues not only upholds the values of our heritage but also enhances our comprehension of neighbouring countries and societies, facilitating our role as a regional nucleus.
Established in 2007, Business China is committed to promoting bilingualism and biculturalism in Singapore, and to nurturing Singapore-China savvy young Singaporeans. Our efforts unite political, business, and social stakeholders, facilitating forums, roundtables, sharing sessions, and training programmes year-round.
These initiatives serve to enhance awareness within the business community and younger generation regarding China’s society and economy, ensuring they remain informed about the latest advancements. In 2023 alone, we organised over 80 events. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone here for their invaluable support!
They say the year’s work is best begun in spring. Business China has laid out its plans for the year ahead. Today, I would like to take the opportunity to share a few key items.
Firstly, we have the 15th FutureChina Global Forum (FCGF), slated for October 18th. During FCGF, local enterprise leaders will come together with governmental, business, and academic leaders from around the world to discuss how the international community can develop harmoniously in a world facing ever-changing geopolitics and rapidly evolving technological advancements.
We will also be discussing how to uncover new business opportunities with bilateral and multilateral collaborations between Singapore and Southeast Asia, as well as between Singapore and China.
Secondly, the 10th Advanced Leaders Programme is scheduled for March, themed “China’s Transformation to a Knowledge-based Economy”. Local young entrepreneurs and senior management executives will be able to participate in academic discussions, speak to successful entrepreneurs, and visit sci-tech enterprises in China’s Greater Bay Area to understand developments and future trajectories in China’s world-leading tech scene.
The third initiative is the Singapore-China Youth Interns Exchange Scheme (YES) which allows up to 500 university and polytechnic students from each country to be able to intern in the other country for up to six months each year. This enables youths to acquire profound insights into the local business environment and culture. We believe this will help youths build global connections that are beneficial to their future academic and career development.
Fourth on the list is our latest flagship programme designed for junior college students–the Business China Youth Knowledge (BCYK) programme. It aims to ignite youths’ enthusiasm for the Chinese language and culture while deepening their comprehension of China so as to foster more Singapore-China ready youths.
Business China is a non-profit organisation, and your generous support is what makes our events possible.
On August 23rd, we will be holding our third Fundraising Golf Tournament to raise funds for Business China.
We are privileged to have Minister Gan Kim Yong as our esteemed Guest of Honour. We cordially invite you to save the date and join us.
Lastly, allow me to express my gratitude on behalf of Business China:
Thank you, President Tharman for your presence at today’s celebration,
Thank you to all Ministers for gracing this event,
We would also like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone for your enduring support and guidance towards Business China.
It is the Year of the Dragon, which is a cherished symbol of courage and personal advancement in the Chinese culture.
I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous Year of the Dragon!
May it be a smooth-sailing, prosperous, and harmonious year ahead for Singapore!
Thank you!