Five years of celebrating Singapore-China relations
On 18 November 2014, Business China celebrated its seventh anniversary and the fifth edition of its annual Business China Awards at Shangri-La Hotel Singapore. Around 500 guests, including esteemed business and political leaders, attended the celebration, with Guest-of-Honour Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean presenting the awards.
Following a rigorous process, Dr Liu Thai Ker, Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Mr JJ Lin were selected as recipients of the Business China Excellence Award, Business China Enterprise Award and Business China Young Achiever Award respectively.
Business China Excellence Award recipient, Dr Liu Thai Ker, also hailed as Singapore’s ‘Father of Urban Planning’, has been instrumental in sharing Singapore’s experiences in city planning and urban development with China since the 80s. He also served as planning advisor to more than 30 cities in China where his concepts and master plans would have touched the lives of more than 50 million urban inhabitants.
With a history of more than 100 years, the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI), which received the Enterprise Award, has been and still remains as one of the pivotal points of trade, business and relational contacts between Singapore and China. In 2010, SCCCI set up its Shanghai Representative Office to assist Singapore companies in their forays into the China market.
The 2014 recipient of the Young Achiever Award, Singaporean singer songwriter Mr Lin Junjie, also known as JJ Lin, is an influential figure in the Chinese pop music scene, connecting Chinese-speaking communities from all over the world with his music. Through songs composed for public causes as well as personal charitable contributions, JJ has demonstrated his commitment towards bringing joy, dignity and hope to the communities in need; and is an exemplary role model in furthering Singapore-China relations.
In his address, Guest-of-honour Deputy Prime Minister Mr Teo Chee Hean noted that Singapore’s relationship with China has strengthened and evolved over time, in line with the development needs and priorities of both countries. He noted that as the two countries celebrate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year, “The bilateral relations between Singapore and China extend far beyond mere statistics or even just the last 24 years. They span our multi-faceted ties in business, government and people-to-people relations, and reflect the high level of trust and close friendship between our two countries.”
DPM Teo also urged Singaporeans to treasure and sharpen their bilingual and bicultural edge, “We must stay updated about the rapid changes in China’s social, economic and political conditions. We will also need to continually augment our skillsets, and adjust our strategies to remain relevant to China’s changing development needs.”
In his welcome speech, Mr Chua Thian Poh, Chairman of Business China, said: “Since Business China Awards’ inauguration in 2010, the recipients every year are not only exemplary role models who excelled in their respective fields, they also play important parts in strengthening Singapore-China relations.”
Reviewing Business China’s development in the past seven years, Mr Chua expressed that it has developed into a leading organisation in engaging Singaporeans to acquire in-depth understanding of China and to interact effectively with China. “Within the past 7 years, Business China has organised more than 200 multi-faceted events, such as forums, conferences and seminars, which have benefitted more than 50,000 Singaporeans.”
OCBC Bank is the Joint Presenter for the Business China Awards. In his welcome remarks, Mr Samuel Tsien, Group CEO of OCBC Bank, stated: “OCBC is very honoured and proud to be the sponsor of Business China Awards since its inauguration in 2010. As a member of the panel of judges, I have the rare privilege of seeing companies and individuals who have devoted so much to the development and strengthening of the business, social and cultural ties between Singapore and China. It was an inspirational as well as humbling experience. The candidates are true exemplary role models, each contributing in their unique ways.”
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.