Achieved cross-border financing of US$21.7 billion;

Explore and form 33 innovative and recognizable institutional opening results;

Singapore remains Chongqing's largest source of foreign investment, and ASEAN has become Chongqing's largest trading partner...

Those who have the same ambitions should not let the mountains and seas be far away. On November 7, 2015, the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Strategic Connectivity Demonstration Project (hereinafter referred to as the China-Singapore Connectivity Project) was officially launched.

Ten years of spring and autumn have carved out the path of cooperation between Chongqing and Xinjiang, and also allowed the "mountain city" and the "lion city" to bear fruitful fruits of cooperation.

After ten years of working together to share weal and woe, Chongqing and Singapore have formed an alliance to build the China-Singapore interconnection project into a "golden business card" for international cooperation under the "One Belt, One Road" initiative.

On June 17, 2025, overlooking the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Multimodal Transport Demonstration Base located in Liangjiang New District. (File photo) Photo by reporter Zhang Jinhui/Visual Chongqing

Things will fall into place

China-Singapore interconnection project lands in Chongqing

In 2013, during the 10th meeting of the China-New Zealand Joint Committee on Bilateral Cooperation, China proposed to New Zealand: launch the third inter-governmental cooperation project between China and New Zealand.

Where should this project land?

In August 2014, when President Xi Jinping met with then Singaporean President Tony Tan Keng Yam, he expressed that Singapore was welcome to participate more in the development of China's western region. Chen Qingyan said that Singapore hopes to expand cooperation between the two countries in the fields of economy, trade, investment and other fields, and increase cooperation in western China.

From this, the final destination is obvious: Western China.

There are 12 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in the west, with different economic levels and location conditions. Which city should be chosen as the "foothold" for the project?

In February 2015, China and New Zealand organized teams to visit several cities in the west. This was also an inspection of candidate cities for the third inter-governmental cooperation project between China and New Zealand.

Among the many provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in the west, Chongqing has its own advantages.

As early as 2009, Singapore's actual investment in Chongqing increased more than 10 times than before; by 2014, Singapore's actual investment in Chongqing "doubled again."

In 2015, Singapore became Chongqing’s largest source of foreign investment. At that time, there were more than 230 Singaporean investment companies in Chongqing, among which Raffles City was Singapore’s largest investment project in China at that time.

Chongqing’s investment in Singapore also ranks among the top five provinces and cities in my country. The two sides have been closely cooperating in the service industry, construction, pharmaceuticals and other fields.

More importantly, when the China-Singapore joint inspection team came to Chongqing, the plan proposed by Chongqing won the praise of the inspection team.

The inspection team believes that Chongqing has a good inland open environment and is the only municipality directly under the central government in the western region. Its administrative efficiency and development concept are conducive to the implementation of the third China-Singapore inter-governmental cooperation project.

When the melon is ripe and the stem falls, it will happen naturally.

On November 7, 2015, China and New Zealand signed a series of agreements on China-Singapore interconnection projects in Singapore, announcing that the project would officially settle in Chongqing.

In January 2016, after the first meeting of the Joint Implementation Committee of the China-Singapore Connectivity Project, the significance of the project became further clear: it is an integral part of the “Belt and Road” initiative and will share more opportunities brought by the “Belt and Road”.

Intangible "service"

Breaking down physical regional “barriers”

Once the piece is settled, a new game begins.

After China-Singapore Interconnection was launched in Chongqing, how to implement it has become a new question.

Previously, China and New Zealand had two relatively mature inter-governmental cooperation projects: Suzhou Industrial Park and Tianjin Eco-City. The former is oriented towards investment promotion and economic planning and explores the development path of the park; the latter aims at ecological harmony and social friendliness and focuses on sustainable development.

With all the gems ahead, how can the China-Singapore interconnection project find its own characteristic path?

Observe before planning, plan before taking action.

The "Implementation Agreement on the Construction of China-Singapore (Chongqing) Strategic Connectivity Demonstration Project" signed by Chongqing and Singapore clearly states that Chongqing and Singapore will focus on cooperation in the four fields of finance, aviation, logistics and information around the theme of "modern connectivity and modern service economy".

Behind this lies "ambition".

The cooperation between Suzhou, Tianjin and Singapore is mainly focused on the cities where they are located, while the China-Singapore interconnection project hopes to use Chongqing as the operation center, break out of regional "barriers", and let the results of cooperation radiate to the southwest, to the country, and to the "One Belt, One Road" initiative.

The logistics field was the first to implement this concept.

In March 2016, representatives from Chongqing, Guangxi and Singapore gathered in Chongqing to discuss relying on the China-Singapore interconnection project to build an international channel connecting the "Belt and Road" with points and lines. This was the prototype of the now-famous New Land-Sea Corridor.

The three parties immediately performed their respective duties, conducting research, conducting tests, and formulating policies... In September 2017, the rail-sea intermodal trains on this channel became operational on a regular basis, marking the official opening of the channel.

Co-builders came in droves.

Domestically, 12 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in the west are participating, and Hainan, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, and Huaihua, Hunan have also joined in. The New Land-Sea Corridor has formed a "13 2" co-construction mechanism.

Abroad, there are Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia in Asia, South Africa, Egypt, and Cameroon in Africa, Brazil and Argentina in the Americas, Germany and Italy in Europe... More and more countries have joined the "circle of friends" of the New Land-Sea Corridor.

Its momentum has been established and its prosperity can be expected.

The New Land-Sea Corridor, a project conceived by the China-Singapore interconnection project, has now achieved a "point-line-surface" transformation, radiating 579 ports in 127 countries and regions around the world, becoming an open artery around the world.

On September 16, 2025, the gantry cranes at Tuanjie Village Central Station in Shapingba District continued to lift and land, and at least 4 Western Land-Sea Corridor trains were shipped from here every day. Photo by correspondent Guo Jin

The other three areas are also not far behind.

In terms of finance, both parties are not limited to one-time financing and projects, but are building platforms and channels to bring vitality to the source. For example, the China-Singapore Connectivity Project has opened up cross-border investment and financing channels between China and Singapore, helping Chongqing companies to raise a total of US$15.5 billion. The cumulative number of bonds issued by Chongqing companies in Singapore has also increased from zero to ranking among the top three in the country.

In terms of aviation, the two parties not only increased the number of air routes, but also focused on airport business management. Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport has introduced the business management experience of Singapore Changi Airport and recruited 110 "first stores" of various types, making the number of airport luxury stores rank fourth in the country. This model has also been extended to airports in Haikou, Wuxi and other places to achieve "one point of blooming, multiple points of results".

In terms of information, the two sides officially opened the China-Singapore (Chongqing) dedicated international Internet data channel in 2019. This is also China's first dedicated point-to-point international data channel for a single country. Today, the channel has become an invisible "digital silk road", helping 48 companies (units) such as Cyrus to carry out cross-border data business.

In the past ten years, the four major areas have been fully rolled out. The China-Singapore interconnection project has successfully broken down the tangible "regional barriers" with intangible "services", allowing more regions to enjoy the dividends of cooperation.

Further “expand the field”

China-Singapore Cooperation “Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom”

In 2019, in order to further leverage the radiating and leading role of the China-Singapore Connectivity Project and the New Land-Sea Corridor, the Municipal China-Singapore Project Management Bureau teamed up with the Municipal Agriculture Committee, Chongqing Customs and other departments to conduct research on the field of agricultural product exports and found out a replicable and promoted model. Agricultural products export model - the Agricultural Committee and districts and counties select products and carrier enterprises, the Customs, Commerce Commission and other departments are responsible for export qualification identification and monitoring, freight forwarders and foreign trade companies are responsible for intermediate links, and the China-Singapore interconnection project relies on Singapore and other ASEAN markets to provide sales channels.

On this basis, the China-Singapore interconnection project gave birth to the "China-Singapore (Chongqing) Agricultural Cooperation Plan" and established a "1 2 3 N" project system. Driven by the plan, the types of agricultural products exported by Chongqing, including Chengkou mushrooms, have increased from 4-5 types in 2021 to more than 30 types by the end of 2024.

The achievements in agricultural cooperation are a vivid illustration of the continuous "breakthroughs" in China-Singapore connectivity projects.

In 2021, the China-Singapore Connectivity Demonstration Project Promotion Meeting will be held in Chongqing. At the meeting, Chongqing and New Zealand made it clear that they would further "expand areas" on the basis of "continuously deepening" the previous four key areas, and agriculture is one of the extended areas.

Subsequently, the "flowers" of China-Singapore cooperation bloomed in more fields -

In the field of science and education, the National University of Singapore has established a Chongqing Research Institute in Liangjiang New Area, which has incubated a total of 45 scientific and technological enterprises;

In the field of education, Chongqing has sent 7 batches of 196 primary and secondary school principals to Singapore to participate in the China-Singapore Cooperation Training Program of the Excellent Principal Project. The number of exchanges between teachers and students in Chongqing and Singapore reaches more than 500 people every year;

In the medical field, a number of medical institutions such as Chongqing Raffles Hospital, Chongqing Sino-Singapore Cancer Hospital, and Sino-Singapore Meilu Eye Hospital have been opened one after another, using international diagnosis and treatment technology to serve 200,000 citizens in the Chengdu-Chongqing region;

In the field of cultural tourism, a series of activities such as "Singapore·Chongqing Experience Week" and "Chongqing·Singapore Week" were successfully held. In the past 10 years, the number of visits between Chongqing and New Zealand has increased four times compared with 2015, and the number of overnight visitors from Singapore to Chongqing has increased seven times...

In 2025, Chongqing·Singapore Experience Week will be held at Guanyinqiao Pedestrian Street. Photo provided by the interviewed unit

A series of “firsts” and “firsts” have also been implemented one after another.

The country's first "airline-based" customs supervision model for bonded aviation materials was launched in Liangjiang New Area, which reduced aviation materials operating costs by more than 20%. It won the United Nations Asia-Pacific Trade Facilitation Innovation Award and has been replicated across the country as a practical case for the innovative development of digital trade;

The first outlet real estate investment trust in Asia, the first qualified domestic limited partner pilot fund in central and western China, the first publicly offered overseas bond by a private enterprise, and the first green cross-border bond;

Promoted the implementation of pioneering projects such as Chongqing’s first wholly foreign-owned general hospital and Chongqing’s first wholly foreign-owned cultural tourism company;

We took the lead in carrying out inter-customs cooperation between China and Singapore Customs in the country, and replicated it in Nanjing and Tianjin Customs Districts, forming the China-Singapore (Tianjin, Nanjing, Chongqing) "two countries and four parties" cooperation mechanism...

The next step is to make further progress.

The relevant person in charge of the Municipal China-Singapore Project Management Bureau said that in the next step, the China-Singapore Connectivity Project will implement the cooperation consensus reached by the two countries, take the construction of the New Land-Sea Corridor as a guide, deepen the four key areas, and use digital and green transformation as the starting point to continue to expand cooperation in emerging fields, create a new batch of landmark results, and promote the upgrading of the China-Singapore Connectivity Project.