Chongqing — Senior officials from China and Singapore met in Chongqing on December 15 for the 2025 China–Singapore Bilateral Cooperation Mechanism meeting, the highest-level platform coordinating cross-sector cooperation between the two countries.
Raffles City Chongqing is a landmark complex developed by Singapore-based real estate group CapitaLand. (Photo/Raffles City Chongqing)
The choice of venue underscored the growing role of the China–Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Project on Strategic Connectivity (CCI), the third government-to-government cooperation initiative between the two nations.
Launched in Chongqing in 2015, the project has marked its 10th anniversary with measurable outcomes. To date, it has facilitated 347 government and commercial cooperation projects with a combined value of 26 billion U.S. dollars, and generated 33 institutional innovations aimed at opening China’s inland regions to global standards.
One example is in vehicle exports. In November, a batch of new energy commercial vehicles produced by Qingling Motors was shipped from Chongqing to Singapore. Qingling became the second Chinese commercial vehicle brand, and the first from Chongqing, to enter the Singapore market. The move required more than technical modification—it demanded compliance with Singapore’s stringent market-entry standards covering safety, performance and regulation.
With support from the Chongqing management authority overseeing the project, Qingling worked with local and Singaporean partners to redesign vehicles from the outset, aligning them with European Union certification standards. According to Motorway Group President Michael Lim, the process took 18 months and culminated in certification that meets Singapore's road-use requirements. He said the certification also positions the company for broader international markets.
A similar pathway has emerged in agricultural exports. Singapore is known for some of the world's strictest food safety standards. While many Chongqing meat producers export to more than 10 countries, Singapore has remained out of reach. Through cooperation under the CCI and a China–Singapore agricultural program, Chongqing authorities engaged with Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry. In late 2024, Singapore's food agency recognized Chongqing's regional market access application and conducted on-site verification.
Two companies passed the assessment and were approved to export meat products in March. Lai Weixue, Chairman of Chongqing Dejia Meat Technology Development, said meeting Singapore's requirements improved the firm's production capacity and technical standards. The company expects exports to Singapore to reach 10.8 million U.S. dollars by 2026.
Beyond standards, dialogue has been another pillar. In March 2025, more than 30 Singapore companies visited Chongqing's Guoyuan Port bonded zone to explore opportunities in finance, trade and technology.
Wang Ziyuan, President of the Singapore Chamber of Commerce in China, said such visits help firms better understand Chongqing's scale and industrial landscape. Over the past three years, nearly 100 Singapore business representatives have joined similar exchanges.
People-to-people ties have also expanded, with cultural and tourism exchanges increasing mutual exposure—from Singapore-themed food festivals in Chongqing to Singapore–Chongqing Week events held in Singapore.
The 2025 Singapore Experience Week is held in Chongqing, showcasing Singaporean culture, food and brands. (Photo/Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore)
According to official data, Singaporean overnight visitors to Chongqing reached 86,000 in 2024, up 467.7% year-on-year, ranking Singapore among the city's top five inbound markets. Passenger traffic between Chongqing and Singapore exceeded 220,000, with 24 weekly flights now operating—the city’s busiest international route.
Officials say these cultural links complement economic cooperation, reinforcing trust and familiarity. Together, the bridges of standards, dialogue and people-to-people exchange illustrate how soft connectivity under the CCI is translating into lasting, practical outcomes.