By Yuling Chen, Yiling Wang, iChongqing News

Chongqing- Han Zheng, Member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, and Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance of the Republic of Singapore, unveiled the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Connectivity Initiative Gallery in Southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality on October 15, 2019.

In order to display achievements of China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity (CCI) over the past four years since its launch, the Chinese and Singaporean sides both funded and established the gallery, covering an area about 600 square meters.

Guided by the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity Administrative Bureau (CCIB), the gallery involves three main parts- background of cooperation, sectors of cooperation under the CCI and prospects. These contents are displayed in forms of words, pictures and videos.

The CCI as the third government-to-government cooperation project is a strategic cooperation platform pioneered by the governments of China and Singapore. Focusing on connectivity and service economy, the project was launched in November 2015. It is not geographically bound and is highly aligned with the Belt and Road Initiative, the Western Development and the Yangtze River Economic Belt strategies. With Chongqing as the base for the collaboration, the CCI is designated to leverage resources from both sides and form a leading regional modern connectivity and modern services center in Western China, so as to promote the common development of regions and countries along the Belt and Road.

As for the working mechanism of the CCI, it is a three-tier structure involving Chinese and Singaporean sides, namely the Joint Steering Council with Vice Premier of the State Council and Deputy Prime Minister, Joint Working Committee with Minister of Commerce and Minister-in-charge, and Joint Implementation Committee with Mayor of Chongqing, Minister-in-charge.

Financial services, aviation, transport and logistics, information and communications technology are the four priority sectors within the CCI. As of September 30, 2019, a total of 199 projects have been signed with a total value of about USD 27 billion.

Before the unveiling ceremony, Vice Premier Han Zheng and DPM Heng Swee Keat co-chaired the 15th China-Singapore Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation meeting, the 20th China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Joint Steering Council meeting, the 11th China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Joint Steering Council meeting, and the third China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity Joint Steering Council meeting in Chongqing Tuesday.