Like all cultural exports, Southeast Asian contemporary art provides Association of Southeast Asian Nation members with a soft power mechanism for expanding international influence. Yet neither ASEAN nor the majority of ASEAN countries demonstrate a serious commitment to advancing their national interests through contemporary art. Singapore represents the clear exception.

Singapore’s prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, told this water summit’s attendees that “water is a strategic necessity for Singapore” and so the country had “mobilized our machinery” in a holistic approach that includes investing in new technology and educating the public about water conservation.

SINGAPORE --- “Just turn on the faucet.”

That’s the answer most Americans and others in the developed world would give if asked how to get plenty of clean water. But for about two billion people, such a response is meaningless. These people – almost a third of the world’s population – do not have access to water that can be drunk without adverse health effects. An even greater number lack access to adequate sanitation, which is a principal reason that more than two million children die of diarrheal diseases each year.

Screenwest, Western Australia's screen funding and development agency and the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) announced two cross-media projects. The two projects aim to encourage producers in the two territories to co-develop visual narrative concepts for emerging new media channels. These include interactive television, web and mobile devices.

Ten terracotta statues (picture) have been shipped to Singapore for their first exhibition in South-east Asia, at the Asian Civilisation Museum. Together with about 100 artefacts from China's Qin and Han dynasties, the statues were shipped, over land and by air, from the Chinese city of Xi'an. The "Terracotta Warriors: The First Emperor and His Legacy" exhibition will run from June 24 to Oct 16.

The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city is the second major government project between China and Singapore. Its goal is to develop a livable and efficient city in an ecologically sound and environmentally sustainable way. Another project in the pipeline is the development of a low-carbon living laboratory which is expected to appeal to Singapore companies keen to invest in the area.

Celebrities added a lot of glitz and glamour to ScreenSingapore 2011. But besides the red carpet extravaganza - organisers said the event also helped local film companies network with international counterparts, something which organisers said will bear fruit in future.

Singapore wants to join the major international film festival circuit. With the launch of ScreenSingapore, the island city-state is hosting dozens of screenings and events aimed at wooing industry players. Indeed, Singapore is entering a competitive market, which might be why organizer Jimmy Lau prefers to call ScreenSingapore a “business convention for international media players”.