Much work was concluded in Beijing of late by Singapore ministers and their Chinese counterparts, related to the bilateral government-to-government projects in Suzhou, Tianjin and Chongqing. [...] Yet for all that, there is an abiding sense of realism that even old ties are subject to the vicissitudes of geopolitical changes. That was borne out in past months when diplomatic friction surfaced between the two countries.

The Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation, the highest level of bilateral cooperation between China and Singapore starts today, February 27. Singapore Deputy PM Teo Chee Hean arrived in Beijing on Sunday for a three day visit at the invitation of China's Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli. Both leaders are co-chairs of the platform, which is for promoting dialogue between China and Singapore.

“Singapore’s branding as a ‘place for innovation’ has helped it to attract talents in sectors such as biotechnologies,” GTCI 2017 co-author Bruno Lanvin tells HRM Asia. A large part of this is because the Singapore Government has been quick to recognise the importance of innovation.

As tensions over Hong Kong government's seizure of nine military vehicles from Singapore continues to escalate, Singaporean bloggers have turned the diplomatic incident into catchy ‘Singlish Songs’, humorously pleading Hong Kong and China to return their “Terrex Chia”. [...] YouTuber Alvin Oon's song, “Give Me Back My Terrex Chia”, went viral in the space of a few days. He introduced it on YouTube as “Song Diplomacy”.

Singapore’s lifelong ambition to become the smartest city in the world has been supported by its government’s proactive efforts to transform a country with limited resources into one of the most innovative, sustainable and tech-savvy cities in the world. Internet of Things (IoT)-related applications to improve the quality of life, such as behavioural monitoring for smoking, smart parking, CCTV and transport systems are already at mature stages.

Singapore President Tony Tan Keng Yam has wrapped up his four-day state visit to Cambodia with two agreements signed and other commitments to further enhance the relationship between the two countries and their people. Singapore has played a significant role in Asean community building, particularly in narrowing the development gaps within Asean. 

Once again East Asian countries have dominated the global education tables. In recent weeks, both the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) published their rankings of education systems worldwide based on students’ skills and knowledge. 

As part of the government's efforts to promote its "New Southbound Policy," the Ministry of Culture has earmarked a budget of US$600 million to attract international filmmakers and TV crews to produce their future projects with counterparts in Taiwan. Mulan, a musical that made its global debut this month in Singapore, is a great example of collaboration between performers from Taiwan and abroad.