West is best: Chongqing wins bid for Singapore business park as Xi promotes development of western China
Chongqing has emerged triumphant in a battle between three mainland cities to host Singapore’s third development project on the mainland.
The decision was announced at a state banquet on Friday night by President Xi Jinping, hours after he arrived for his first visit to the city state in his official capacity as leader.
Chongqing, which hit the headlines in 2012 due to the disgrace of its Communist Party boss Bo Xilai, saw off Chengdu and Xian to host the government-led development – a business park and residential project themed on “modern services and connectivity”.
The project was crucial to Xi’s signature plan to boost trade and development across Eurasia, analysts said.
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“It will enable him to show he is working hard to add meat to his One Belt, One Road initiative and to bring further development to a western part of China,” said Lye Liang Fook from Singapore’s East Asian Institute.
It will also be a major boost to Sino-Singapore ties. “It’s a good idea because logistics, services and connectivity are areas that have not previously been emphasised by the two sides,” said Li Mingjiang from the S..Rajaratnam School of International Studies. “The services sector is an area where Singapore may have some advantages in working with China. The project shows both countries have fairly strong political interest in enhancing ties.”
And Chongqing itself will receive a boost, after struggling to move on from the Bo scandal. After five high-profile years as its party boss, Bo was purged in 2012 amid a corruption scandal that involved a murder by his wife and a defection to the US consulate by his top aide Wang Lijun , former Chongqing police chief.
It will enable Xi to show he is working hard to add meat to his One Belt, One Road initiative and to bring further development to a western part of China
Bo, a former Politburo member, was replaced by Sun Zhengcai , who is touted as a future political star.
Singapore’s previous projects on the mainland were the Suzhou Industrial Park in 1994 and the Tianjin Eco-City in 2008.
The announcement has provided an early highlight to Xi’s visit, on which he is expected to launch talks to upgrade a bilateral free-trade agreement.
Xi was given a ceremonial welcome at the Istana, Singapore’s presidential office. He visited Singapore’s President Tony Tan Keng Yam, while his wife Peng Liyuan had tea with Tan’s wife.
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who hosts Xi for a private lunch today, told the daily Lianhe Zaobao: “Whether in culture, tourism, business, economy, or in tertiary education, there are many opportunities for us to continue enhancing our cooperation.”
