[(Title)]China-Singapore trade pact upgrade ready by end of this year

SINGAPORE - Singapore and China will conclude the upgrade of their free trade agreement by the end of this year, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, giving certainty for the first time to when the new deal will be sealed.

新加坡副总理张志贤·何岸表示，新加坡和中国将在今年年底前完成自由贸易协定的升级，他首次确定了新政何时会被签署。

Talks over the upgrade have taken nearly three years.

关于升级的谈判花了近三年时间。

The deal will enhance a trade pact that came into force in 2009, and provide Singapore businesses with greater trade facilitation and investment protection in China.

该协议将加强2009年生效的贸易协定，并为新加坡企业在中国提供更大的贸易便利化和投资保护。

It will also feature more cooperation in areas such as legal and financial services, as well as e-commerce and the environment.

还将在法律和金融服务以及电子商务和环境等领域开展更多合作。

Speaking to reporters on Thursday (Sept 20) at the end of China and Singapore's key meeting on bilateral cooperation, Mr Teo said he hopes both sides can sign the improved FTA when Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visits Singapore for the 33rd Asean Summit in November.

周四( 9月20日)在中国和新加坡关于双边合作的重要会议结束时他对记者说，希望双方能够在中国总理李克强11月访问新加坡参加第33届东盟峰会时签署改进后的自由贸易协定。

Singapore, which was the first Asian country to have a comprehensive bilateral FTA with China, has been China's largest foreign investor since 2013.

新加坡是第一个与中国有全面双边自由贸易协定的亚洲国家，自2013年以来一直是中国最大的外国投资者。

This year's Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting, in its 14th year, saw a number of firsts.

今年的双边合作联合理事会第14届会议上，实现了很多个第一次。

It was the first appearance by Chinese Vice-Premier Han Zheng as co-chair of the session.

这是中国副总理韩正首次作为本届会议的共同主席出席。

Mr Han had taken over the reins from former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli, who retired last October.

The meeting also saw the introduction of the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative as a standalone agenda item, signalling the importance of this China-led developmental masterplan in future collaborations between the two countries.

会议还将雄心勃勃的一带一路倡议作为一个独立的议程项目进行了介绍，这表明了这一由中国牵头的发展总计划在两国未来合作中的重要性。

Mr Han, in his opening remarks at the JCBC, called the initiative "a major opportunity for the development of China-Singapore relations", and said China was willing to work with Singapore from a strategic and long-term perspective.

韩先生在合作联合理事会议上开幕词中称该倡议是“发展中新关系的一个重要机会”，并表示中国愿意从战略和长期的角度与新加坡合作。

Another first: The introduction of Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat as deputy co-chair of the JCBC as well as the Joint Steering Councils for the three government-to-government projects: Suzhou Industrial Park, Tianjin Eco-city and Chongqing Connectivity Initiative.

另一个第一:引进财政部长亨·斯威·基廷担任合作联合理事会副联合主席，以及三个政府间项目的联合协调委员会:苏州工业园区、天津生态城和重庆互联互通倡议。

Mr Heng has been touted as a potential deputy prime minister, and a contender to be the next PM.

Mr Teo said even though it was Mr Han's first outing at this annual meeting, they had good rapport.

Mr Han was promoted to the all-powerful seven-member Politburo Standing Committee last October, propelling him into the top leadership ranks of the country.

"China has just had its 19th Party Congress and Two Sessions, so they have a new leadership in position.

We are also transitioning our leadership in Singapore and it (JCBC) provides the leadership on both sides to get to know each other and work together on substantive projects.

This will take our relationship, on a solid footing, into the future," said Mr Teo.

In his opening remarks, Mr Teo said the annual meeting's agenda has evolved to keep pace with the two countries' development and priorities.

在开幕词中，张志贤先生说，年度会议的议程已经在变化，以跟上两国的发展和优先事项。

Both sides struck several agreements, such as establishing a Singapore-Shanghai cooperation council at the ministerial and mayoral level, as well as an internship programme for students of both countries.

双方达成了几项协议，如建立部长级和市长级新加坡-上海合作委员会，以及为两国学生提供实习计划。

The Monetary Authority of Singapore will also work with its Chinese counterpart to strengthen cross-border supervision, given the increased activities of investors and financial institutions in both markets.

鉴于投资者和金融机构在两个市场的活动都有所增加，新加坡金融管理局也将与中国金融管理局合作，加强跨境监管。

The financial authorities of both countries will also look into facilitating investment flows to support growing interest, as well as cooperate on fintech matters.

两国的金融当局也将考虑促进投资流动，以支持日益增长的兴趣，并就金融技术事项进行合作。

Mr Teo said China and Singapore also agreed to begin negotiations on a mutual legal assistance treaty for criminal matters, which will boost legal protection along the Belt and Road, which aims to mirror ancient trade links between China and the world over land and sea.

中国和新加坡也同意就刑事事项法律互助条约开始谈判，这将加强一带一路的法律保护，旨在反映中国和世界在陆地和海洋上的古老贸易联系。

On the cultural front, both sides are looking at conducting research on the historical and archaeological value of a collection of treasures from the Tang Dynasty, recovered from a shipwreck found in 1998 off Belitung Island east of Sumatra.

在文化方面，双方都在研究1998年在苏门答腊岛以东的贝利东岛发现的一批唐代珍宝的历史和考古价值。

The collection belongs to the Asian Civilisations Museum and has been on exhibition there.

该藏品属于亚洲文明博物馆，一直在那里展出。

Officials from both sides also took stock of the progress made on the three government-to-government projects in Suzhou, Tianjin and Chongqing.

双方官员还评估了苏州、天津和重庆三个政府间项目的进展情况。

The next step would be for China and Singapore to take the experience gained from running these joint projects to a third country, said Mr Teo.

下一步将是中国和新加坡将从运营这些联合项目中获得的经验带到第三国。

He was joined by a dozen ministers at the meeting, including Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli and Manpower Minister Josephine Teo.

出席会议的有十几位部长，包括外交部长维维安·巴拉克里希南、贸易和工业部长陈振星、环境和水资源部长马萨戈斯·祖尔基菲里和人力部长约瑟芬·特奥。

among them a partnership between the National Arts Council (NAC) and the China National Arts Fund to promote exchanges and collaboration among artists and arts groups from both countries.

其中包括国家艺术委员会和中国国家艺术基金之间的伙伴关系，以促进两国艺术家和艺术团体之间的交流与合作。

NAC CEO Rosa Daniel said both sides have a lot to offer.

NAC首席执行官罗莎·丹尼尔说，双方都有很多可以提供的。

"We hope to share Singapore's multilingual and multicultural approach to artistic expression with China artists and audiences," she said.

她说:“我们希望与中国艺术家和观众分享新加坡的多语言和多元文化艺术表达方式。”。

"This is also an added opportunity for our artists to build critical networks and deepen their artistic practice through skills exchange with the Chinese, such as residencies, workshops and masterclasses."

“这也为我们的艺术家们提供了一个额外的机会，通过与中国人的技能交流，如住校、工作室和大师班，建立重要的网络并深化他们的艺术实践。"