Interview | Looking forward to deepening cooperation in urba

Singapore, July 12 (Xinhua) - Exclusive Interview | Looking forward to deepening cooperation in urban governance between Singapore and China - Interview with Singapore's Minister of National Development, Xu Fangda

 

Xinhua News Agency reporter Shu Chang Mao Pengfei

 

China's experience in urban governance and other fields provides useful references for cities in various countries, including Singapore, "said Singapore's Minister of National Development, Xu Fangda, in a written interview with Xinhua News Agency." Singapore and China have their own advantages in urban governance and have a good foundation for cooperation. We look forward to further deepening exchanges and cooperation between the two sides and jointly exploring effective paths to address urban development challenges.

 

Xu Fangda said that currently, many countries such as China and Singapore are facing challenges such as population aging, balancing economic development with the protection of historical, cultural, and natural heritage, as well as dealing with traffic congestion and spatial pressure brought about by high-density urban development. Therefore, it is of great significance for the two countries to continue to carry out exchanges around urban development.

 

China has achieved significant results in building dynamic and livable cities. When it comes to China's urban development experience, Xu Fangda believes that there are two points that are particularly noteworthy: first, adhering to high-quality development and promoting sustainable urban construction; The second is innovative practices in urban renewal.

 

Xu Fangda said that in recent years, China has developed rapidly in areas such as electric vehicle manufacturing, resource recycling, and photovoltaic product production. The outline of China's 15th Five Year Plan also highlights the direction of high-quality development. China is focusing on promoting long-term economic green transformation and continuously advancing emissions reduction. This shows us that environmental protection and economic development can fully promote each other

 

In addition, Xu Fangda noticed that cities such as Beijing and Tianjin have made positive progress in protecting historical buildings, industrial sites, and natural landscapes in recent years, which not only continues the urban context but also endows these spaces with new functions. For example, in Shougang Park in Beijing, planners preserved a large number of industrial relics and integrated them with modern architecture, achieving an organic unity of historical protection and urban renewal.

 

Xu Fangda said that both China and Singapore have their own advantages in the field of urban governance and have maintained long-term exchanges and cooperation. The Ministry of National Development of Singapore and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Rural Development of China maintain regular exchanges to share experiences on urban planning and development, and look forward to more such exchanges between the two sides in the future.

 

In Xu Fangda's view, one of the important achievements of the development cooperation between China and Singapore is the China Singapore Tianjin Eco City.

 

The construction of the China Singapore Tianjin Ecological City is on top of the existing saline alkali land and polluted water areas. Xu Fangda said that in the past 20 years, this area has gradually been transformed into a prosperous and sustainable city. Residential, industrial, and commercial development rely on clean energy, while supporting parks and nature reserves are built. Biodiversity continues to improve, and the overall living environment continues to improve.

 

Our cooperation with the Tianjin Municipal Government and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Rural Development of China reflects the firm determination of both countries to promote sustainable development goals. I look forward to continuous progress in our cooperation, "said Xu Fangda.

 

Speaking of the future, Xu Fangda stated that with the continuous advancement of global urbanization, the importance of bilateral and multilateral exchanges and cooperation between cities will be further enhanced.

 

Xu Fangda said that Singapore holds the World Cities Summit every two years in the hope of promoting exchanges and mutual learning among global cities. Cooperation between cities often complements cooperation at the national level, jointly promoting the achievement of global sustainable development goals. (End)