FutureChina Global Forum 2010
Welcome & Opening Remarks by Chua Thian Poh, Chairman, Business China

His Excellencies

Distinguished speakers and delegates

Board members of Business China

Ladies & gentlemen

Good morning 大家早上好!

 

On behalf of the organiser, Business China, it gives me great pleasure to welcome all our distinguished speakers, guests, participants and partners to today’s inaugural meeting of FutureChina Global Forum. May I also extend a very warm welcome to members of the local and foreign media covering the event.

 

通商中国，Business China was launched in November 2007 by our patron, Minister Mentor Mr Lee Kuan Yew and China Premier Mr Wen Jiabao.  We are a non-profit organisation which acts as a significant platform integrating Chinese language, culture and economy. An important part of our mission is to strengthen Singapore as a cultural and economic bridge linking the world and China.

 

Singapore and China celebrates 20 years of diplomatic relations this year.  Ties between our countries are strong and growing in all areas.  To commemorate this significant milestone in our relations, Business China organized today’s forum, bringing together, in Singapore, eminent thought leaders and practitioners from diverse fields who offer interesting viewpoints about China. 

 

We believe that key decision makers all around the world have a need for more comprehensive and integrated understanding of the influences and trends that are shaping China’s development.  This is essential as China’s emergence as an economic superpower is creating powerful ripples around the world.  Yet it is a country with a long history and many different faces.  Moreover, change is taking place at great speed.  Singapore offers a neutral and objective space for the sharing of a broad range of views about China so that we can all engage this giant more meaningfully.

 

Therefore, the theme of our inaugural meeting is:    “Strategic insights for riding China’s next decade”. The agenda serves to address new trends, issues, and developments relating to China’s economy, society, culture, politics, technology and its international relations.

 

We have an outstanding line up of speakers, comprising of some 50 prominent personalities drawn from all over the world, including China, United States, India, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.  Our participants include key leaders of major corporations, scholars, as well as top government administrators.  Our media partner The Business Times has produced a special supplement on China.  I am sure with these materials as a backdrop; the discussions will be very rich in content.

 

This morning’s meeting will kick off with His Excellency Mr Wu Jianmin (吴建民), a renowned Chinese diplomat and at one time, spokesman of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Mr Wu is now the Executive Vice Chairman of China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy. Besides many other distinguished speakers, we are very privileged to have the US Ambassador to China His Excellency Jon Huntsman to address us at the plenary lunch later.  Minister Mentor Mr Lee Kuan Yew, will be the guest-of-honour at the Dinner-Dialogue with you tonight.   Tomorrow afternoon, Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr George Yeo will help bring our discussions to a close with his observations on China’s position as a global game changer.  

 

 

Business China is a bilingual platform, so all the meetings at this Forum will have simultaneous English and Mandarin translations.  As this is our inaugural meeting, the number of participants has been kept small.  The format of all discussions has been designed to achieve higher level interaction and foster a candid exchange of views. 

 

To enable the rich content to reach a wider audience, our media partner Channel NewsAsia will produce a special programme featuring key highlights of the Forum, to be broadcast later this month.  Channel NewsAsia is currently available in 24 territories, reaching out to more than 26 million households & hotels.  We look forward to your active participation, contributing to the richness and relevance of the discussions.

 

Each year, there are many conferences on China held within China and outside China.  However, I believe few will be like FutureChina Global Forum in its ability to offer privileged access to diverse yet integrated insights into China’s fast changing realities.   

 

Through this Forum, we hope to build a “community of insiders”, which consists of decision makers from business, political, academic, technological and cultural fields as well as the key persons from the civil society.  

This group will then have an annual or biennial gathering here to share knowledge and stay ahead in their understanding of China’s developments.  We know this will not be achieved overnight but let’s start building this community now.

 

Last but not least, to all our sponsors, supporting organisations, partners and speakers, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude.  Without your generous support and commitment, FutureChina Global Forum would not have taken place.

 

I wish you all have a fruitful experience here, taking home many valuable China insights.

 

Thank you  谢谢!