Raffles City Chongqing shimmers in the sunlight. The building is one of Singapore's biggest investment projects in China, with 24 billion yuan ($3.6 billion) invested by CapitaLand Group. [Photo/Visual Chongqing]

2021 is the beginning of another five years of cooperation under the China-Singapore Connectivity Initiative. The governments of Chongqing and Singapore co-released an overall development plan on China-Singapore (Chongqing) connectivity programs for 2021-25, signaling that collaboration between the two sides will be upgraded and deepened in many ways.

The two sides have pledged in the plan to establish five major platforms – a regional cooperation and strategic service platform, a modern connectivity and development platform, a modern service economy demonstration platform, a policy innovation promotion platform, and a reform and opening-up exploration platform.

The plan also clarifies five key focuses for the five years, including the construction of open channels and demonstration projects, systematic innovation, and high-quality life.

By 2025, the two sides hope to achieve the orderly flow of trade, investment, cross-border capital, personnel, and information. Singapore will redouble its efforts to help Chongqing become a leading regional connectivity and modern service economy center in western China.