The 2024 Lien China Development Forum Successfully Concludes in Beijing

On November 4, 2024, the 2024 Lien China Development Forum was successfully held in Beijing. The forum, with the theme “Technological Innovation and New Quality Productivity Forces,” was organized by the Lien Ying Chow Legacy Fellowship and the Nanyang Centre for Public Administration at Nanyang Technological University, in collaboration with the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University and Singapore’s Stratagem Group. Scholars, policymakers, and practitioners from China, Singapore, and other countries gathered to explore technological innovation from various perspectives.

The concept of New Quality Productivity Forces, introduced in September 2023, focuses on technological innovation as the driving force for high efficiency, quality, and features such as digitalization, networking, and intelligence. It marks a shift from traditional economic models and has quickly become a core strategy for high-quality development.

At the opening ceremony of the forum held in the morning, distinguished guests in attendance included His Excellency Peter Tan Hai Chuan, Ambassador of Singapore to China and Member of the Lien Ying Chow Legacy Fellowship Council; Mr Bi Jingquan, former Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission and currently Chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges; Professor Ji Xiaonan, former Chairman of the State-owned Large Enterprise Supervisory Board; Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed, Board Member of Nanyang Technological University; Professor Lam Khin Yong, Vice President of Nanyang Technological University; Mr Goh Yong Siang, Chairman of Stratagem Group; and Professor Zhu Xufeng, Dean of the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University. Over 150 participants attended the forum, including more than 30 Lien Ying Chow Legacy Fellowship fellows from both Singapore and China.

 

Ambassador Peter Tan Hai Chuan, in his opening address, emphasized the critical importance of people-to-people exchanges as the foundation of bilateral relations. He stressed that forums like the Lien China Development Forum help bridge gaps between nations and foster mutual understanding, contributing to global peace and stability in an increasingly complex world.

 

Professor Liu Hong, Associate Vice President of Nanyang Technological University and Executive Director of the Lien Ying Chow Legacy Fellowship, expressed gratitude to all participants, including distinguished guests from government, academia, business, and alumni of Nanyang Technological University, for their active involvement in the forum.

Mr Bi Jingquan, Chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, delivered the keynote address, elaborating on the close relationship between the development of New Quality Productivity Forces and the pursuit of high-quality development. He highlighted that innovation is at the heart of high-quality development and emphasized the need to strengthen basic research, improve the market economy system, incentivize scientific discovery, and protect intellectual property. Mr Bi also underscored the importance of international cooperation in advancing technological innovation and the potential for Sino-Singaporean collaboration.

The thematic lecture session featured Professors Ji Xiaonan and Lam Khin Yong, who offered insights into the role of state-owned enterprises in advancing New Quality Productivity Forces and the impact of multi-stakeholder collaboration in driving industrial innovation and enterprise growth. Both lectures reflected Nanyang Technological University’s practical experiences working with industry and academia.

The forum also hosted several specialized panel discussions on topics such as technological innovation, artificial intelligence, and green transformation towards a low-carbon future. In the China-Singapore Dialogue, co-organized with Stratagem Group, participants explored opportunities for expanding cooperation between China and ASEAN countries, focusing on economic and trade relations as well as the challenges and opportunities presented by China’s high-quality development model for ASEAN.

Additionally, the forum featured the launch of "The Central Role of ASEAN and the Revival of Regional Connectivity," a scholarly work edited by Liu Hong, Celia Lee Khiaw Peng, and Jeremy Goh. The book, which explores ASEAN’s economic recovery during the pandemic and regional connectivity, is the result of collaborative research between the Nanyang Centre for Public Administration and the Lien Ying Chow Legacy Fellowship. The English edition was released at the forum, with the Chinese version to follow.

In conclusion, the 2024 Lien China Development Forum provided a significant platform for intellectual exchange and international collaboration, contributing to the discourse on fostering innovative and high-quality development in a rapidly changing global landscape.