Chee Hong Tat Calls for Singapore-China AI and Green Tech Collaboration

Singapore and China should deepen cooperation in green transition, artificial intelligence and robotics, and ageing — three areas where closer collaboration could benefit both countries and the wider region, Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said on Monday.

Speaking at the Lianhe Zaobao Singapore-China Forum, Chee stressed that "no country has all the answers, nor the capacity and resources to act alone." He called for building on the strong foundation laid by previous generations of bilateral ties, noting that lessons learnt and solutions developed could ripple outward beyond both countries to benefit Southeast Asia and the wider world.

On AI and robotics, Chee pointed to Singapore's built environment sector, where firms are already deploying robotics and AI to boost productivity and create specialist roles. He described China as a "world leader in AI, robotics, and intelligent manufacturing," deployed at scale across construction, logistics, and urban infrastructure. The minister said deeper exchanges between governments, industry and academia would help both countries turn innovative ideas into practical solutions, while ensuring technological progress creates opportunities for workers — not just displacement concerns.

Why it matters for Singapore: This high-level call for bilateral AI cooperation signals that Singapore views AI as a strategic pillar of its relationship with its largest trading partner. With China pushing ahead rapidly in AI manufacturing and robotics, Singapore's role as a neutral hub for technology collaboration — bridging Western governance frameworks and Chinese deployment scale — becomes increasingly valuable. The explicit mention of regulatory, economic and social frameworks as areas for joint work also points to a potential Singapore-China AI governance track that could influence regional norms.