Speech by Minister Desmond Lee for the Opening of 7th World Intelligence Congress 2023
May 18, 2023
1. Please allow me to open some remarks in English and then I will speak in Chinese. A very good morning to Chairman Mr Wan Gang, Tianjin Party Secretary Mr Chen Min’er, Tianjin Mayor Mr Zhang Gong, Ministers Huai Jinpeng and Wang Zhigang, and distinguished guests. Thank you for inviting me to the 7th edition of the World Intelligence Congress.
2. The theme for this year’s Congress - 智行天下， 能动未来 - inspires us to think about how we can harness technology to overcome challenges and improve the lives of our people.
3. Today, cities are grappling with challenges that are more complex and profound than before. I will just highlight three examples.
4. The first is climate change. We need to find ways to drastically reduce our emissions, while still fulfilling our people’s aspirations for development and improvement of their lives.
5. Two, resource resilience. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed our vulnerability to disruptions in global supply chain, and the need to strengthen our resource resilience. We have to double down on efforts to minimise waste and maximise resource efficiency. These require paradigm shifts in how we produce and how we consume.
6. Three, the demographic shift towards an ageing population will drive up healthcare spending, while shrinking our workforce and tax base. Mitigating the impacts of ageing on cities is therefore pressing.
7. New technologies can be the game-changer that empowers us to transform these challenges into opportunities to improve lives and make cities more future-ready.
8. We can harness technology to make business operations more green, while sharpening cities’ competitive edge and charting new growth avenues.
9. We are already seeing this in our shipping industry and port operations. The Port of Rotterdam uses a suite of digital tools to manage vessel traffic and container handling more efficiently. Tianjin Port has announced that it launched a zero-carbon terminal which uses robotics and digitalisation for port operations. In Singapore, our Tuas Port is set to be the world’s largest fully automated port when completed in the 2040s. We have introduced electrified equipment and automated guided vehicles which have lower carbon emissions than current diesel prime movers.
10. Similarly, we can harness new technologies to close resource loops and strengthen our cities’ resource resilience.
11. Let me list a few examples – waste-to-energy plants generate energy while reducing waste that goes to landfills. We also have technology that allows us to incorporate recycled carbon in concrete or convert plastics into feedstock. The possibilities, if we all work together, are immense.
12. The same applies to ageing. With smart living technologies, we can rewire our cities to redefine what ageing means – our elderly enjoying their golden years independently, productively, and engaged with the community.
13. Our prospects of securing a better shared future are bright, if we can further unleash the power of technology in improving lives.
14. Discussion platforms, like the one we are at here today, bring like-minded partners together to cross-pollinate and adopt ideas. We must continue speaking to each other and working with each other.
15. Because collaboration amongst cities is key to pushing the boundaries of innovation in enhancing our people’s lives. This was why China and Singapore started the Tianjin Eco-City project, the second Government-to-Government project between our two countries.
16. Launched 15 years ago, we set out to develop the Eco-City as a replicable model for sustainable urban development. This idea was ahead of its time. Back then, the concept of sustainability had not caught on globally.
17. Today, we have transformed the Eco-City from barren saltpans into a vibrant and liveable community. Over 130,000 people live and work there. And there are more than 23,000 registered companies. It is also a leading model of sustainable urban development. Over the years, the Chinese government has designated the Eco-City as a pilot site to test-bed solutions for green development, sponge cities, zero-waste cities and smart cities.
18. Collaboration amongst cities on climate action is now ever more important. The Eco-City can continue to be a vital test-bed for piloting and scaling sustainable and smart solutions, which can be adapted in cities in China and the rest of the world.
19. For example, yesterday, I visited the Seasons Smart Vibrant Precinct, which Keppel Land China launched with the Eco-City Administrative Committee in 2021. Here, a suite of smart solutions has been deployed to bring greater convenience to residents’ lives. There is a lot more we can do together in this aspect. 21 Allow me to speak in Chinese.
20. 尊敬的万钢主席，尊敬的市委书记陈敏尔、尊敬的市长张工，尊敬的怀进鹏，王志刚部长，各位领导, 以及与会的各位嘉宾，大家早上好。感谢大会今年再度邀请新加坡成为主宾国。 我很开心能够亲自到天津参与这次盛会。
21. 今年大会的主题， ‘智行天下， 能动未来’ 意义非凡。它启发我们设想如何更好利用新科技来改善人民的生活。
22. 大会汇集了志趣相投的各地专才，共同探讨和分享相关的经验和创新方案。
23. 每座城市都渴望实现美好的共同未来。通过城市间的合作，我们能突破创新的界限来实现这个共同目标。
24. 中新天津生态城就是一个很好的例子。这趟行程我也走访了生态城，亲睹了它的蓬勃发展。我很高兴能再次见证新中两国如何携手合作，把当初的盐碱荒地，转变成欣欣向荣的生态新城。
25. 应对气候变化，气候危机是全球的当务之急。新中两国在可持续城市发展的合作，可为这方面的努力做出积极的贡献。
26. 今年是中新天津生态城的15周年庆。新中两国将借此契机，扩大在可持续发展 与建设智慧城市的合作，加强相互学习，为生态城的合作开启新篇章。
27. 最后，让我预祝大会圆满成功，会议取得丰硕成果。祝在座的各位身体健康，万事顺利。谢谢。