Opening Remarks by Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Edwin Tong SC, at SIAC China Conference 2026 (Shanghai)

Mr Tan Chee King, Singapore Consul-General in Shanghai

Mr Davinder Singh SC, Chairman of SIAC Board

Ms Lucy Reed, President of SIAC Court

Ms Gloria Lim, CEO of SIAC

Representatives from the Shanghai regulatory authorities

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Introduction

1.                       A very good morning to all of you. It is so nice to see many familiar faces here in the audience and it is good to be back in Shanghai again.

2.                       Shanghai has been one of my most visited cities since I joined the Government for a number of reasons. We have close collaborations with Shanghai, at a very deep level – people-to-people, as well as Government-to-Government. SIAC has a strong presence here and regularly organise events, seminars and working sessions in Shanghai and I joined them on a few occasions. I also co-chair the Singapore-Shanghai Comprehensive Cooperation Council (SSCCC) with Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng since 2023, having previously served as Co-Vice Chair in 2019.

3.                       In fact, I did a quick count on the number of times that I have been to Shanghai in my official capacity and the answer is 10. As the Chinese saying goes, “十全十美” or “perfect ten”.

4.                       In many ways, that feels like a good omen, as we gather here today to celebrate both the 10th anniversary of SIAC’s representative office in Shanghai, and the 35th anniversary of SIAC itself.

Appreciation for Chinese Stakeholders’ Support

5.                       These milestones, significant as they may be, would not have been possible without the support, friendship, trust and confidence of many friends and partners from around the world, especially from China. I thought it would be appropriate for me to start by looking back at how far we have come today and start by thanking those who have made this journey possible for 10 years.

6.                       First, let me start by expressing my deepest appreciation. To the past and present members of the SIAC Board and Court from China, for your guidance and stewardship and your trust in SIAC. Your deep understanding of the Chinese legal and business environment has been invaluable in helping SIAC stay relevant in the Chinese market. We have about 60 or so Chinese arbitrators on SIAC’s panel. Thank you for contributing your expertise. Sitting on the panel, you have helped to strengthen the diversity and quality of SIAC’s panel.

7.                       To the parties and their counsel who have placed your trust in SIAC to resolve your disputes fairly, efficiently and transparently. I believe the trust that SIAC received holds dear, and they reciprocate by showing that their delivery standards match those required by clients and counsel.

8.                       To the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Justice and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Public Security. Thank you for your support with the regulatory processes that has helped SIAC’s Shanghai representative office.

9.                       To the Shanghai International Arbitration Centre (SHIAC). Thank you for your warm welcome and for hosting SIAC at your beautiful premises at the Shanghai International Dispute Resolution Centre. I had the privilege of visiting the office yesterday for the first time. I must say that it is a beautiful office with spectacular views.

10.                  I also want to take a moment to thank Mr Davinder Singh SC, Chairman of SIAC Board, Ms Lucy Reed, President of SIAC Court and Ms Gloria Lim, CEO of SIAC, and your respective teams for pushing SIAC forward and always being so generous with your time and expertise.

Singapore-China and Singapore-Shanghai Relations

11.                  Just two days ago, I was in Beijing to open SIAC’s second office in China. On that occasion, I reflected on nearly five decades of trust, collaboration, and friendship between Singapore and China. We go back a long way. We built our relationship on trust and on foundations that are solid.

12.                  Indeed, both countries have also been blessed with visionary leadership. That leadership has laid the foundation and carefully nurtured our relationship over the years, yielding tangible benefits for both our countries.

13.                  The same foundation underpins this Singapore-Shanghai relations. When I speak about the tangible benefits, I am talking about the trust and confidence that we have in each other, nurtured carefully over many years.

14.                  Among all Chinese cities, Shanghai, in terms of its outlook and DNA, is one that is most similar to Singapore: a global financial centre, a vibrant business hub, a bustling port, and a cosmopolitan metropolis. It is therefore no surprise that our partnership stands out, having been built on strong foundations and have resulted in tangible benefits as well, for both cities.

15.                  The SSCCC, which I co-chair with Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng, is Singapore’s newest provincial-level business council with a Chinese province. Newest since 2019, but yet in that short time, it has become one of the most substantive, reflecting decades of engagement and the complementary strengths of both cities.

16.                  Over the past seven years, since the inaugural SSCCC meeting in 2019, dozens of agreements and MOUs have been implemented across a wide spectrum of areas – from economic and trade cooperation, financial services, technology and innovation, and the digital economy, to urban governance, education, healthcare, culture, and tourism. You can see a broad spectrum, cutting across almost every field.

17.                  As of 2025, Singapore has over 6,800 investment projects in Shanghai, worth more than US$27 billion, while Shanghai companies in turn have over 600 projects in Singapore, totalling more than US$8.5 billion. So you can see the tangible benefits in terms of trade flows and investment flows in both cities.

18.                  Beyond the numbers, Shanghai is home to the largest Singaporean community in China, living, working, and studying in the city, a testament to the strong people-to-people ties that underpin our relationship.

19.                  My Ministry, MinLaw, has been working with Shanghai and we have been privileged to kick off the Singapore-Shanghai exchange programme for lawyers. Through this initiative, lawyers spend time in each other’s law firms to gain insight into the business and legal environment, and, perhaps more importantly, to understand how businesses are done in the respective cities.

20.                  The law is easy to learn. The cultural nuances in transacting, in interacting with one other and to give advice in a different cultural context is much harder.

21.                  We have 12 Singapore lawyers that are currently in Shanghai on a two-month attachment with Chinese law firms. It is a relationship and programme that we deeply treasure. Whenever I visit Shanghai, I make it a point to reconnect with the Shanghai lawyers, who have participated in the earlier iterations of this programme over the years.

22.                  I was glad to be able to meet them last evening as well. I made the point last evening that with each succeeding occasion that we meet, I hear the chatter growing louder and louder. I know that we have succeeded when our Shanghai lawyers can speak to me in Singlish and can talk to me about local delicacies like chicken rice and laksa. I think it shows that they have crossed the cultural divide.

SIAC’s Role in Bilateral Relations

23.                  SIAC’s Shanghai office has been an integral part of these strong people-to-people ties. Over the past decade, it has engaged closely with courts, arbitration centres, bar associations, universities, law firms, and businesses across Shanghai.

24.                  With the opening of SIAC’s second office in Beijing, the Shanghai office will continue to play a vital role, complementing broader efforts to deepen Singapore–China cooperation in arbitration.

25.                  Singapore and SIAC remain committed to a two-way relationship - not competing for work, but providing a neutral forum when needed, ensuring that Chinese parties have access to options they know, understand, trust, and can rely upon.

26.                  As SHIAC establishes its Singapore office later this year, we will reciprocate this spirit of partnership in Singapore, fully integrating the institution in the Singapore ecosystem, to benefit both sides and strengthen the regional arbitration networks.

27.                  I had a very good meeting with SHIAC yesterday afternoon and we shared our plans and visions. We find that there is a very deep cohesion in both our plans and visions.

Looking Ahead: Arbitration in Asia

28.                  In today’s uncertain world, we can just pick up the papers to see how the world changes from day to day. With the fragmentation of international institutions, trusted dispute resolution systems have become more essential than ever.

29.                  Singapore’s legal framework, consistently ranked among the most trusted, predictable, and impartial in the world, gives parties the confidence that disputes will be resolved fairly, efficiently, and transparently.

30.                  Our institutions, including SIAC, SIMC, and SICC, bring together expertise, innovation, and international credibility to deliver precisely that.

31.                  I just noticed in the last few months that China has embarked on very ambitious and forward-looking arbitration reforms, effective 1 March 2026, and they mark a significant step forward.

32.                  These reforms seek to modernise domestic arbitration, align foreign-related arbitration with international norms, and strengthen institutional frameworks. Key developments include recognition of the arbitral seat, permission for offshore institutions in designated regions, and the limited introduction of ad hoc arbitration.

33.                  I believe the reforms, together with what we have in Singapore, represent and signal China’s readiness to partner with Singapore to provide globally trusted and internationally credible dispute resolution solutions.

34.                  Coming back to the bigger picture of Singapore and China – the laws, the institutions, and the people-to-people relations that we have built – I believe that we are now in a unique position where we can bring this relationship further.

35.                  Concretely, Singapore and Shanghai, and more broadly Singapore and China, can collaborate to shape rules, norms and practices for Asia in the area of dispute resolution. We can also strive to nurture the next generation of arbitration talent – internationally trained yet deeply rooted in the region, understanding the nuances of resolving disputes in the Asia context and deeply embedded in the Asia legal ecosystem.  

Conclusion

36.                  Finally, as I conclude and look back at the milestones that we celebrate today, as the title of today’s session says, let us look back to learn the lessons of how we got here and then look beyond - to the next 10, 15 years and beyond.

37.                  I am confident in an even stronger partnership between Singapore and China in shaping the future of international dispute resolution. By continuing to strengthen our partnerships and deepen our exchanges, we can chart a path that sets a global example of excellence, cooperation, and innovation.

38.                  Before I close, I have been talking about deepening people-to-people relations, developing trust, building network. I would like to give a shout out to the Singapore Convention Week. We are hosting one at the end of August this year and it will be a platform for like-minded practitioners and thought leaders to exchange, collaborate and learn. Practices may be uneven but best practices can always be exchanged.

39.                  Once again, congratulations to SIAC’s Shanghai representative office on its 10th anniversary. Thank you very much.

Last updated on 27 May 2026