Opening Speech by Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Law and Ministry of Social and Family Development, Mr Eric Chua at the 9th International Mediation Summit in Haikou
尊敬的中国贸促会副会长，聂文慧先生
尊敬的海南省人大常委会副主任， 闫希军先生
尊敬的中国法学会副会长, 王振江先生
各位尊敬的嘉宾
女士们、先生们
Introduction
1. 大家早上好。请允许我以英语继续发言。
2. A very good morning to one and all. It is a great pleasure to be here in Haikou for the 9th International Mediation Summit. First, a big thank you to the organisers for your invitation.
3. This is my first official trip since joining the Ministry of Law in Singapore in May this year, and my first visit to beautiful Haikou, Hainan.
4. I have heard many wonderful things about Hainan, and I am very excited to experience it firsthand.
Connections between Singapore and Hainan
5. Singapore and Hainan share deep historical and cultural ties. Of the two million people of Hainanese descent worldwide, about one-tenth live in Singapore. And among them is our Prime Minister, Mr Lawrence Wong.
6. One of our national dishes – the Hainanese chicken rice – evolved from Hainan’s Wenchang chicken – a legacy of early Hainanese immigrants to Singapore in the 1800s and early 1900s. I had some Wenchang chicken last night, and I am very excited to try more of the local Hainanese dishes this afternoon, before I fly home later in the day.
7. Beyond history and culture, Hainan and Singapore share a significant similarity – both of us are free trade ports.
8. On this note, I would like to congratulate Hainan in advance for the upcoming milestone on 18 December – the official launch of an island-wide, independent customs operation, which will include an expanded zero-tariff goods coverage. This will strengthen Hainan’s position as a global trading hub, and we are excited to see its continued success. Singapore has benefitted from being a free trade port, and I am confident that Hainan will also enjoy similar advantages in the years to come.
Singapore’s experience in free trade port
9. Given the strong parallels and ties between our two cities, I thought it would be apt for me to share a little bit more, from the Singapore perspective. Three key principles have guided Singapore in building a free trade port. These principles are also relevant to the focus of today’s conference on international mediation.
10. First, rules-based multilateralism.
a. Like China, Singapore advocates for a rules-based trading system, as established by the World Trade Organization (WTO), to ensure that trade flows smoothly, predictably, and freely.
b. For trade to thrive, businesses must be confident that their investments and rights will be protected, and that disputes will be resolved fairly, transparently and efficiently.
c. At Singapore’s Ministry of Law, our vision is clear: “A Trusted Legal System, A Trusted Singapore.” For us, the rule of law, good governance, low corruption, and efficiency are non-negotiable. We hold ourselves, our judiciary, our institutions, law firms, and lawyers to high standards, to instil confidence in our services and system.
11. Second, openness.
a. As a global business hub, Singapore welcomes foreign enterprises that can contribute to our growth. Yes, these foreign enterprises may compete with our local firms, but we believe there are clear benefits. It raises standards, enhances performance, and gives consumers greater choice.
b. We have liberalised our regime to allow foreign firms, counsel, arbitrators and mediators to freely participate in arbitration and mediation here.
c. We also welcome foreign institutions to set up a presence in Singapore. In fact, we have just signed MOUs with the Shanghai International Arbitration Centre (SHIAC) and the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA), to establish offices in Singapore. This will give Chinese and other companies more options. We warmly welcome Chinese mediation institutions to do likewise.
d. Mediation is particularly suited to the Asian context, where harmony is highly valued. 正所谓, 以和为贵，和气生财，和衷共济, 家和万事兴。Singapore has been actively promoting international mediation and encouraging countries to sign and ratify the Singapore Convention on Mediation, which provides a uniform and efficient framework for enforcing mediated settlement agreements across borders, making mediation a viable tool for resolving disputes.
12. Third, connectivity.
a. Today, the world is hyperconnected. Businesses and disputes often transcend borders. While parties prefer a familiar dispute resolution forum, this may not always be possible, especially if the other party disagrees.
b. This is where a neutral, independent, and trusted forum like Singapore can play a role. And that is why we take a collaborative approach with partners all around the world, including China.
c. CCPIT is one of our most valued and important partners, with whom we have built a strong friendship. I had the pleasure of meeting CCPIT Chairman Mr Ren Hongbin and many of our CCPIT colleagues at the 5th Singapore-China International Commercial Dispute Resolution Conference in Singapore about a month ago. It was clear to me that the longstanding collaboration between us and our practitioners have deepened our mutual understanding and trust. That is why I am here today – to continue building on this friendship.
Conclusion
13. Let me conclude in Chinese.
14. 2025年，在庆祝新中建交35周年之际，我能有机会与大家在海口齐聚一堂，对我个人而言，意义非凡。多年来新中关系不断地在多方面，多层次地深化。其中，新加坡律政部与中国贸促会多元，双向的友好交流，也即将步入第十个年头。
15. 我们非常重视并珍惜这段友谊，也将继续致力于加强合作，为两国人民带来更多福祉。
16. 我们可以在现有的体制内合作解决国际争端，但我深信，我们也有合作的空间与条件，进一步完善现有的体系。
17. 中国和东盟分别是世界第二大和第五大经济体，合作空间与潜能巨大，超乎想像。希望我们能在坚固的基础上，进一步发展新中两国人民之间的友谊与合作。
18. 最后，衷心感谢主办方的邀请与款待。也祝愿本届国际调解高峰论坛圆满成功，祝海南省发展如虎添翼，硕果累累。也祝在座各位身体健康，在本届论坛中收获满满。谢谢大家！
Last updated on 3 December 2025