HONG KONG (The Straits Times/ANN): There is “healthy competition” between Singapore and Hong Kong, but in an increasingly fragmented world, it is “more important than ever” that the two cities connect and collaborate, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on March 27.
“We are hubs for our respective regions, and while there is some competition from time to time, I think it is healthy competition,” PM Wong told Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee at a meeting at the Government House in Central.
“More importantly, when we connect with one another, the pie grows, and we both benefit because we both believe in free trade, we both believe in rules-based multilateralism,” he added.
Underscoring that point, the two leaders discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation including in new and emerging areas, such as research and innovation, and youth and community engagement.
PM Wong is in Hong Kong after attending China’s annual Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan province.
It is the first visit to Hong Kong by a sitting Singapore prime minister in 12 years, and his visit, until March 28, reciprocates Mr John Lee’s trip to Singapore in July 2023.
“It’s a delight to be here, because many things have happened in Hong Kong,” PM Wong told Mr Lee.
“There are new developments I’d like very much to hear and learn about… I’d like to see what Hong Kong is doing, and how Singapore can participate in some of these opportunities too,” he said.
Mr Lee, for his part, told PM Wong: “Hong Kong and Singapore grow as the heartbeats of Asia.”
“We believe in building bridges, dialogue and collaboration. We believe in win-win, creating a bigger cake for everybody,” the Hong Kong leader said.
At their meeting, PM Wong expressed confidence in Hong Kong’s continued development and prosperity, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The two leaders reaffirmed the breadth and depth of the relationship between the two cities, and exchanged views on ongoing regional and global developments.
The Prime Minister later toured the Northern Metropolis – a planned mega business, tech and housing hub along Hong Kong’s border with Shenzhen city in mainland China – to better understand the city’s development plans and explore new areas for collaboration.
The 30,000ha development zone, nearly half the size of Singapore, is a major Hong Kong project to integrate the city more closely with and create a new driver of economic growth in the Greater Bay Area, which comprises Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities in Guangdong province. Construction on the project began in 2022 and is slated for completion over the next two decades.
PM Wong will also meet some 350 Singaporeans residing in Hong Kong at a reception in the evening before returning to Singapore on March 28.
On Facebook, PM Wong said his first visit to Hong Kong as Prime Minister was a good opportunity to refresh and strengthen Singapore’s longstanding ties with the territory.
“Had a productive discussion with Chief Executive John Lee over lunch. We covered areas like tourism, research and innovation, and civil service exchanges. He shared more about Hong Kong’s economic plans, including the Northern Metropolis project,” he wrote.
“We also exchanged views on how our cities can navigate a more complex and uncertain global environment – and where we can work more closely together. I look forward to building on our complementary strengths and deepening our partnership.”
Other Hong Kong leaders the Prime Minister met at lunch included Financial Secretary Paul Chan, Development Secretary Bernadette Linn, and Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong.
He also met business leaders including Sino Group chairman Daryl Ng, a Singaporean, and Hong Kong businessman lawmaker Kenneth Fok.
Singapore and Hong Kong have a substantive relationship underpinned by regular high-level exchanges, strong economic relations, and close people-to-people ties.
The two Asian economies were each other’s fifth-largest trading partner in 2025.
Hong Kong accounted for 6.3 per cent – or S$87.5 billion – of Singapore’s total merchandise trade that year, while Singapore made up 4.6 per cent of Hong Kong’s.
The southern Chinese city was also Singapore’s seventh-largest investment destination (S$91.3 billion), and eighth-biggest source of foreign direct investment (S$111.4 billion) at the end of 2024.
There are more than 5,000 Hong Kong companies in Singapore, spanning financial services, maritime, logistics and tourism. Meanwhile, Singapore firms have set up some 60 regional headquarters, 100 regional offices and 430 local offices in Hong Kong.
More than 470,000 Singapore tourists visited Hong Kong in 2025, while Singapore saw over 330,000 tourists from Hong Kong the same year. The two cities are connected by 88 passenger flights and 64 air cargo services weekly.
Hong Kong is home to more than 20,000 Singaporeans – the most in an Asian city abroad – and also hosts the Singapore International School (Hong Kong), the only school overseas supported by the Ministry of Education.
PM Wong is accompanied in Hong Kong by Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, and Culture, Community and Youth Low Yen Ling, and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and National Development Syed Harun Alhabsyi. -- The Straits Times/ANN
