Summary
On 12 June 2026, Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), held talks with Xie Jianping, Speaker of the Singapore Parliament, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Zhao Leji stated that last year China and Singapore jointly celebrated the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations, and the meeting between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong set the direction for bilateral ties. China is willing to deepen political trust with Singapore, expand cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital economy, clean energy, and technological innovation, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, enhance people-to-people exchanges, strengthen multilateral coordination, and safeguard the multilateral trading system and the stability of industrial and supply chains.
Zhao Leji emphasised that China's NPC is willing to strengthen exchanges with the Singapore Parliament to provide legal safeguards for cooperation, and introduced China's 15th Five-Year Plan outline. Xie Jianping stated that Singapore firmly adheres to the One-China policy, and China's 15th Five-Year Plan offers important opportunities for Singapore. He expressed willingness to strengthen cooperation in trade and investment, digital economy, and green development, and to promote ASEAN-China relations.
He Wei attended the talks.
Commentary
The talks between Zhao Leji and the Singapore Speaker signal China's intention to deepen cooperation with ASEAN. For New Zealand small and medium enterprise owners, this may imply increased stability in the regional trade environment. Cooperation between China and Singapore in digital economy and artificial intelligence could create new technical standards and supply chain models, potentially affecting compliance requirements for New Zealand exports to the Southeast Asian market.
Meanwhile, China's emphasis on upholding the multilateral trading system indirectly benefits New Zealand exporters who rely on rules-based trade, especially in dairy and meat products. However, it is worth noting that Singapore plays a coordinating role within ASEAN, and its close relationship with China may promote more efficient trade facilitation measures under the RCEP framework, which in the short term could help reduce barriers for New Zealand businesses entering the Southeast Asian market. On the other hand, geopolitical risks persist.
SMEs should monitor the dynamics of China-Singapore relations, prepare regional compliance capabilities in advance, and explore cooperation opportunities with Singaporean firms in digital services and clean technology to diversify reliance on a single market. Overall, this news is positive, but tangible business benefits will depend on specific policy implementation.
Keywords: Zhao Leji, Xie Jianping, China-Singapore relations, National People's Congress, Singapore Parliament, digital economy, artificial intelligence, multilateralism, Belt and Road, 15th Five-Year Plan
Summary in Chinese | 摘要
2026年6月12日，全国人大常委会委员长赵乐际在北京人民大会堂同新加坡国会议长谢健平举行会谈。赵乐际表示，去年中新两国共同庆贺建交35周年，习近平主席同黄循财总理会晤为关系指明方向，中方愿同新方深化政治互信，拓展人工智能、数字经济、清洁能源、科技创新等领域合作，高质量共建“一带一路”，活跃人文交流，密切多边协作，维护多边贸易体制和产供链稳定。赵乐际强调中国全国人大愿加强同新加坡国会交流，为合作提供法律保障，并介绍中国“十五五”规划纲要。
谢健平表示新加坡坚定奉行一个中国政策，中国“十五五”规划为新加坡提供重要机遇，愿加强经贸投资、数字经济、绿色发展等领域合作，并促进东盟与中国关系发展。何维参加会谈。
Commentary in Chinese | 评论
赵乐际与新加坡国会议长的会谈传递出中国深化与东盟合作的信号。对于新西兰中小企业主而言，这或意味着区域贸易环境的稳定性增强——中新（新加坡）在数字经济、人工智能等领域的合作可能催生新的技术标准和供应链模式，进而影响新西兰出口至东南亚市场的产品合规要求。同时，中方强调维护多边贸易体制，间接利好依赖规则化贸易的新西兰出口商，尤其是乳制品、肉类等产品。
但需注意，新加坡在东盟内扮演协调角色，其与中国的紧密关系可能推动RCEP框架下更高效的贸易便利化措施，短期看有助于降低新西兰企业进入东南亚市场的壁垒。另一方面，地缘政治风险依然存在，中小企业应关注中新关系动态，提前布局区域合规能力，并探索与新加坡企业在数字服务、清洁技术等领域的合作窗口，以分散单一市场依赖。整体而言，此消息偏向积极，但实际商业利好需待具体政策落地。
关键词: 赵乐际, 谢健平, 中新关系, 全国人大, 新加坡国会, 数字经济, 人工智能, 多边主义, 一带一路, 十五五规划
Source: Embassy of the People's Republic of China in New Zealand
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