SINGAPORE, June 13, 2025 — According to iChongqing, the Land-Sea Economic Forum 2025, held in Singapore on June 12, attracted almost 200 participants from political, business, and academic circles from both China and other countries.

Under the theme of “Connectivity for Shared Success: Trends and Visions for Chinese Industries Expanding into Southeast Asia,” the forum brought together Chinese and international attendees in Singapore. The aim was to explore new avenues for Chinese industries entering the region and to foster coordinated regional economic growth.

Kishore Mahbubani, a Distinguished Fellow at the Asia Research Institute at NUS and a former Permanent Representative of Singapore to the United Nations, stated in his keynote address that the smooth progress of ASEAN-China relations is largely attributable to ASEAN’s effectiveness as a regional body. He emphasized that regional cooperation necessitates collaboration with all neighboring countries.

Since the pandemic, China’s direct investment in ASEAN has doubled, and ASEAN has also become a significant source of foreign investment for China. However, according to He Dong, Chief Economist at the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO), China’s investment in ASEAN still represents less than 10%, indicating considerable potential for expansion.

Guan Xin, Vice President of Changan Auto Southeast Asia Co., Ltd., mentioned in his keynote speech that Changan’s first overseas manufacturing base for new energy vehicles officially commenced operations in Rayong, Thailand, in May 2025. Changan has also established over 190 stores and partnered with more than 200 suppliers across Southeast Asia, generating over 300,000 jobs throughout the industrial chain and employing more than 1,100 staff, 87% of whom are local employees.

During the forum, China Securities released the “A New Era of Industrial Revolution and Regional Integration: Southeast Asia Investment Report 2025,” emphasizing the substantial opportunities for collaboration between China and ASEAN in areas such as digitalization, manufacturing, and services. The report highlighted Singapore and Chongqing as representative models of this partnership.

At the forum, representatives from MINISO, Tencent, Ant International, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority, the Asian Development Bank, and the Singapore Exchange shared their firsthand experiences of going global. In roundtable discussions, they emphasized how AI is transforming cross-border e-commerce, the increasing popularity of Chinese cultural exports in ASEAN markets, and how financial services are enhancing China–Singapore connectivity and regional growth.

 

SOURCE iChongqing

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