230 projects inked under China-Singapore connectivity initiative: officials

CHONGQING -- A total of 230 cooperation projects have been inked under the framework of a China-Singapore connectivity initiative since it was launched in 2015, authorities said on Saturday, as they marked the initiative's fifth anniversary on Nov 7.

The total value of the projects agreed under the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity is $32.2 billion, said Han Baochang, head of the management bureau of the China-Singapore initiative.

The agreements fall into four main categories: financial services, air transportation, logistics and information, and communications technologies, according to Han.

The two sides have also signed a memorandum of cooperation on tourism and an agreement on the training of skilled personnel. A total of 450 senior skilled personnel from Chongqing have gone to Singapore for training. Since 2016, over 1 million tourists have traveled between the two nations.

The China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity aims to conduct pilot cooperation in various fields. It is the third such cooperation initiative between China and Singapore, following the Suzhou Industrial Park established in China's eastern province of Jiangsu in 1994, and the Tianjin Eco-city inaugurated in 2008 in North China.