Sim Ann: Suzhou Industrial Park continued success after 3 decades is a testament to the strength of the S'pore-China partnership.

[xdivider]

Pointing to the Suzhou Industrial Park, Tianjin Eco-City and Chongqing Connectivity Initiative as examples of longstanding and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries across varied sectors like finance, green development, logistics, transport and sustainability, PM Wong said: "These projects show how our cooperation have evolved with times.

https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/c...singapore-lawrence-wong-official-dinner-toast

show how we give sinkies monies to others.......

 

[koster]

These days shes very low profile too. High profile is SXL and Jo.

 

[viethai]

Its a great success for others

 

[tokong]

I will never take Auntie Sim Ann's words seriously.

Why you so rude? SXL also last time suzhou industrial park one. They have done lotsa contributions.

 

[mooseolly]

I ask gemini what is the financial return for Singapore, if earn alot I am sure ST will post big big so apparently not:

There is no single, publicly released figure for the total financial return Singapore has made from the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) over its entire history (1994 to present).

This is because the project's financial outcome for Singapore is split into three main, non-aggregated components:

1. Capital Divestment (The Initial Phase)​

• Initial Financial Performance: The Singapore-led consortium (CSSD) faced significant cumulative losses, estimated to be over US$100 million by the late 1990s.
• The Exit: In 1999, Singapore reduced its stake from 65% to 35% and sold management control to the Chinese side in 2001. The key financial goal of this divestment was to ensure Singapore recovered its invested capital rather than securing a large, immediate profit. By selling its majority stake, Singapore was able to exit its financial liability in the primary development company while retaining a minority share.
  
  

2. Dividends (The Long-Term Shareholder Return)​

• The joint venture company, China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Development Group (CSSD), eventually became profitable (recouping its early losses by 2003) and began paying dividends. Singapore, as the 35% minority shareholder, continues to receive a share of these profits through annual dividends.
  
  
  
• Since the company is publicly listed, its annual net income is public. However, the total, cumulative dividend sum Singapore has received over the past two decades (from 2004 onwards) is not readily consolidated into a single public number.

3. Non-Direct Financial Gains (The Strategic Return)​

Crucially, the government has repeatedly stressed that the true "return" was strategic, which is much harder to quantify but is considered highly significant:

• Software Transfer Revenue: Singapore earned revenue from the explicit transfer of its administrative, planning, and management expertise to China in the project's early years.
• Opening Doors for Singaporean Businesses: The park served as a successful launchpad for Singaporean companies to enter the China market and provided a foundation for over 4,100 Singaporean projects in the wider Jiangsu province.
  
  
  
• Diplomatic Capital: The success of the SIP after the management handover established Singapore as a trusted, high-level partner for major Government-to-Government projects (like the Tianjin Eco-City and the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative).
  
  

Conclusion:

While the direct investment in the core development company did not yield a massive financial windfall—it was a struggle that required an early exit to protect capital—the project achieved its primary strategic goal of exporting Singapore's governance model and opening up vast opportunities for Singapore's broader economy and diplomatic relations with China.