Speech by Ambassador Yamanaka at the Emperor's Birthday Reception,
3rd December 2008 at the Fullerton Hotel
 


Your Excellency Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Defence,
Members of Parliament, Mr Cedric Foo and Dr Lam Pin Min,
Rear Admiral Chew Men Leong, Chief of Navy,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a privilege to welcome you all this evening to celebrate the 75th Birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan.

The financial crisis and economic downturn the world currently faces are described as the crisis of the century. The world leaders have started to tackle this global issue, such as G20 in Washington DC and APEC Summit in Lima, Peru. Japan on its part has contributed to this international endeavor and is determined to try its utmost. While the economic outlook remains uncertain, it is good to note that there is a strong international commitment to free trade and to further global and regional cooperation. Let us have a positive thinking; the crisis is a soil for new opportunities, and the downturn is a runway for another takeoff.

Asia’s role is becoming more and more critical for the growth and stability of the world. As the Asian financial crisis gave birth to the Chiang Mai Initiative at the turn of the century, the current crisis will also be able to provide grounds for new cooperation and collaboration. For private companies, it might be a good opportunity to proceed with new corporate initiatives including consolidation and M&A.

At a time when the world is faced with serious challenges, a strong partnership of Singapore-Japan and ASEAN-Japan can form a solid basis for cooperation and collaboration. Japan has been committed to ASEAN’s aspiration for further integration. Following the successful completion of ASEAN chairmanship by Singapore, ASEAN has made steady progress, including the all-party ratification of the ASEAN Charter. The ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (AJCEP) came into effect last Monday and it is expected to foster economic integration between ASEAN countries and Japan. The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), which was established as Asia’s think-tank in June this year, will also facilitate the economic integration in this region.

There are also vigorous interchanges on our bilateral front despite rather difficult economic environment. Singapore’s investment in Japan is rapidly expanding, up by 20.7% in 2007. Japanese companies are making robust investments in Singapore, particularly in the high-tech and bio-technology areas. The number of Singaporean tourists to Japan increased by 31.0% in 2007 from the previous year. Thanks to our close defense cooperation, over 140 ships of Japan’s Maritime Self Defense Forces have docked at Changi Naval Base. This is the second highest frequency among all countries. (Your Excellency, thank you very much for your cooperation.)

Japanese pop-culture, such as anime/manga, food, design and fashion, is not only popular among Singaporeans, but constitutes an important part of Singapore’s multicultural society. In order to encourage this trend, our two governments are working together to establish the Japan Creative Centre. This Centre aims to disseminate and nurture ‘Cool Japan’ in Singapore and in Southeast Asian region. We have also launched the ‘JENESYS’ (Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths) Programme that allows young Singaporeans to benefit from subsidised educational trips to Japan. Around 300 students visited Japan under the programme this year to get firsthand experience of Japanese life and culture.

Through these activities, Japan has been proactively strengthening our bilateral and regional cooperation so that we could better tackle the challenges we are all faced with. In doing so, Japan always treasures its close friendship and partnership with Singapore.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
On this auspicious occasion, we prepared a special treat for you as we did last year. At the table on the left side of the stage, you can taste some fruits flown in directly from Japan. They are Japanese apples, pears, strawberries, melons and persimmons. The rice used at the sushi counter is from Niigata. There is a “sake tasting” counter as well. You can sample some top-quality sake by courtesy of Japan Sake Brewers Association (Nihon Shuzo Kumiai Chuokai). I hope you enjoy a taste of Japan.

With this note, Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,

I have the honour to propose a toast to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Singapore.