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TIANJIN: Singapore and Chinese leaders said the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City project is a symbol of strong and warm bilateral ties.
This came during a meeting between Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan in Tianjin on Wednesday.
The first official meeting between the two leaders was friendly and casual, but no less significant as both men chaired the Singapore-Sino Eco-City Joint Steering Committee meeting to map out the key priorities of the project.
Mr Wong will also be discussing the progress of the 14-year-old Suzhou Industrial Park during his five-day visit to Tianjin and Beijing.
Hundreds of business proposals have poured in to offer green solutions to the Tianjin eco-city. But unlike the Suzhou Industrial Park, these proposals will have to move beyond catering to industries, and focus on what matters to the residents in the eco-city.
Goh Chye Boon, who heads the Singapore-China joint venture company that is spearheading the eco-city project, said: "We are focusing on how to build a city where you not only work and live comfortably, but also in a very sustainable way."
He said there would be a stringent process to sift out the best ideas.
"Cost is definitely an issue. There's a lot of misconception that links eco ideas to higher costs. We believe that if we put the solution and technology in the right way, we will reap savings," Mr Goh added.
The first plot of land for development will cover 4 square kilometres, out of a total of 30 square kilometres. Mr Goh said the next three to five years will be crucial as the city will have to show that it is liveable and sustainable.
- CNA/so
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