Singapore PM Lee, Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida welcome new green and digital shipping corridor
The prime ministers met ahead of the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong meets his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in Tokyo on Dec 16, 2023. (Photo: Ministry of Communications and Information)
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SINGAPORE: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong met his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida on Saturday (Dec 16) during his trip to Tokyo.
Mr Lee is in Tokyo from Dec 15 to Dec 18 for the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit.
The prime ministers welcomed the signing of a memorandum of cooperation to establish a green and digital shipping corridor between ports in Singapore and Japan.
The agreement will facilitate the adoption of digital solutions and the provision of zero and near-zero emission fuels through demonstration projects, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a statement on Saturday.
Both prime ministers also reaffirmed the longstanding and excellent relations between Singapore and Japan, and discussed how the countries could further expand and deepen cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as the future economy, digitalisation, security, as well as sustainability and energy.
The leaders exchanged views on regional and international developments, and emphasised the importance of upholding a rules-based international order and the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
"Both leaders welcomed the upgrade of ASEAN-Japan relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership earlier this year, and noted that this would be an opportunity to further ties between both sides as well as jointly address the challenges facing the region," said MFA.
The prime ministers also "looked forward to celebrating 60 years of Singapore-Japan diplomatic relations in 2026".
GREEN AND DIGITAL SHIPPING CORRIDOR
The memorandum of cooperation to establish a green and digital shipping corridor was signed by Singapore's Acting Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat and Japan's Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Saito Tetsuo.
This memorandum marks the first green and digital shipping corridor established between Singapore and Japan to develop standards and best practices supporting the decarbonisation, digitalisation and growth of the maritime industry, said Singapore's Ministry of Transport (MOT).
Under the collaboration, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will work with six Japanese ports - the ports of Tokyo, Yokohama and Kawasaki supporting the Kanto region, the ports of Osaka and Kobe supporting the Kansai region and the port of Nagoya supporting the Chubu region.
"These six Japanese ports are the key nodes for the major economic regions of Kanto, Kansai and Chubu," said MOT.
They handled a combined cargo total of about 57 million tonnes in 2020, representing "a significant proportion of total cargo" handled in Japan.
With the establishment of the green and digital shipping corridor, MPA and the Japanese ports aim to embark on pilot projects and trials for alternative marine fuels, such as ammonia and hydrogen.
"The two sides will also work together to develop the necessary bunkering infrastructure, standards and training. They will also encourage development and adoption of technologies to decarbonise port infrastructure," said MOT.
Singapore and Japan will also identify and implement digital solutions to streamline port clearance processes. Both sides will exchange information and best practices on maritime cybersecurity risks as well as other aspects of maritime digitalisation, said the Transport Ministry.
