PM Lee to attend regional leaders’ gathering on innovation
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (right) has invited Mr Lee Hsien Loong to deliver a speech at Wednesday’s opening plenary of the World Economic Forum on Asean.
HANOI — Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong kicked off a two-day visit to Hanoi on Tuesday (Sept 11) to attend a high-level diplomatic gathering centred on the theme of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has invited Mr Lee to deliver a speech at Wednesday’s opening meeting of the World Economic Forum on Asean (Association of South-east Asian Nations), to talk about the “initiatives and efforts in harnessing changing technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution”, said the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in a statement.
“These initiatives seek to better position Asean and Singapore for the future economy,” it added.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is characterised by a fusion of technologies that are blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological spheres. These include artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D (three-dimensional) printing and autonomous vehicles.
Accompanying Mr Lee on his trip are Senior Minister of State (Communications and Information, and Transport) Janil Puthucheary as well as officials from the PMO, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Communications and Information.
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean will be the Acting Prime Minister during Mr Lee’s absence.
WHY THIS FORUM MATTERS
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The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a Swiss non-profit organisation, best known for its high-profile annual meetings of top business leaders and politicians in Davos, Switzerland in January.
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This week’s gathering will focus on the innovation needed to propel the region through the next phase of its growth.
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Singapore, as this year’s rotating Asean chair, has identified digital integration and smart cities among its priorities.
HIGH-LEVEL REPRESENTATION
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The opening plenary session on Wednesday, to be chaired by WEF executive chairman Klaus Schwab, is expected to also feature Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.
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The event in the Vietnamese capital will be attended by more than 1,000 participants from 43 countries, representing the public sector, business, science, the arts, civil society, as well as media and international organisations.
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Leaders from Singapore-based firms will also be in attendance. Among them is ride-hailing company Grab’s co-founder, Ms Tan Hooi Ling, who is slated to speak at a session on “Start-ups: Driving Innovation”.
