This is why Singapore places a premium on human resource development. For example, through the Singapore Cooperation Program established in 1992, more than 29,000 participants from ASEAN countries have been trained at about 2,100 courses, workshops and study visits in diverse fields such as public administration, urban planning, environment, health, education, information technology, trade, investment and tourism promotion.

Singapore launched the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) in 2000 at the Fourth ASEAN Informal Summit to narrow the development gap within ASEAN. To date, a total of Singapore $88.4 million ($58.1 million) has been pledged for IAI projects between 2001 and 2008. Under the IAI, Singapore has established training centers in Hanoi, Phnom Penh, Vientiane and Yangon.

This is also why as ASEAN moves into its 40th year, we believe it is important to place emphasis on building stronger people-to-people ties in Southeast Asia, particularly among our young people. Just as the European youth of today see it as a matter of course to identify themselves with Europe, our youth should see it as a matter of course to identify themselves with ASEAN. Singapore announced a Singapore $5 million ($3.3 million) fund for ASEAN youth projects at the Fifth ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth in April. Our commemorative activities to celebrate ASEAN's 40th anniversary have also specially targeted the youth through projects such as the "Postcards Across ASEAN" and the ASEAN Clipper, which will participate in the "Round the World Clipper Race" later this year.

China became ASEAN's dialogue partner in the early 1990s. What does the growing China-ASEAN partnership mean to China, ASEAN and the international community at large?

The growing ASEAN-China partnership is mutually beneficial. Singapore welcomes China's active engagement of ASEAN and is happy to make whatever contribution we can to bring the two parties closer.

Singapore holds the strong view that good ASEAN-China relations are good for the region, for China and for Singapore. In this connection, we are very pleased to see the many positive developments in the relationship such as China's accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, the initiation of ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA), and China's public position that it supports ASEAN in the "driver's seat" of regional processes. The signal China has been sending out is a very reassuring one-that it will always be a constructive force in the region supportive of ASEAN. This message has been very well received.

Singapore is China's biggest investment destination in ASEAN. Why do Chinese business people prefer investing in Singapore? In the future, what industries will be most attractive to Chinese investors and why?

Investors typically are a hard-nosed bunch. They put their money where they think they can get the most value or, in the American business lexicon, the "biggest bang for their buck." That Singapore is China's biggest investment destination in ASEAN is at least in part a reflection of this. Singapore occupies a strategic location in Southeast Asia, is a major air and sea hub and has a very dense network of connections as well as free trade agreements with virtually all major economic centers in the world. In addition, we are a major financial center, and have a first-rate workforce and a reputation for quality.

That said, I would not want to downplay the cultural affinity between our two countries. Many of my friends who are captains of industry in China tell me that they do not feel like foreigners or outsiders when they are in Singapore. I think all these help to make Singapore the partner of choice for Chinese companies venturing abroad.

To be sure, the interest goes both ways. Singapore is one of China's top investors and major trading partners. Singapore's cumulative actual investments in China have crossed the $30 billion mark and our two-way trade amounted to Singapore $53.7 billion ($35.3 billion) in 2006, an increase of 27.1 percent over the year before. I am confident that this upward trajectory will continue in the coming years.

Let me take this opportunity to say that we in Singapore warmly welcome Chinese companies as investors or partners. As of June 2007, more than 2,300 Chinese companies have operations in Singapore, and 118 Chinese companies are listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX). Indeed the SGX has created a "green lane" to facilitate the listing of Chinese companies. We look forward to strengthening this win-win collaboration.