West is best: Chongqing wins bid for Singapore business park as Xi promotes development of western China

Chongqing has emerged triumphant in a battle between three mainland cities to host Singapore’s third development project on the mainland.

The decision was announced at a state banquet on Friday night by President Xi Jinping, hours after he arrived for his first visit to the city state in his official capacity as leader.

Chongqing, which hit the headlines in 2012 due to the disgrace of its Communist Party boss Bo Xilai, saw off Chengdu  and Xian  to host the government-led development – a business park and residential project themed on “modern services and connectivity”.

The project was crucial to Xi’s signature plan to boost trade and development across Eurasia, analysts said.

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“It will enable him to show he is working hard to add meat to his One Belt, One Road initiative and to bring further development to a western part of China,” said Lye Liang Fook from Singapore’s East Asian Institute.

It will also be a major boost to Sino-Singapore ties. “It’s a good idea because logistics, services and connectivity are areas that have not previously been emphasised by the two sides,” said Li Mingjiang from the S..Rajaratnam School of International Studies. “The services sector is an area where Singapore may have some advantages in working with China. The project shows both countries have fairly strong political interest in enhancing ties.”