Closing Remarks by SPS Sun Xueling at the China Innovation Forum: "China in the New Era"

Jul 11, 2018

Welcome to this morning’s China Innovation Forum.

感谢刚才各位演讲嘉宾的分享，以及大家精彩的讨论，让我们受益匪浅。今天我们聚在一起探讨中国的创新，这让我深刻地感觉到时代在迅速地变迁。因为仅仅是在几年前，中国的标签还是“世界工厂”，以输出物美价廉的商品而著称。而今天，中国正在不断提高产品的附加值，并向着制造业强国、创新大国迈进。中国在这些年来的发展和变化一直给我很大的震撼。

当然，放眼未来，无论是中国还是新加坡，在经济发展上都面临着更大的挑战。例如，未来的创新从何处来？我们如何获得可持续的发展？

前一阵子我读了一本书，“Where Good Ideas Come From”(《好的想法从哪里来》)。这本书的作者Steven Johnson，探讨的是创新来自何处。他分享了一个研究。这项研究是针对科学家们的，研究者在科学家们的活动区域装了很多摄像头，观察他们，目的是想知道科学家们的创新想法是在什么时候出现的。

很多人可能觉得科学家的灵光一现应该出现在实验室里面、显微镜前面。但是，观察的结果是，大部分的创新想法竟然是在茶余饭后的闲聊中产生的。例如在大学的咖啡座，这个科学家聊聊他的发现，那个科学家参与讨论、提出意见，不同背景的人提出不同的想法。在思想的碰撞后，创新的想法就这样产生了。

因此，Steven Johnson说，创新需要在一个网络中孕育，创新需要长时间研究的积累，也需要不同人之间的思想碰撞。

这本书引起了我很多思考，例如我们未来创新的源泉是什么？我们如何能够更好地融入世界前沿的创新网络？我们如何根据本地市场的特点，将创新和技术本土化，探索出适合本地市场的道路？

有幸的是，今天参加论坛的嘉宾们，就是来自世界各个地区的，有着不同的背景的。大家能聚在一起讨论，集思广益、畅所欲言，一定已经产生了思想的碰撞。我想这就是创新的开始。这样的论坛对我们共同探索未来的创新之路，非常有帮助。

我也希望新加坡和中国今后能在科技创新领域继续增进交流，深入合作，共同创造美好的未来。

Now, I would like to say a few words in English.

Today’s strong turnout is a reflection of the keen interest in leveraging China’s innovation to address the various urban challenges faced by cities around the world.

No longer just the “Factory of the World”, China has made significant progress and is at the forefront of new innovations, and has impressed the world with its “Four Great New Inventions”. These include the high-speed rail, mobile and online payment, e-commerce and bike-sharing, all of which have dramatically improved the quality of life of its people within a relatively short span of time.

Strictly speaking, none of the “Four Great New Inventions” were first invented by China, but it was China who improved upon and applied the technologies to address the needs of its people, and implemented them on a wide scale.

Application of Technology in China

The application of technology is often as important, if not more important, as the invention itself. The Chinese have impressed the world with their innovative use of existing technology. Take mobile payment for example. Although this technology has been widely available internationally, it was merely a tool for industries in many countries to enhance their own service delivery. However, Chinese companies capitalise upon mobile payments to transform China into a cashless society.

Similarly, online payment was first developed in the west but China coupled it with other technologies, making the use of various technologies more convenient and seamless for consumers, drastically changing the country’s consumption behaviour. Take Tencent’s WeChat for example, it was originally intended for messaging purposes. However, over time, Tencent improved upon it and successfully innovated it into a single integrated platform known for its array of service offerings, including messaging, social media posting, cashless payments, fund transfer and online services. The spirit of innovation and ability to embrace technology have brought convenience to the lives of many people, bridging the distance of relatives and friends who live apart. Much of China’s innovations were made possible by the scale of its implementation. Having a clear vision and strong governance are two important success contributing factors. China’s high-speed rail network for example, could not have expanded so quickly without strong government support.

Sharing Innovation with the world

While rolling out technological projects and initiatives to benefit its population, China has not forgotten to share its knowledge gained from the implementation of various projects, and what it has learnt from its experience. As Chinese philosopher Mencius said, “达则兼济天下”, or to share with others when you are doing well.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is an example of an innovative infrastructure financing mechanism to bridge the infrastructural gap and share knowledge. This has helped to facilitate infrastructure development in many Asian countries such as Indonesia, India, Azerbaijan and Myanmar, to improve the lives of the people.

In addition, China’s sharing of technological know-how with other international cities has enabled them to be more efficiently and effectively run. An example is Alibaba’s Cloud technology to improve transport, energy, governance and security by harnessing the power of big data, artificial intelligence and cloud computing. This has enabled cities such as Kuala Lumpur improve its traffic efficiency by employing Big Data and Artificial Intelligence to predict traffic flow.

People at the Heart of Technological Innovation

While technology has the potential to greatly improve citizens’ lives, this potential cannot be utilised without considering other aspects of urban development. Taking steps to ensure environmental sustainability and urban conservation is as important as technological innovation in improving the urban population’s quality of life.

Attaining environmental sustainability involves the conservation of natural resources, achievable through the zero waste approach where waste can be converted into useful resources. For many cities facing water challenges, the sponge city concept is important to ensure that every drop of rainwater is being utilised. The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City, a project between China and Singapore, is an excellent example of environmental sustainability which demonstrates that it is possible to transform wasteland into a liveable and sustainable city with high environmental standards that provide high quality of life.

Urban conservation would involve preserving the city’s history, culture and heritage – elements that make up the soul of a city. A smart city with all its conveniences, cannot be a liveable city if it is not also a green city and a city of memories. Parks and gardens provide residents with spiritual comfort while reminding them that they co-exist with nature. Heritage conservation helps a person stay rooted and develop a sense of belonging to the city he or she resides in. Suzhou and Hangzhou are fine examples of Chinese cities which successfully conserved their rich heritage amidst rapid urbanisation.

Conclusion

While China is consistently opening up to learn from the world, there are many learning points that cities around the world can take reference from Chinese cities. The impact of mobile payments on society, how technology can be better adapted and picked up by the elderly, are some of the many aspects which we can look to China for directions.

Although technology is not a cure for all city and social ills, it is an enabler to build a liveable city. Hence, platforms such as the China Innovation Forum are important – they provide us the opportunity to share knowledge and experience, and to learn from one another how not to overlook the welfare of the people while our cities develop and transform with technology.

On this note, I would like to thank our speakers for their insightful sharing, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay in Singapore. 再次感谢在座每一位的参与，期待我们下一次的见面。谢谢！