The 18th Stratagem-NTU Sino-Singapore Doalogue was held on 19 September 2025 in Chongqing, China. The theme of the dialogue was “Building a Resilient ASEAN-China Economic Community: Impact of the International Land-Sea Trade Corridor on China-ASEAN Cooperation”. The dialogue was moderated by Mr Patrick Tay, Member of Singapore Parliament and National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) Assistant Secretary General. The panelists included Mr Tan Boon Khai, former CEO of Jurong Town Corporation and former Deputy Chairman of the China-Singapore Suto Industrial Park Development Company; Professor Jian Jie, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at Chongqing University of Post and Telecommunications and Invited Expert at Strategic Research Centre for the China-Singapore Chongqing Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity; Professor Chackrit Duangphastra, Associate Professor and Director of the Bachelor of Business Administration Program in Chulalongkorn Business School in Chulalongkorn University, former Director, Department of Trade Negotiations and Department of International Trade Promotion, at Thailand's Ministry of Commerce. 

The China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity – International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (CCI-ILSTC) is a trade corridor that strengthens the connectivity and openness between China’s western region and ASEAN. It has led to the improvement of infrastructure in China’s co-constructed provinces and shortened the ‘time and space distance’ of trade. In addition to physical infrastructure development, the construction of CCI-ILSTC has catalyzed improvements in trade mechanisms and institutions, such as the introduction of ‘single window’ services, the implementation of the ‘one-sheet system’ for multimodal transportation procedures, and the introduction of policies to reduce taxes and fees.

At the Sino-Singapore dialogue, panelists agreed that the CCI-ILSTC is of strategic significance to promoting connectivity and the joint development of the Belt and Road and the Yangtze Economic Belt, bolstering opening-up in western China and deepening the construction of a China-ASEAN community with a shared future. While enabling China's western region to go global, the corridor will also create new development opportunities for countries and regions along the routes. Connectivity is at the heart of supply chain resilience and amid global uncertainties, the corridor remains steadfast in its mission of connecting like-minded partners, leveraging comparative strengths, and ensuring win-win outcomes.

Panelists also discussed and deliberated on how ASEAN countries’ participation in the CCI-ILSTC construction significantly promoted trade growth with China; how will the impact of US tariffs affect trade growth with China and regional economic integration; and how to leverage on the continued expansion of the network of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor as well as to deepen cooperation between China and ASEAN.