The FutureChina Global Forum (FCGF) 2021, organised by Business China, a non-profit organization that aims to strengthen ties between Singapore and China, commenced on July 12, 2021.

Held in a hybrid format for the first time, over 1,500 distinguished business leaders, public personalities, political leaders, and industry experts from Singapore, China, and the ASEAN region gathered at the forum, to discuss pertinent trends, opportunities, and lessons drawn from ASEAN and China, that will prepare the region for an increasingly volatile and complex “Never Normal” future.   

The “Never Normal” is a term coined by business entrepreneur, advisor, and author Peter Hinssen as a “reality where change is constantly triggered by ‘seismic shocks’” – be it ecological, societal, or geopolitical in nature.

The physical component of the 12^th edition of FCGF was held at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, comprising six thematic roundtable discussions and six breakout sessions. Participants could also join these discussions virtually, alongside exhibitions and a Masterclass on blockchain technology.

Through these sessions, participants discussed the new frontier that economies in ASEAN and China are facing, along with a multitude of growth opportunities to be realised in the region’s extraordinary pace of development and innovation – in the areas of technological advancement, sustainability development, financial connectivity, growing investment, and trade optimisation.  

Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower, Business China Board Director; and Chairman of FutureChina Committee, said, “Themed ‘Elevating ASEAN-China Economic Collaboration in the ‘Never Normal’, FCGF 2021 facilitated robust discussions around the trends, growth opportunities and lessons drawn from China and Singapore. ASEAN-China partnership in the ‘Never Normal’ will drive technological advancement, financial connectivity, investment, and trade flow in the future.”

The winners of the inaugural Business China Start-up Pitching Challenge were also announced during FCGF 2021. Building upon Business China’s mandate to provide businesses with greater exposure to the regional business landscape, this first-ever pitching challenge offered 12 start-ups the opportunity to showcase their solutions and products to a distinguished panel of investors, thought leaders and industry experts.

This regional competition, which was supported by partners ACE, Chinaccelerator, SGInnovate and SGTech, saw participants from Singapore, Hong Kong and mainland China exhibiting technologies at the forefront of the medical, healthcare and tech sector.