Singapore must promote its strengths or risk being overlooked globally: METI permanent secretary

As global competition for investments, businesses and talent intensifies, Singapore must actively tell its own story rather than rely solely on its reputation for stability and reliability, says Permanent Secretary for Energy, Trade and Industry Beh Swan Gin.

Permanent Secretary for Energy, Trade and Industry Beh Swan Gin (left) and DBS CEO Tan Su Shan speak to CNA's Singapore Tonight about the refreshed ‘When You're Ready’ international branding campaign.

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SINGAPORE: Singapore must actively promote its strengths and shape its own international image, or risk being overlooked by investors and visitors, said Permanent Secretary for Energy, Trade and Industry Beh Swan Gin.

Dr Beh said the country cannot rely solely on its reputation for stability and reliability to attract businesses and talent, as competition among economies intensifies.

“Many countries and cities are competing aggressively for investments, for tourists,” he said.

“If we don't do this, we'll be forgotten. We'll be overlooked. Or worse, our competitors will paint our narrative instead of us being able to shape that ourselves. So, it's important that we go out and tell our story.”

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less Dr Beh was speaking on CNA's Singapore Tonight on Tuesday (Oct 20) about the need for Singapore's refreshed international branding campaign, ‘When You're Ready’. Launched by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, now known as the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry (METI), on Sep 22, the multi-year campaign seeks to strengthen global awareness of Singapore and reinforce its appeal as a destination for businesses, investments and talent. Dr Beh said the campaign serves as a reminder that Singapore “remains open for business”, while highlighting the qualities that set the nation apart from competitors. “The attributes that Singapore stands for: a country which can be trusted to deliver, a country where people – different races, different religions – live in harmony, a country that connects East and West,” he said. “These help differentiate Singapore in the race for investments, in the race to attract tourists and visitors, and even to attract consumers to buy Singapore products.”

Dr Beh was speaking on CNA's Singapore Tonight on Tuesday (Oct 20) about the need for Singapore's refreshed international branding campaign, ‘When You're Ready’.

Launched by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, now known as the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry (METI), on Sep 22, the multi-year campaign seeks to strengthen global awareness of Singapore and reinforce its appeal as a destination for businesses, investments and talent.

Dr Beh said the campaign serves as a reminder that Singapore “remains open for business”, while highlighting the qualities that set the nation apart from competitors.

“The attributes that Singapore stands for: a country which can be trusted to deliver, a country where people – different races, different religions – live in harmony, a country that connects East and West,” he said.

“These help differentiate Singapore in the race for investments, in the race to attract tourists and visitors, and even to attract consumers to buy Singapore products.”

STABILITY AMID GLOBAL VOLATILITY

DBS CEO Tan Su Shan, who joined Dr Beh in the interview, agreed that Singapore must continue to reinvent itself to remain relevant to evolving international business needs.

But she stressed that branding must be backed by substance, with Singapore's reputation built on consistent delivery, transparency and integrity.

“Brand Singapore is underpinned by fundamentals of delivery and execution. That doesn't happen overnight – it’s built from decades of hard work (and) consistency,” she said.

Ms Tan added that these qualities have become even more valuable to businesses amid growing geopolitical tensions and economic volatility.

Recalling a recent trip to New York, she said tariff-related market turmoil had left businesses there grappling with uncertainty over investment decisions and long-term planning.

Singapore's predictable, stable environment hence offers an important advantage, especially as companies need to make substantial commitments in capital expenditure and manpower, Ms Tan said.

“Being open, rules-based, consistent and transparent – all those bode well for business,” she said.

“(In) a time of great volatility, multipolar fragmentation, when everything's been weaponised – be it trade, currency, chips, technology, AI – when it's so hard to predict things anymore, businesses want what the Singapore brand stands for.”

Beyond economic stability, Ms Tan said Singapore's commitment to developing its workforce also strengthens its long-term appeal.

She pointed to the country's approach to artificial intelligence, which prioritises training workers in a time of technological disruption.

“We are backing talent (and) we’re facing the AI challenges upon us. We're educating, reskilling and upskilling our labour force,” she said.

“I think that bodes well for longer-term sustainability, both for society so you don't get the youth dissonance that you're seeing globally today, and you get a workforce that's future-ready.”

DELIVERING UNDER PRESSURE

Meanwhile, Dr Beh said Singapore's ability to respond effectively to crises is another important part of its international reputation.

Referring to the transboundary haze affecting the region, including during the recent Formula One Singapore Grand Prix and major business events, he said international visitors were already familiar with the recurring problem and its causes.

What matters more, he said, is how Singapore responds.

“Bad things will happen. It’s how you respond that will ultimately determine whether it’s a positive or negative impact on your brand,” Dr Beh said.

He pointed to measures such as the distribution of N95 masks and the prompt issuance of health advisories for schools, workplaces and event organisers as examples of the country's ability to deliver under pressure.

"These are all hallmarks that remind people that Singapore can be trusted to deliver,” he said.

The ‘When You're Ready’ campaign is built around three attributes: trusted to deliver, globally central and better together.

Its first major activation, The Zero Parlour, was held in New York during Climate Week last month, bringing visitors together for conversations on climate challenges.

The campaign marks the start of a broader, multi-year effort to strengthen Singapore's international positioning and appeal to global businesses and talent.

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能源、贸易和工业部常任秘书马云金表示，随着全球对投资、企业和人才的竞争日益激烈，新加坡必须积极讲述自己的故事，而不能仅仅依靠其稳定和可靠的声誉。

能源、贸易及工业部常任秘书裴顺金（左）和星展银行首席执行官陈素珊接受亚洲新闻台《新加坡今夜》节目采访，谈及焕然一新的“当你准备好了”国际品牌推广活动。

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：能源、贸易和工业部常任秘书马云金表示，新加坡必须积极宣传自身优势，塑造自身国际形象，否则就有被投资者和游客忽视的风险。

贝博士表示，随着各国经济体之间竞争加剧，该国不能仅仅依靠其稳定和可靠的声誉来吸引企业和人才。

他说：“许多国家和城市都在积极争夺投资和游客。”

“如果我们不这样做，我们就会被遗忘，会被忽视。更糟糕的是，我们的竞争对手会替我们塑造形象，而不是由我们自己来塑造。所以，我们必须走出去，讲述我们的故事。”

CNA游戏 猜词游戏 逐行破解单词 流行词游戏 用给定的字母组成单词 迷你数独 小谜题，脑力挑战 迷你填字游戏 小方格，大挑战 单词搜索 尽可能多地找出单词 显示更多 显示更少 贝博士周二（10月20日）在CNA的《新加坡今夜》节目中谈到了新加坡焕新国际品牌推广活动“当你准备好了”的必要性。这项为期多年的活动由贸易与工业部（现更名为能源、贸易与工业部，简称METI）于9月22日启动，旨在提升新加坡的全球知名度，并巩固其作为商业、投资和人才目的地的吸引力。贝博士表示，该活动旨在提醒人们新加坡“始终欢迎企业入驻”，同时突出新加坡区别于其他竞争对手的优势。“新加坡所代表的特质：一个值得信赖的国家，一个不同种族、不同宗教的人们和谐共处的国家，一个连接东西方的国家，”他说道。 “这些优势有助于新加坡在吸引投资、吸引游客，甚至吸引消费者购买新加坡产品方面脱颖而出。”

贝博士周二（10 月 20 日）在 CNA 的《新加坡今夜》节目中谈到了新加坡需要更新其国际品牌推广活动“当你准备好了”。

这项为期多年的宣传活动由贸易与工业部（现更名为能源、贸易与工业部）于 9 月 22 日启动，旨在加强新加坡在全球的知名度，并巩固其作为商业、投资和人才目的地的吸引力。

贝博士表示，这项活动旨在提醒人们新加坡“仍然欢迎企业前来投资兴业”，同时突出新加坡区别于竞争对手的优势。

他说：“新加坡所代表的特质是：一个值得信赖、能够兑现承诺的国家，一个不同种族、不同宗教的人们和谐共处的国家，一个连接东西方的国家。”

“这些优势有助于新加坡在吸引投资、吸引游客，甚至吸引消费者购买新加坡产品方面脱颖而出。”

全球动荡中的稳定性

星展银行首席执行官陈素珊与贝博士一同接受了采访，她也认为新加坡必须不断革新自身，才能与不断变化的国际商业需求保持相关性。

但她强调，品牌建设必须以实质内容为支撑，新加坡的声誉建立在始终如一的交付、透明度和诚信之上。

“新加坡品牌建设的基础在于有效的执行和落实。这并非一朝一夕就能实现的，而是数十年来辛勤耕耘和持之以恒的成果。”她说道。

谭女士补充说，在日益加剧的地缘政治紧张局势和经济波动中，这些特质对企业而言变得更加宝贵。

她回忆起最近一次纽约之行，表示与关税相关的市场动荡导致当地企业在投资决策和长期规划方面面临不确定性。

谭女士表示，新加坡可预测、稳定的环境因此提供了重要的优势，尤其是在企业需要投入大量资本支出和人力的情况下。

她表示：“开放、守法、始终如一、透明——所有这些都有利于企业发展。”

“（在）一个动荡不安、多极分化的时代，一切都被武器化了——无论是贸易、货币、芯片、技术还是人工智能——在这样一个难以预测的时代，企业想要的是新加坡品牌所代表的东西。”

谭女士表示，除了经济稳定之外，新加坡致力于发展其劳动力，这也增强了其长期吸引力。

她指出，该国在人工智能领域采取的策略是，在技术变革时期优先培训工人。

“我们正在支持人才发展，同时也在积极应对人工智能带来的挑战。我们正在对我们的劳动力进行教育、技能再培训和技能提升，”她说道。

“我认为这对长期可持续发展来说是个好兆头，既有利于社会，避免出现当今全球范围内普遍存在的青年与社会脱节现象，也有利于培养一支面向未来的劳动力队伍。”

压力下的交付

与此同时，贝博士表示，新加坡有效应对危机的能力是其国际声誉的另一个重要组成部分。

他提到影响该地区的跨境雾霾，包括最近新加坡一级方程式大奖赛和重大商业活动期间的雾霾，并表示国际游客已经熟悉这一反复出现的问题及其原因。

他说，更重要的是新加坡如何应对。

“坏事总会发生。最终决定它对你的品牌产生积极还是消极影响的，是你如何应对，”贝博士说。

他指出，分发 N95 口罩以及及时向学校、工作场所和活动组织者发布健康建议等措施，体现了该国在压力下执行任务的能力。

“这些都是新加坡值得信赖的标志，”他说。

“当你准备好了”活动围绕三个特点展开：值得信赖、全球中心、携手共进。

其首个大型活动“零度沙龙”于上个月气候周期间在纽约举行，让参观者齐聚一堂，共同探讨气候挑战。

该活动标志着一项更广泛的、多年期的努力的开始，旨在加强新加坡的国际地位，并增强其对全球企业和人才的吸引力。

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