SM Lee Hsien Loong at the Singapore National Day Celebrations at Expo 2025 Osaka

Chief Cabinet Secretary Mr Hayashi Yoshimasa,
Mr Kono Taro, Chairman of the Japan-Singapore Parliamentary Friendship League
Distinguished Guests,
Fellow Singaporeans,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Singapore at the World Expo 2025 Osaka

A very good morning to everybody. Let me first thank the Japanese government and our Japanese friends for the warm hospitality, and for arranging the Singapore National Day Celebration here at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.

I am happy to be here at the Osaka Expo, joined by Singaporeans and friends of Singapore, to celebrate Singapore’s 60th National Day.

Singapore is nicknamed the Little Red Dot because we are such a tiny country on the world map. However, at the Osaka Expo, our Little Red Dot – the Singapore Pavilion – is hard to miss. It stands 17 metres-tall, and the pavilion is named “The Dream Sphere”, made of 17,000 mostly recycled red aluminium discs. Varying in size, shade and texture, the discs represent the diversity of our people and dreams. And together, these make up our Singapore.

Our pavilion has hosted more than a million visitors since its opening. In fact, latest count – one and half million visitors. We were especially honoured to welcome Her Imperial Highness Princess Aiko, and other members of the Imperial family. And we are glad to have made a modest contribution to the success of the Osaka World Expo.

Singapore’s belief in creating our future; realising our dreams

The theme of Expo 2025 is “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”, and the Singapore pavilion’s tagline is “Where Dreams Take Shape”.

More than catchy slogans, these are apt descriptions of the Singapore spirit, and our nation-building journey.

60 years ago, our founding fathers believed that it was possible to create a fairer, more just and equal society − one where people of different ancestries, races and creeds could live together as equals harmoniously, bound by common purpose and hopes for a better life. They set about building such a society. They faced doubters and detractors aplenty – for this was not the prevailing wisdom. But they and their generation persevered, and pursued their dreams. And to a very large extent, made them happen. They succeeded in founding a nation based on these ideals.

Successive generations of Singaporeans have never stopped believing in the power of dreams. Together, we strived to create opportunities for ourselves despite the odds − to create a place where dreams can take shape. And bit by bit, we built today’s Singapore.

The Singapore pavilion captures this story of hope and agency. It embodies the indomitable Singapore spirit that has overcome challenges; and the power of the belief that we can make our own destiny.

It therefore gives me great joy and pride, to celebrate our nation’s 60th birthday here today, with all of you. May we always be able to chase our dreams. May we always shape a better society worth living in.

Singapore as part of the international community

Participating in the World Expo reminds us that Singapore is part of a much larger international community. We join 160 other countries, regions and organisations to contribute to the rich tapestry on display at this Expo. It is a powerful reminder that when we work in concert, what we create is far greater than the sum of its parts.

For the past eight decades, an open, rules-based multilateral order has fostered peace and prosperity across the world, benefitting countries large and small, including Japan and Singapore. These conditions allowed Singapore to not only survive, but thrive. We made ourselves a useful part of the global supply chain; and our small, open economy flourished. And this is why Singapore so deeply values international partnerships. We play an active and constructive role internationally, in multilateral bodies like the UN and the WTO. We participate in and contribute to plurilateral groupings like the CPTPP and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the RCEP. We are also a founding member of the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement.

But the rules-based multilateral system is now under severe strain. At the same time, humanity faces profound transnational challenges like climate change, which no country can address alone. Just as this Expo’s success has been possible only through the active participation of partners from around the world, so too do these times call for more, not less, international cooperation.

Singapore and Japan in the next lap

Japan and Singapore both recognise this, and are looking for more ways to co-operate, and to strengthen our ties.

We commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year. Successive leaders from both countries have carefully nurtured this relationship. They have found ways to move beyond a difficult historical past, to forge cooperation based on mutual economic and strategic interests. For 60 years, we have built deep economic ties, strong people-to-people connections, and a shared commitment to fostering regional peace and prosperity.

The economic dimension of our partnership has been particularly remarkable. Japanese investments have been pivotal to Singapore’s economic take-off. Japanese companies were among the first to believe in Singapore’s potential. Companies such as Sony, Panasonic, Shimano, and Sumitomo invested in Singapore, and became steadfast partners in our nation-building journey. They created thousands of jobs, transferred valuable technical know-how and helped develop our industrial capabilities. The Japan-Singapore Economic Partnership Agreement, signed in 2002, marked another milestone in our partnership. It was Japan’s first bilateral economic partnership agreement, and Singapore’s first Free Trade Agreement with a major trading partner. It was a gold standard agreement for a new era and served as a pathfinder for subsequent regional economic agreements. Today, our economic partnership continues to evolve and grow. We are among each other’s top ten trading partners. Singapore was Japan’s top investor in 2023, and the third-largest source of foreign direct investment stock. Our companies are collaborating on projects in AI, renewable energy and smart city solutions.

Beyond our bilateral relationship, we also work closely on regional cooperation, where Japan has a major role to play. This is founded on our similar strategic outlook and shared interests. Both countries believe in greater economic integration; stable and resilient supply chains; free and open sea lanes; and settling disputes peacefully, in accordance with international law.

Singapore welcomes Japan’s efforts to step up its contributions to regional peace and security, such as through official development aid and official security assistance programmes to Southeast Asian countries. As the country coordinator for ASEAN-Japan relations, Singapore will build on the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to advance Japan’s engagement with our region.

Yet, the strength of our partnership ultimately rests on the deep people-to-people ties between ordinary Singaporeans and Japanese. Singapore and Japan are among each other’s top holiday destinations. And as you heard Mr Hayashi tell you, last year, nearly 700,000 Singapore residents visited Japan − I and my family were among them − while close to 600,000 Japanese visitors came to Singapore. And this year I think both numbers are likely to be bigger. With the Expo 2025 Osaka, visitor numbers from Singapore to Japan are likely to break records again. More than 30,000 Japanese live in Singapore, while about 3,000 Singaporeans live in Japan. They form vibrant communities that enrich the societies of their host countries, and serve as bridges between us. Our youth are also forging ties in the next generation, with flourishing exchange programmes and research partnerships, and the continued interest in studying Japanese language and culture among Singaporean young people. These deep connections build trust and mutual understanding that will put our relations on a firm basis for many years to come.

Conclusion

Today at the Expo, we are celebrating both Singapore’s 60th birthday, as well as the enduring friendship between Singapore and Japan. This friendship has strengthened with each passing year. It stands as a testament to what countries can achieve when they work together with mutual respect and shared purpose.

I am confident that the next chapter of Singapore-Japan relations will be even more dynamic and progressive. By building on our strong foundations, we can create new partnerships that will benefit our people for many years to come.

I wish everyone a happy 60th Singapore National Day, and an enjoyable day ahead at the Expo.

Thank you very much.

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