The 19th Japan-Singapore Symposium: “Partnering for Resilience” Japan-Singapore 60th Anniversary Symposium Highlights Cooperation to Strengthen Asia’s Resilience

On September 10–11, 2026, the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) co-organized the 19th Japan-Singapore Symposium with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) in Singapore. Marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Singapore, this year’s symposium was held under the overarching theme of “Partnering for Resilience” and brought together a wide range of participants from both countries, including representatives from politics, government, research institutions, the private sector, and the media.

During the closed-door roundtable sessions held on September 10 and the morning of September 11, Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae, President of JIIA, and Mr. Ashok Mirpuri, Head of International Policy & Governance at Temasek, served as Co-Chairs. At the opening of the roundtable, Mr. Tatsuo Fukuda, Member of the House of Representatives of Japan, delivered remarks. Participants engaged in candid exchanges of views on three themes: (1) strategic resilience and regional order; (2) economic resilience, technology trust, and energy security; and (3) societal resilience, human capital, and people-to-people partnership.
At the Public Forum on the afternoon of September 11, the Co-Chairs delivered welcome remarks, followed by a video message from Mr. Toshimitsu Motegi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan. To commemorate the 60th anniversary of Japan-Singapore diplomatic relations, Professor Tommy Koh, Chairman of the NUS Centre for International Law, and Ambassador Hiroshi Ishikawa, Ambassador of Japan to Singapore, also delivered remarks.

The subsequent panel discussions addressed two themes: “Japan-Singapore Partnership for a Resilient Asia: Navigating Geopolitical and Security Challenges” and “Japan-Singapore Partnership for a Resilient Future: Economic Security, Trade and Technology.” Participants engaged in lively discussions on a broad range of areas in which Japan and Singapore can further deepen cooperation, including regional security and the rules-based international order, people-to-people exchanges, free trade and resilient supply chains, digitalisation and emerging technologies such as AI, the green transition, and energy security.

The Public Forum concluded with closing remarks by Mr. Yohei Onishi, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Mr. Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore. The symposium reaffirmed the importance of further strengthening the Japan-Singapore partnership, building on the milestone of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.