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Hong Kong–Singapore relations refer to the relations between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Singapore. Both are former British colonies, and both of them are now financial centres.
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In addition to being represented by the Chinese Embassy, the Government of the Hong Kong SAR also has a Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Singapore. Similarly, in addition to its Embassy in Beijing, Singapore has a Consulate-General in Hong Kong. When Hong Kong was under British rule, it was known as the Singapore Commission.
History
Singapore and Hong Kong started trade relations in the 19th century. According to newspapers in Hong Kong, the point of view of rivalry between Hong Kong and Singapore had revealed since the 1900s. In 1923, the Japanese Association of Singapore wrote a book called The Introduction of Singapore, which showed that there were trade relations between Hong Kong and Singapore and there were Japanese merchant ships operating routes between Hong Kong and Singapore.
When Hong Kong and Singapore were both under British rule, some officials would serve as Governor of Hong Kong before becoming Governor of the Straits Settlements (or later, of Singapore) or vice versa.
For example, Cecil Clementi was Governor of Hong Kong between 1925 and 1930 and the Governor of the Straits Settlements between 1930 and 1934. Robert Black was the Governor of Singapore between 1955 and 1957, and the Governor of Hong Kong between 1958 and 1964.
In addition, they would introduce in one colony practices which they had introduced in the other. For example, when Clementi was Governor of the Straits Settlements, Chinese were appointed to the Executive Council of the Straits Settlements, as was the case with the Executive Council of Hong Kong.
Similarly, when Black was Governor of Hong Kong, he implemented the localisation of the civil service in Hong Kong, as had occurred Singapore. He also appointed local people in Hong Kong to become high officials in the Government of Hong Kong.
Lee Kuan Yew, who became the Prime Minister of Singapore in 1959, had visited Hong Kong for several times during his office and expressed the opinions towards the political development of Hong Kong. In 1984, the Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed between China and the United Kingdom which the former took over Hong Kong on July 1, 1997, making waves of mass migrations from Hong Kong. Although Lee Kuan Yew supported the Chinese government's action during the June Fourth Incident, the government of Singapore still issued 25 thousand quotas of family immigrant visas towards people in Hong Kong.
In 1997, Tang Liang Hong, the leader of the Workers' Party in Singapore fled to Australia. When he stayed in Hong Kong, the book Memoir of Tang Liang Hong was published with the assistance of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In 2000, the Chinese University of Hong Kong conferred an honorary doctorate upon Lee Kuan Yew, to the dissatisfaction of the Student Union of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The union organized signatory action to urge the university retire the decision.
On September 17, 2014, Lee Hsien Loong, the Prime Minister of Singapore, visited Hong Kong and met with Leung Chun Ying, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong. Leung Chun Ying and Lee Hsien Loong talked about cooperations and interactions between Hong Kong and Singapore including housing, land use planning and infrastructures. Leung Chun Ying also organized a banquet to regale Lee Hsien Loong.
Following Lee's death on March 23, 2015, Leung expressed condolences over the death of Lee Kuan Yew by sending a message to Lee Hsien Loong. On June 30, 2015, Amos Yee, a Singaporean blogger, was sentenced to mental hospital due to uploading a video criticizing Lee Kuan Yew. Student unions from 8 universities in Hong Kong and Scholarism protested near the Consulate General of Singapore in Hong Kong to urge the government of Singapore to release Amos Yee.
Trade relations
In 2012, the value of exporting goods from Hong Kong to Singapore was worth 2.53 billion US dollars, while the value of exporting goods from Singapore to Hong Kong was worth 16.8 billion US dollars. Hong Kong mainly exported machines, precious metals and transportation facilities to Singapore, while Singapore mainly exported machines, refined petroleum and precious metals to Hong Kong.
Singapore Chamber of Commerce was established in Hong Kong in September 1995.
Cultural relations
In April 2004, Singapore and Hong Kong signed Memorandum of Understanding on Cultural Cooperation. In order to coordinate the signing of the memorandum, the Fringe Club organized the City Festival which was focused on Singapore in 2006.
Singapore International School, the only international school organized by the Ministry of Education of Singapore, was operated in Hong Kong.