Singapore and the Southeast Asian region should continue to work closely with India and Chinagiven the vital role both countries play in regional growth and development, the city-state’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sim Ann said on Thursday.

She highlighted the importance of China and India as economic powers and key players on the global stage at an inaugural event in a series of two think tanks set to examine key issues related to China and India and their roles in the global economy.

The Singaporean minister was speaking at the launch of the series “China and India: Two Giants Shaping the Global Economy”, which will be jointly organized by the East Asia Institute (EAI) and the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) of the National University. of Singapore (NUS).

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Experts shared their views and opinions on the two countries at the inaugural workshop, highlighting that China and India, the world’s largest and third largest economies in terms of purchasing power parity, wield immense influence worldwide.

The two countries together represent 35 percent of the world’s population and are expected to contribute 50 percent of global economic growth in 2024.

The launch event was also addressed by eminent experts, academics and researchers, including Dr Li Li, Deputy Director of the Institute of International Relations (IIF) at Tsinghua University, and Professor C Raja Mohan, visiting research professor at ISAS.

EAI Director Alfred Schipke said: “China and India are key pillars of the global economic landscape, with their combined potential fueling half of global economic growth in the years to come. As key players in trade and innovation, their influence extends across borders, shaping policies and addressing global challenges. The two NUS research institutes will jointly host workshops and public events to examine China and India’s growth strategies and their broader impact on the global economy from a policy perspective, bringing together academics, policy makers, practitioners and business leaders.

ISAS Director Iqbal Singh Sevea noted that India and China play a crucial role in the future of digitalization and the transition to green economy.

“Overall, the global order is changing and the future of the global economy will be shaped by India and China. So we need to understand the impact these two countries will have on global trends,” he said.