Remarks by Minister for Transport Mr Jeffrey Siow for APEC Transportation Ministers’ Meeting Plenary

His Excellency Minister Liu Wei,

Ministers,

Distinguished colleagues,

1.          First, let me thank the People’s Republic of China for hosting the APEC Transportation Ministers’ Meeting.

2.          For decades, the work of transport connectivity has largely been physical. We built ports and airports, roads and railways. We opened new routes and strengthened supply chains.

3.          Today, digital connectivity is just as important as physical connectivity. 

a.          Member economies have spoken about how transport and logistics systems increasingly depend on data, digital platforms and artificial intelligence.  

b.          The efficiency of our transport networks no longer only relies on connecting physical infrastructure, but whether our digital systems connect as well. There are already several initiatives to enhance digital connectivity within ASEAN. I would like to highlight three initiatives by ASEAN, which we can then consider applying them across the wider Asia-Pacific.

4.          First, trade documentation.

a.          Most APEC economies have digitalised domestic customs and trade processes. But international trade remains heavily dependent on paper. Four billion paper documents are still used every year for cross-border trade.

b.          More than two decades ago, ASEAN leaders proposed connecting our national trade systems so  documents could be exchanged electronically.

i.            Implementation took years. We had to align processes, develop common technical protocols, and establish new legal frameworks for secure, cross-border electronic transactions.

ii.           Today, ASEAN Member States exchange more than four million electronic documents through the ASEAN Single Window, cutting average transit time by four days per transaction, and saving businesses more than US$6 billion.

iii.         ASEAN is working to extend these electronic exchanges to other partners such as China, Japan, Korea and the United States.

5.          Second, coordinating airspace management. 

a.          Accommodating fast growing air traffic in the region will require not only more airport capacity, but also more efficient use of our airspace.

b.          Air navigation service providers use different systems today and cannot exchange information directly. As a result, air traffic controllers in different Flight Information Regions rely on voice calls to facilitate aircraft travelling across regions.

c.           ASEAN has been working towards the Seamless ASEAN Sky to make air traffic management more interoperable across the region. These standards will allow flight, weather and aeronautical information to be exchanged digitally, giving air traffic controllers a broader and timelier view of our skies.

d.          The Seamless ASEAN Sky is a work in progress. 

i.            But we can build on the work of the APEC Transportation Working Group, which is already advancing cooperation on smart mobility and interoperable transport systems, to connect aviation systems.

6.          Third, cybersecurity. As our transport systems become more interconnected, they also become more vulnerable. Cybersecurity for transport infrastructure must advance alongside digitalisation, as any system is only as strong as its weakest link.

a.          A successful cyberattack in transport can disrupt the movement of aircraft, vessels, trains or vehicles, with grave consequences.

b.          Recent incidents illustrate these risks. The Port of Tanjung Pelepas had to suspend terminal operations and handle cargo manually following a cyberattack. Airports in the United Kingdom were also hit by a ransomware attack that exposed customer records and caused data leakages. These incidents can happen to any one of us in this room.

7.          ASEAN has begun strengthening regional cooperation on cybersecurity.

a.          For example, ASEAN has set up an Emergency Response Team to share cyber threat intelligence on critical infrastructure including aviation and maritime. Last October, the team held an incident response drill in Singapore, with responders from every ASEAN state and five dialogue partners – Australia, China, India, Japan and South Korea.

8.          APEC economies can develop more platforms to collaborate and exchange expertise and threat information. We should also improve coordination when cyberattacks occur, including tracing and responding to malicious actors. 

9.          Chairman and fellow APEC members.

a.          These areas I spoke about involve different parts of our transport system, but the underlying challenge is the same. Our transport systems are becoming more digital, interconnected and interdependent. Our cooperation must evolve in the same direction.

b.          ASEAN, APEC and international bodies such as the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the International Maritime Organisation have established useful platforms, standards and expertise. We should connect these efforts, extend what works across more economies, and ensure that our systems remain secure and resilient.

10.        Thank you.