By CCTV.com Panview

Editor's note: As the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation is soon to be held here in Beijing from May 14 to 15, CCTV.com Panview team goes into universities and talk to some young scholars from countries en route the B&R to find out what they are thinking of this initiative.

In today's episode of 'Insights on the Belt & Road', CCTV.com Panview talks to Singaporean envoy to China Stanley Loh, who explains how his City-State has played a pivotal role to help Beijing launch the AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank) as the premier finance mechanism for New Silk Road infrastructure projects in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Singapore stood as one of the founding members of the AIIB and recognized as a finance hub for the Southeast Asian region. Around 60 percent of all B&R funds first flow through Singapore's finance markets then re-distributed to the construction of major infrastructure projects connected with the initiative.

Singapore has enjoyed even stronger ties with Beijing ever since Chinese President Xi Jinping made a state visit to Singapore in 2015. The two nations have embarked on more economic cooperation deals with the B&R as a major beneficiary.

Stanley Loh also highlighted how Singapore hopes China can achieve greater success with the New Silk Road project by designating his City-State as the key connector of the maritime side of the B&R that would link China with Southeast Asia, South Asia and Africa..

He explains this and more.

You can watch this episode and stay tuned for future episodes of CCTV.com's 'Insights on Belt and Road' video series …

(The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Panview or CCTV.com)

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