On the morning of March 25, 2025, Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and his delegation visited PUMCH and had discussions with PUMCH President Zhang Shuyang, Vice President Du Bin, and several experts. Accompanied by President Zhang and Vice President Du, Deputy Prime Minister Heng toured the Joint Outpatient Clinic for Rare Diseases, Biobank, and Surgical Skills Training Center at the National Infrastructure for Translational Medicine (Peking Union). He learned in detail about PUMCH's groundbreaking achievements in the diagnosis and treatment of complex and rare diseases, medical technology innovation, and medical talent development. Both sides also engaged in in-depth discussions about future collaboration opportunities. Singapore's Ambassador to China, Peter TanAlbert Chua, accompanied the visit.

▲Xu Jin, Deputy Director of the Department of Rare Diseases, was introducing the Joint Outpatient Clinic for Rare Diseases

▲Deputy Prime Minister Heng and his delegation were touring the Biobank

▲Singapore Ambassador to China Peter Tan was operating an eodoscopicendoscopic surgery simulator at the Surgical Skills Training Center

▲Deputy Prime Minister Heng was engaging in conversation with medical staff at the Surgical Skills Training Center

The delegation first visited the Joint Outpatient Clinic for Rare Diseases, where they exchanged with medical personnel views on innovative approaches to rare disease diagnosis, treatment and research. Deputy Prime Minister Heng and his delegation then toured the Biobank with great interest. They commended the Biobank's patient-centered operational philosophy, automated management technology aligned with international standards, and impressive contributions to high-quality clinical research. At the Surgical Skills Training Center, young physicians demonstrated skilled operation of simulators under senior physicians' guidance, performing a sequence of procedures including dissection and knot tying with dexterity. The impressive demonstrations captured visitors' attention and led them to the equipment themselves. Deputy Prime Minister Heng also discussed medical talent development models with PUMCH staff.

▲Shen Min, Director of the Department of Rare Diseases, was presenting PUMCH's work on rare disease diagnosis, treatment, and research; Li Zhe from the Information Technology Center was explaining AI and big data applications in the hospital

During discussions, Deputy Prime Minister Heng fully acknowledged PUMCH's leadership in developing a Chinese approach to rare disease diagnosis, treatment, and research that has garnered international recognition. Both sides engaged in substantive exchanges on key topics including AI applications in clinical practice, hospital management, and patient services; the challenges and opportunities that new technologies bring to medical research and education; and the importance of prevention and rehabilitation in improving public health in an ageing society. Deputy Prime Minister Heng expressed keen interest in potential cooperation between the two sides in the broader healthcare field.

▲The meeting in progress

Other attendees to the meeting included Kang Lin, Director of the Department of Geriatrics; Shen Min, Director of the Department of Rare Diseases; Zhou Xiang, Director of the Information Technology Center; Luan Xiaodong, Executive Director of the Drug Development and Evaluation Platform; and He Jing, Deputy Director of the International Collaboration Office.

Written by Chen Xiao

Photographed by Sun Liang

Edited by Xiao Xiong and Wang Yao

Chief editor Duan Wenli

Supervised by Wu Peixin