The First Lady was a vision in white as she and President Barack Obama welcomed the Prime Minister of Singapore to a state dinner at the White House on August 2.
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DESPITE coming from one of Asia’s wealthiest economies, the wife of Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has gained praise from the public after she appeared at the White House with a purse that cost less than SG$15 (roughly US$11) during the couple’s official visit to the United States.
“He keeps proving it”, said Obama, standing alongside the prime minister of Singapore and casting aside any pretense of domestic unity.
GUEST: PM Lee Hsien Loong and President Barack Obama walking to the Oval Office at the White House.
He went on to mention Singapore’s “strong commercial ties and cultural ties” with China, saying the Southeast Asian nation “can serve as a useful partner with us and with China to assure that the US-China relationship moves in a productive way”.
PM Lee on the other hand in bringing up the Obama birth controversy struck all the right notes at the state dinner.
“To mark the 50th anniversary of our relations, Singapore has named an orchid hybrid in honour of President and Mrs Obama”.
The U.S. president said they shared a “common vision of a peaceful and prosperous Asia-Pacific and a more secure world”. “The fact that Singapore has been invited for such a visit and the state dinner is a tremendous compliment”, explained the executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore Judith Fergin.
Adding that Singapore is already a target of ISIS, Mr Lee said: “If they see Indonesia and Malaysia as legitimate targets, all the more Singapore (as) a rational, open, cosmopolitan country, and not what they think countries should be. should be attacked”.
Singapore’s Lee warned that Washington’s credibility is at risk if the TPP is not ratified.
“Americans take pride in having a system with cheques – with cheques and balances”.
Mr Lee also devoted much of his speech to praising the attributes of the U.S., adding that Singapore admires America’s dynamism, vibrancy and capacity for self-renewal.
They also emphasized the importance of all participating countries to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement expeditiously, and both committed to strengthen trade capacity building among TPP members.
Since Nathan was warded, he has received a steady stream of visits from top leaders past and present, including President Tony Tan, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, former Speaker of Parliament Abdullah Tarmugi and former Senior Minister of State Zainul Abidin Rasheed. The comments prompted applause and laughs from an audience acutely aware of the political winds opposing the agreement. He ended his speech by calling the U.S. a great nation with high ideals, openness and generosity. The salad course will showcase heirloom tomatoes from OH paired with lime basil from Michelle Obama’s garden, as well as mangoes, cucumbers, green papayas and soursop sorbet.
Dessert is peach sangria cake accented with coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves, a citrus fruit native to Asia, and dressed with White House honey.
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Susie Morrison, the White House’s executive pastry chef, also prepared an edible footed tray fashioned from caramelised almond nougat.
