PM Wong congratulates Donald Trump, says Singapore ready to work with new administration

SINGAPORE: Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday (Nov 6) congratulated Mr Donald Trump on winning the United States presidential election.

In a letter to the president-elect, Mr Wong wrote: "I extend my warmest congratulations on your election as the 47th president of the United States of America.

"The American people have given you an overwhelming mandate and placed their trust in you to lead the US again. I am confident that under your stewardship, the US will continue to grow and exercise its global leadership role."

Mr Wong also wrote to Mr Trump's running mate JD Vance to congratulate him on his election as US vice president. 

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Wong had hailed the ties between the two countries and expressed confidence that the US would continue to "grow and lead globally".

"Singapore stands ready to work closely with you and your administration to advance our bilateral ties and to further strengthen the US’ partnerships in the Asia Pacific," wrote Mr Wong on Facebook.

Mr Wong also invited Mr Trump to return to Singapore, which he last visited in 2018. That year, Singapore hosted a summit between Mr Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Mr Wong noted that this year would be the 20th anniversary of the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, the only such agreement the US has with an ASEAN nation.

"Our bilateral trade has almost tripled since its inception, and together with Singapore’s investments into the US, this has supported over 270,000 high-quality jobs in America," said Mr Wong.

"During his first term, we made significant strides in strengthening our relationship, especially in areas like defence, the economy, and trade," he added. 

"I look forward to taking our partnership to even greater heights."

Speaking to Singapore reporters at the end of a two-day introductory visit to Indonesia, meanwhile, Mr Wong said that under the previous Trump administration, Singapore and the US also extended a key defence pact which allows American forces to use Singapore's air and naval bases, while continuing to advance trade and investment flows between both countries “in a very productive manner”.

The US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement has also been mutually beneficial for both countries. 

“It has created many American jobs and it has helped to enhance (the countries') relationship in a very significant manner,” said the prime minister.

“So we look forward to working with him and his team to further strengthen our bilateral ties and to strengthen America's partnerships in this part of the world.”

Asked about his hopes for a partnership with the incoming US government, Mr Wong said America remains a key partner not just for Singapore but for all countries in the region.

“America is still the largest source of foreign direct investments in Southeast Asia so obviously American companies play a key role in driving economic growth and creating jobs for all the countries in Southeast Asia,” he said.

Beyond trade and investments, America’s security presence in Southeast Asia remains critical in providing stability for the region.

“We think these are all very important aspects of America's presence in Southeast Asia, and we look forward to working with the new administration to strengthen these areas,” Mr Wong said.