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.”