(2 Aug 2016) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus060605
President Barack Obama's 12th state dinner is being held for the prime minister of Singapore, a city-state Obama refers to as an anchor for the U.S. presence in Southeast Asia.
President Obama and his wife, Michelle, welcomed Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife, Ho Ching to the White House on Tuesday evening.
The black-tie dinner marks the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations between the U.S. and Singapore, an island nation of about 5.7 million people. The allies share close economic and security ties, with more than 3,500 U.S. companies having a presence in Singapore. Singapore was the first Southeast Asian country to join in the fight against the Islamic State group. Both countries also signed onto last year's Paris climate agreement.
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