(3 Aug 2016) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus060613
President Barack Obama celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations with Singapore Tuesday with a state dinner for a leader Obama praised as respected around the world and a trusted partner.
Obama reserved the 12th state dinner of his presidency to honor Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife, Ho Ching. Obama said the nation's ties go back nearly two centuries when Singapore was still a colony, and the U.S. had recently emerged as one. He said the alliance is about more than shared strategic interests in a rising Asia Pacific.
"With this visit, we're celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations between our two nations," Obama said. "Yet, even as we mark this anniversary of our formal ties, we honor bonds that stretch back at least 180 years, when Singapore was still a colony and the United States was not far removed from being one ourselves."
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