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Revision as of 14:57, 16 August 2020 by Telsho (talk | contribs) (→Diplomatic representation)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Singapore and the United States of America Bilateral relations | |
 Singapore |
 United States |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Embassy of Singapore, Washington, D.C. | Embassy of the United States, Singapore |
| Envoy | |
| Ambassador Ashok Mirpuri | Ambassador Rafik Mansour |
United States – Singapore relations are bilateral relations between the United States and Singapore. Singapore and the United States share a very close and excellent relationship. According to the U.S. Global Leadership Report, 77% of Singaporeans approved of U.S. leadership under the Obama Administration in 2010, and while this approval rating decreased slightly down to 75% in 2011, it nonetheless remains one of the highest ratings of the U.S. for any surveyed country in the Asia-Pacific region.
Country comparison
| Common name | Singapore | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Official Name |  Republic of Singapore |
 United States of America
|
| Coat of Arms | 
|
|
| Flag | 
|
|
| Population | 5,638,700 | 324,894,500 |
| Area | 720 km (280 sq mi) | 9,629,091 km (3,717,813 sq mi) |
| Population Density | 34.2/km (89/sq mi) | 7,804/km (20,210/sq mi) |
| Time zones | 1 | 9 |
| Capital |  Singapore (City-state)
|
 District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.)
|
| Largest City | Singapore – 5,638,700 (City-state)
|
 New York City – 8,491,079 (20,092,883 Metro)
|
| Government | Unitary dominant-party parliamentary constitutional republic | Federal presidential constitutional republic |
| Established | 1299 (Founding of the Kingdom of Singapore) 9 August 1965 (Proclamation of Singapore) |
1776 (Declaration of Independence) |
| Head of State |  Halimah Yacob
|
 Donald Trump
|
| Head of Government |  Lee Hsien Loong
| |
| Deputy Leader | Heng Swee Keat
|
 Mike Pence
|
| Legislature | Parliament of Singapore | United States Congress |
| Official/National Languages | English, Mandarin Chinese, Malay, Tamil | None at federal level, English (de facto) |
| National Anthem | Onward Singapore | The Star-Spangled Banner |
| Military | Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) | Armed Forces of the United States |
| Law Enforcement Agency | Singapore Police Force (SPF) | Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) |
| GDP (nominal) | $372.807 billion | $20.54 trillion |
| GDP (nominal) per capita | $68,487 | $62,794 |
| GDP (PPP) | $615.698 billion | $21.44 trillion |
| GDP (PPP) per capita | $107,604 | $67,426 |
| Currency | Singapore dollar (SGD) | United States dollar (USD) |
| Human Development Index | 0.935 (very high) | 0.920 (very high) |
History
The United States first opened a consulate in Singapore in 1836, when the island was part of the Straits Settlements of the British Empire. Singapore and the United States have maintained formal diplomatic relations since the independence of Singapore in 1965. Singapore's efforts to maintain economic growth and political stability and its support for regional cooperation harmonize with U.S. policy in the region and form a solid basis for amicable relations between the two countries.
Hendrickson affair
See also: United States involvement in regime changeE. Mason "Hank" Hendrickson (born 1945), an American diplomat married to fellow Foreign Service officer Anne E. Derse, was serving as the First Secretary of the United States Embassy when he was expelled by the Singaporean government in May 1988. Prior to his expulsion, he arranged for Francis Seow and Patrick Seong to travel to Washington, D.C. to meet with American officials at Hendrickson's arrangement. After their return, Singapore detained them under the Internal Security Act. Based on Seow and Seong's statements while in custody, the Singaporean government alleged that Hendrickson attempted to interfere in Singapore's internal affairs by cultivating opposition figures in a "Marxist conspiracy". Then-First Deputy Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong claimed that Hendrickson's alleged conspiracy could have resulted in the election of 20 or 30 opposition politicians to Parliament, which in his words could lead to "horrendous" effects, possibly even the paralysis and fall of the Singaporean government.
In the aftermath of Hendrickson's expulsion, the U.S. State Department praised his performance in Singapore and denied any impropriety in his actions. The State Department also expelled Robert Chua, a senior-level Singaporean diplomat equal in rank to Mason, from Washington, D.C. in response. The State Department's refusal to reprimand Hendrickson, along with their expulsion of the Singaporean diplomat, sparked a protest in Singapore by the National Trades Union Congress; they drove buses around the U.S. embassy, held a rally attended by four thousand workers, and issued a statement deriding the U.S. as "sneaky, arrogant, and untrustworthy".
A Heritage Foundation paper speculated that Singapore's angry public reaction to the Hendrickson affair may have been a response to the January 1988 termination of Singapore's eligibility for the Generalized System of Preferences, which provided tariff exemptions on Singaporean exports to the United States. This was reversed a few years later as relations improved again.
Singapore–United States Free Trade Agreement
The United States and Singapore signed a bilateral free trade agreement on 6 May 2003; the agreement entered into force on 1 January 2004. The growth of U.S. investment in Singapore and the large number of Americans living there enhance opportunities for contact between Singapore and the United States. Singapore is a Visa Waiver Program (VWP) country, one of the only four countries in Asia in the program. Today, large numbers of American and Singaporean expatriates live and work in each other's countries due to the relatively easy freedom of movement established between the two countries.
In addition to lowering of tariffs, the agreement also allowed easier movement of citizens from both countries. With its implementation, it became possible for Singaporean citizens to reside in the United States for extended periods of time. Business people and traders with an E-1 or E-2 visa are allowed a two-year stay period with an indefinite extension allowed.
Furthermore, Professionals with a H-1B1 visa (also known as H-1B1-Singapore) are allowed to stay for a maximum period of up to 18 months with also the possibility of an indefinite extension. This visa was specifically created for Singaporeans, and there is an annual priority quota of 5,400 visas, but this quota has yet to be reached to date. Any unused quota is transferred to the general pool for use by citizens of other countries.
United States citizens coming to Singapore are also allowed to work in most business occupations for 3 months without a visa or a "Professional Visit Pass".
2018 North Korea–United States Singapore Summit
The latest high profile meeting between the two countries was held on 11 June 2018 between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Donald Trump at the The Istana, the official residence and office of the President of Singapore and also the working office of the Prime Minister of Singapore, before meeting Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un the next day at the Capella Hotel, Sentosa, Singapore. At the time, Singapore was chosen for its neutrality in geopolitical affairs, as it had diplomatic relations with both the United States and North Korea, and was one of the few countries that have relationships with both countries.
The summit meeting between North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump was the first-ever meeting between leaders of North Korea and the United States.
Fields of relations
During the ASEAN Summit of 2015 when U.S. President Barack Obama met Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Obama described the state of bilateral relations between the two countries as being "very, very strong" and that Singapore is a major ally in the region.
Military relations
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Singapore has long standing military relations with the United States. The United States sells arms to Singapore and provides access to its bases to train the Singaporean armed services outside of their small city-state. Under the U.S.–Singapore Strategic Framework Agreement, some U.S. Navy littoral combat ships are rotationally deployed to Singapore's Changi Naval Base. Air Force One also lands at Paya Lebar Air Base whenever the president visits the country. On September 23, 2019, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and US President Donald Trump renewed a key defence pact which allows American forces to use Singapore’s air and naval bases, extending it by another 15 years to 2035.
Relief operations
Main article: Singaporean response to Hurricane KatrinaFollowing that devastation of the United States Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina, three Singaporean CH-47 Chinook helicopters and thirty-eight Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) personnel from a training detachment based in Grand Prairie, Texas, assisted in relief operations from 1 September. They ferried about 700 evacuees and hauled tons of supplies in 39 sorties on 4 September. One more CH-47 Chinook helicopter was sent to aid in relief efforts. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong sent his personal letter of condolences to U.S. President George W. Bush while the Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo sent his personal letter of condolences to the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, promising support for the American people in their relief effort in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
In his letter, Lee wrote:
The thoughts of Singaporeans and me are with you and the American people whose lives have been devastated by Hurricane Katrina. America has always been generous in helping others in their time of need. We in Southeast Asia have experienced that, most recently during the tsunami relief operations. Singapore is happy to reciprocate in a small way by participating in your efforts to save lives and restore normality to your people.
— Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore, 1 September 2005.
Academic exchanges
In 2011, more than 4,300 Singaporeans were studying in the United States, the highest figure in 10 years. The number of Singaporean students studying in the United States grew by 7 percent since 2010. American universities with the most number of Singaporeans are among the most prestigious in the country which includes Harvard University, Cornell University, Stanford University, and University of California, Berkeley. To add to the rising number of college students study in the United States, many local students in Singapore have also opted to study in American High Schools. US Ambassador to Singapore David I. Adelman said that the high number of Singaporeans studying in the United States reflects that Singapore–United States relations "have never been better".
In 2012, Singapore and the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance collaboration in education between the two countries. This is the second MOU between the United States and Singapore on education. The first MOU signed in 2002 primarily focused on the teaching and learning of the Singaporean method of Mathematics and Science. The 2012 MOU have enhanced the teaching of Mathematics and Science, teacher development and school leadership, and educational research and benchmarking studies. In Addition, the conference also announced that the National Institute of Education (NIE) in Singapore and Columbia University's Teachers College are launching a joint Masters of Arts in Leadership and Educational Change. This joint Masters programme will take in up to 30 students from January 2013.
The U.S. government sponsors visitors from Singapore each year under the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). The U.S. Government provides Fulbright Awards to enable selected American professors to teach or conduct research at the National University of Singapore and the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. It awards scholarships to outstanding Singaporean students for graduate studies at American universities and to American students to study in Singapore. The U.S. government also sponsors occasional cultural presentations in Singapore. The East-West Center and private American organizations, such as the Asia Foundation and Ford Foundation, also sponsor exchanges involving Singaporeans.
Diplomatic representation
Embassy of Singapore in Washington, D.C.File:USEmbassySingapore.jpgEmbassy of the United States in Singapore
Singapore's chief diplomatic mission to the United States is the Singaporean Embassy in Washington, D.C.. It is further supported by many consulates located through the United States. The Singaporean Government maintains consulates-general in several major U.S. cities including: Chicago, Miami, Houston, New York City and San Francisco.
The current Singaporean ambassador to the United States is Ashok Mirpuri. Former United States Ambassador to Singapore, Steven J. Green, is the Honorary Consul in Miami while the Former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Newton N. Minow, is the Honorary Consul in Chicago.
The United States first opened a consulate in Singapore, then part of the British Straits Settlements, in 1836, appointing Joseph Balestier to the post of consul. The American embassy in Singapore was established on 4 April 1966, under chargé d'affaires ad interim Richard H. Donald. Kirk Wagar most recently served as the U.S. Ambassador to Singapore from September 2013 to January 2017.
Former Deputy US National Security Adviser K. T. McFarland had reportedly been offered the ambassadorship to Singapore, a position requiring confirmation by the US Senate. However, she withdrew her nomination citing differences with the Trump administration. In September 2019, Trump nominated Barbera Hale Thornhill, president of Impact Design, a business-focused interior design firm in Los Angeles, California, as ambassador. She has yet to be confirmed.
Common memberships
Sister-Twinning cities
The city-state of Singapore is twinned with –
See also
- Paya Lebar Airbase
- Singaporean Americans
- Foreign relations of the United States
- Foreign relations of Singapore
Notes
- Also serves as the regional consular service for eastern Canada after the closure of Singapore's consulate in Toronto.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.
- U.S. Global Leadership Project Report - 2011 Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine Gallup
- ^ U.S. State Dept. 2011
- ^ U.S. State Dept. 2009
- ^ Crossette, Barbara (1988-05-08), "Singapore Asks Removal of U.S. Envoy", The New York Times, retrieved 2010-03-03
- Rogers 2002, p. 131 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFRogers2002 (help)
- American Ambassador to Azerbaijan Anne E. Derse, USAID, 2007-07-06, archived from the original on 2009-05-17, retrieved 2010-03-03
- ^ Bellows 1989
- ^ "Hendrickson affair angers local leaders", New Sunday Times, 1988-05-10, retrieved 2010-03-11
- ^ Conboy 1989
- "What Lee said in 1964", The Economist, 1988-05-14, archived from the original on 2012-11-05, retrieved 2011-03-17
- "Singapore: Thousands Protest Expulsion", Eugene Register Guard, 1988-05-12, retrieved 2010-03-03
- "Free Trade Agreements | Enterprise Singapore". www.enterprisesg.gov.sg. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
- "Free Trade Agreements | Enterprise Singapore". www.enterprisesg.gov.sg. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
- "Trump says US-North Korea summit 'can work out very nicely', thanks PM Lee for hospitality".
- Lee, Yen Nee (June 8, 2018). "White House explains why it chose Singapore to host summit with North Korea". CNBC. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- "Joint Statement of President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at the Singapore Summit". The White House. June 12, 2018. Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
- "The Straits Times - Singapore-US ties 'very, very strong': Obama". Government of Singapore. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
- Brabenec, James (2010-11-24), "Singaporeans get HIMARS qualified.", GlobalSecurity.org, retrieved 2011-03-17
- Tomkins, Damien (8 June 2011), "US Reaffirms Asia Role", The Diplomat, retrieved 2011-09-05
- Yong, Charissa (2019-09-24). "PM Lee, Trump renew key defence pact on US use of Singapore air, naval bases". the Straits Times. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
- "Singaporean student numbers at US varsities hit 10-year high". Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- "Channel Newsasia". Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee, Washington, D.C.: Singapore Embassy, archived from the original on 2010-01-08, retrieved 2010-03-12
- Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee, Washington, D.C.: Singapore Embassy, archived from the original on 2010-01-08, retrieved 2010-03-12
- Kirk Wagar, archived from the original on 2016-12-20, retrieved 2016-12-16
- Bittersweet farewell for US ambassador to Singapore Kirk Wagar, hours before Trump's inauguration Archived 2017-04-11 at the Wayback Machine. MSN. 2017-01-20. Retrieved 2017-04-10.
- McFarland reportedly offered Singapore ambassador post. The Hill. 2017-04-01. Retrieved 2014-04-10.
- "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Personnel to Key Administration Posts". The White House. Washington DC. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
- ^ "Sister Cities". U.S. Embassy in Singapore. Archived from the original on 26 June 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
Further reading
- Bellows, Thomas J. (February 1989), "Singapore in 1988: The Transition Moves Forward", Asian Survey, 29 (2): 145–153, doi:10.1525/as.1989.29.2.01p0242q, JSTOR 2644574
- Chua, Daniel Wei Boon, "Becoming a `Good Nixon Doctrine Country': Political Relations between the United States and Singapore during the Nixon Presidency," Australian Journal of Politics and History 60 (Dec. 2014), 534-48.
- Conboy, Kenneth J. (January 1989), "Opportunities for Bush to Bolster the U.S.-Singapore Relationship" (PDF), Asian Studies Backgrounder, 86, retrieved 2010-03-03
- Background Note: Singapore, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of State, September 2009, retrieved 2010-03-11
- "Singapore", A guide to the United States' history of recognition, diplomatic, and consular relations, by country, since 1776, Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State, 2011, retrieved 2011-09-05
External links
Library resources aboutSingapore–United States relations
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