Have you heard?

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was invited by US President Barack Obama to a state dinner at the White House on Aug 2.

And PM Lee just announced this morning on Facebook that he has accepted the invitation.

US Ambassador to Singapore Kirk Wagar told Mothership.sg that the State Dinner is "one of the highest honors that a sitting US President can confer on another head of government".

Wagar also highlighted the importance of the bilateral relations, noting that "President Obama will be listening closely to what PM Lee has to say, as the combination of strong economic growth and dynamic leadership – as well as our close partnership -- has given Singapore a weight in international affairs that far exceeds its size.”

What's the big deal for Singapore, you may ask?

As Vice-President Joe Biden would have said it, it is a rather big deal.

Here are a few reasons why the White House State Dinner is a pretty significant thing: 

1. The US and then President Ronald Reagan hosted its last state dinner for Singapore in 1985, nearly 31 years ago. It was attended by the late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

2. It is the first ASEAN state dinner in over a decade.

3. As Straits Times noted, President Obama has hosted the leaders of only four Asian countries – China (twice), Japan, South Korea and India. Which means Singapore is the fifth Asian country to be invited by the Obama administration.

4. The Obama administration has only hosted 11 state dinners. In fact, the most recent state dinner was hosted for five Scandinavian countries. Singapore now has one state dinner on its own.

So why is Obama hosting a state dinner for PM Lee? 

It will be the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and the United States.

This is the full statement by the Press Secretary of the White House by the way:

"President Obama will host Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore at the White House for an official visit and State Dinner on August 2. The two leaders will celebrate the bilateral relationship between Singapore and the United States that has served as an anchor for the U.S. rebalance to Asia. Marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the two leaders will highlight the enduring principles that have inspired the tremendous growth in our cooperation, which has attracted more than 3,500 U.S. companies to establish a presence in Singapore, forged strong security ties between our militaries, and led to increased exchanges of college students. As partners in the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, the Counter-ISIL coalition, and the Paris Climate agreement, the two leaders will discuss how our relationship can continue to address international challenges and advance a rules-based order for the Asia-Pacific".

Or maybe PM Lee is really BFFs with Obama.

Long-time Obama observer and Atlantic national correspondent, Jeffrey Goldberg, rated PM Lee highly in his March 18 analysis of President's relationship with other world leaders.

From warm (pink) to ice-cold (blue), PM Lee is considered by Goldberg to be pink (PM Lee's favourite shirt colour), just behind Pope Francis and German chancellor Angela Merkel and ahead of Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe.

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Top photo from Lee Hsien Loong's Facebook page.

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