PM Lee shook hands with Trump at least 6 times in a day, got better over time

Practice makes perfect.

Martino Tan | October 25, 2017, 06:00 PM

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is on an official working visit to Washington DC at the invitation of US President Donald Trump.

The whirlwind six-day work trip -- inclusive of the many hours flight to Washington and back -- looks to be a fruitful one.

We got Trump to say nice things about us, and he called the late Lee Kuan Yew "a great man, he really was a great man", and he now knows more about Singapore.

Moreover, in the joint statement by Singapore and the United States, Trump offered his full support for Singapore’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2018 and "warmly accepted" PM Lee's invitation to visit Singapore next year.

More importantly, PM Lee had much interaction with President Trump, culminating in at least six handshakes with the Donald.

Here's a look at the handshakes:

1. PM Lee arrived at the White House at around noon, US time on Monday, Oct. 22, where he was welcomed by President Donald Trump.

President Trump (L) welcomes PM Lee to the White House October 23, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

This is PM Lee's first visit to the White House under the Trump Administration.

Verdict: Strong handshake

2. The Oval Office bilateral meeting

PM Lee and Trump delivered brief remarks at the start of their bilateral meeting.

President Donald Trump (R) welcomes PM Lee (L) to the Oval Office before a series of meetings between the two at the White House October 23, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo-Pool/Getty Images)

During Trump's brief remarks, he praised PM Lee as a "highly respected man" and said that "you never even see a downturn in Singapore".

Trump also said that the bilateral relationship between US and Singapore had been "very good" but it has "never been closer than now".

In response, PM Lee said that he was very happy to be with Trump and to be here at a time when "our relations are prospering".

Verdict: Weak handshake

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3. SIA-Boeing Deal at the White House

At the White House meeting, both Trump and PM Lee witnessed Singapore Airlines (SIA) signing a US$13.8 billion deal with Boeing.

President Trump and PM Lee shake hands as SIA CEO Goh Choon Phong (L) watches Boeing's commercial airplanes CEO Kevin McAllister (R) shake hands at a Certificate of Purchase in the Oval Office Photo by Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

The deal includes 20 Boeing 777-9 model aircraft and 19 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners.

Verdict: Weak handshake

4. Working lunch with US President Donald Trump, Cabinet Secretaries and key White House officials

Source: PMO website.

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Trump: Thank you very much. It's a great honor to have Prime Minister Lee of Singapore with us and his representatives at the highest level. We have just signed an order with Boeing for almost US$14 billion worth of airplanes. We do a lot of business with Singapore. The relationship now is at its highest point and it will continue. So, Mr Prime Minister, thank you very much. It is an honor to have you in the White House.

PM Lee: Well, thank you very much for inviting me and my delegation. We have a very good relationship with the United States and we hope to take it forward further. And I am very happy at the deal between Singapore Airlines and Boeing. SIA is not a bad airline, and they try their best to buy the best aeroplanes, and I am quite sure they have made a good decision.

Trump: That is because they buy Boeing, right? That is great. Thank you very much.

Verdict: No handshake

5. Joint Press Conference at Rose Garden at the White House

President Trump shakes hands with PM Lee in the Rose Garden at the White House, October 23, 2017. Getty Images

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

You can read more about the press conference here.

Verdict: Three handshakes. All strong and firm.

From our observations, PM Lee shook hands with President Trump six times.

In terms of firm handshakes, he scored four out of six, which roughly translates to 66.6 percent.

Great. 66.6 percent is also the 2006 election result for the ruling party when PM Lee led the PAP in his first GE as the PM and Secretary-General.

For the record, PM Lee is left-handed.

He might score seven out of six if he shook hands with his master hand.

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