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Former Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew has been appointed as Singapore's next Ambassador to the United States.

Letters of credence

Lui was presented with a letter of credence, making him Singapore's Ambassador-designate to the United States.

Lui was Singapore's ambassador to China between 2019 and 2023, and was ambassador to Japan from 2017 to 2019.

Lui is perhaps best known for being Minister of Transport between 2011 to 2015, but was also Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, and was Minister for Information, Communication and the Arts from 2009 to 2011.

He stepped down in 2015, after having caught a significant amount of flak during his tenure as Transport Minister following disruptions on MRT lines.

Still, he was well thought of by public transport enthusiasts, who credited him as a good listener and for being open minded.

Before he joined politics, Lui was Chief of Navy, before becoming CEO of the Housing and Development Board.

Tension

Singapore continues to maintain good relations with both the US and China, despite rising tensions between the two global powers.

This tension sometimes spills out into Singapore-held events, most recently a refusal from China's Minister of National Defence to meet his U.S. counterpart at the upcoming IISS Shangri La Dialogue.

In Tokyo, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong spoke about the implications of U.S.-China relations on Singapore and the region at the recent Nikkei forum on the Future of Asia, saying that both powers saw the each other as "strategic dangers" and that "between the U.S. and China there is deep mutual suspicion and fundamental mistrust".

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong recently described the troubled global situation was "unprecedented".

Lui's working knowledge of China therefore might be useful in his new role.

New appointments

Lui replaces outgoing Ambassador Ashok Kumar Mirpuri, who served as Singapore's Ambassador to the U.S. since 2012.

Lui was replaced by Peter Tan Hai Chuan, a 32 year veteran of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as Ambassador to China.

Tan, like Lui was previously Ambassador to Japan, having served in that role from 2019 to 2023.

Also presented with letters of credence were Singapore's new Ambassador to Japan, Ong Eng Chuan; and the next Ambassador to the Philippines, Constance See.

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Top image via Ministry of Communication and Information, Singapore