Ex-US President Bill Clinton meets PM Wong on S'pore visit

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and the 42nd U.S. President, Bill Clinton, met on the morning of May 21 for an “insightful exchange on global and regional developments”.

Former Prime Minister and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong was also present at the meeting, as seen in a photograph with PM Wong and Clinton in PM Wong’s Facebook post.

Strong ties

In his post, PM Wong thanked Clinton for supporting U.S.-Singapore relations during his time in office.

“He worked closely with then-PM Goh Chok Tong to lay the groundwork for the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement — a landmark deal that set the gold standard for future FTAs and remains a pillar of our bilateral ties.”

While the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement was signed in 2003 under the George W. Bush administration, it was under Clinton’s presidency that the two nations decided to start negotiations in 2000.

“Singapore and the US continue to share many areas of strategic cooperation. We look forward to deepening this partnership in the years ahead,” PM Wong wrote.

The Straits Times reported that Clinton’s last official visit to Singapore was in 2015, during which he led a high-level White House Delegation to attend founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's funeral.

Not his only stop in Asia

Clinton was also spotted sightseeing in Seoul, Korea, less than a week ago.

According to The Korea Times, photos and videos of him circulated on social media, reportedly showing the former U.S. president visiting popular tourist destinations in the Korean capital on May 18.

The Clinton Foundation did not share information on his visit to Korea on any official channels, nor was there an official schedule organised by Seoul’s foreign ministry in connection with Clinton’s visit, according to a ministry official.

Top image via Lawrence Wong/Facebook