Obama and Lee celebrate half century of U.S.-Singapore relations

President Barack Obama on Tuesday welcomed Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to the White House to celebrate a half century of bilateral relations and give a push to the TransPacific Partnership, or TPP, a multinational trade agreement.

Obama and first lady Michelle Obama received Lee and his wife, Ho Ching, with honors on the lawn of the White House, where they will host a state dinner for their guests on Tuesday evening.

This is the first official visit by a Singaporean head of government to the United States in almost 30 years, Obama said.

“Singapore is an anchor for the U.S. presence in the (AsianPacific) region. We reaffirmed our shared commitment to building a regional order where all nations play by the same rules and disputes are resolved peacefully, including in the South China Sea,” Obama said.

Lee expressed hope that the U.S. Congress would soon ratify the TPP, a trade agreement opposed by both candidates vying to succeed Obama, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton.

“Apart from the economic benefits trade, market access, standards setting it (the ratification of TPP) is also vital from a strategic point of view, and a strong signal of the U.S. commitment to continue its deep engagement in the region,” the prime minister said.

In an interview published Monday by The Straits Times, Singapore’s oldest newspaper, Obama said he “remains committed” to the TPP because “it is a good agreement for the United States, for the region and for the world.”

“I’ll continue making the case for TPP, and I’m optimistic that the United States Congress will ultimately support this landmark agreement,” Obama said.

After the welcoming ceremony, Obama and Lee met in the Oval Office.

The two leaders are scheduled to hold a joint press conference following the meeting.