Singapore: Impressions and opportunities from the US-North Korea summit
(Baonghean.vn) - The US-North Korea summit of the century took place in a friendly, equal, and safe atmosphere. To achieve such success, it is undeniable that the important role of the host country Singapore was played, as this lion island nation made every effort to create the most favorable and convenient conditions to ensure that this historic conference was not missed.
Make a strong impression
It is no coincidence that both the US and North Korea agreed to choose Singapore as the venue for the first summit in history between President Donald Trump and Leader Kim Jong-un.
Singapore - one of the few countries in the world that has diplomatic relations with both Washington and Pyongyang. Singapore is known as a progressive country in Asia, with a modern infrastructure system, a transparent and effective government.
With a population of 5.6 million, the Lion City has plenty of experience hosting important summits. In 2015, it was chosen to host a landmark meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and then Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou.
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| Leader Kim Jong-un thanked Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for Singapore's support in hosting the US-North Korea summit. Photo: Reuters |
During the preparation for the summit, Singapore demonstrated its ability to organize quickly and closely liaise with US and North Korean officials. It is estimated that Singapore had to spend about 20 million USD to ensure security and meet other needs for the US-North Korea summit.
This is not a small expense, but Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong affirmed that the country is willing to pay and is Singapore's contribution to international efforts.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US Secretary of Defense James Mattis thanked Singapore for its hosting efforts during recent meetings with their counterparts.
Meanwhile, Singapore's Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said officials from both North Korea and the US commented that without Singapore's support, preparations for the summit would "not have made such significant progress."
Speaking at a meeting with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, leader Kim Jong-un thanked Singapore for its meticulous preparations: "The whole world is watching the historic meeting between North Korea and the United States, but thanks to Singapore's thorough preparations, we were able to complete the preparations for the historic meeting. I sincerely thank you for that."
Golden opportunity
As a country with a neutral, clear and transparent stance, trusted by both countries to host a particularly important event, Singapore not only has the opportunity to "write its name in history", but also has the opportunity to promote the country on the world map.
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| Sentosa Island seen from above. Photo: CNA |
The world has been focused on the Southeast Asian island nation in anticipation of the historic meeting. In recent days, images of Sentosa Island and the Capella Hotel, where the US-North Korea summit will take place, have been splashed across the front pages of numerous newspapers and news reports on popular television channels.
Like previous high-level meetings that Singapore has hosted such as the Shangri-La Dialogue or the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, this US-North Korea summit will enhance Singapore's reputation as the safest, most ideal destination in the world, and a must-see for meetings, thereby attracting more foreign companies to set up headquarters in Singapore.
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| Singapore's Capella Hotel. Photo: Getty |
Hotel experts say this is an invaluable opportunity for Singapore to enhance its valuable image in the eyes of the international community.
Experts also believe that this conference will bring certain benefits to Sentosa Island - which is seen and promoted as a tourist and relaxation destination.
Sentosa is a tropical island. In terms of image, visitors will see the lush green scenery of this island. Although Sentosa is mainly known as a tourist and family entertainment destination, through this summit, people will know Sentosa as a great place to hold meetings and events.
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| US-North Korea summit-themed drinks at a bar in Singapore. Photo: Reuters. |
Not only that, the great interest that the whole world has shown in the summit has also stirred up the entrepreneurial spirit of Singaporeans. From US-North Korea summit-themed sandwiches to “World Peace” badges and “Peace from the Lion City” T-shirts, Singaporeans have come up with many ways to make money from this historic meeting.
On June 12, the whole world turned to Singapore to watch a historic event and the success of the US-North Korea summit also opened up the opportunity to host many more major events in the future.
Panorama of the “encounter” between President Trump and leader Kim Jong-un
(Baonghean.vn) - President Trump and leader Kim Jong-un met and shook hands, starting the historic summit on the morning of June 12 in Singapore.
