AUGUST 7 — So PM Lee Hsien Loong, his wife Ho Ching and a rather large Singapore delegation including quite a few senior ministers enjoyed what appears to have been a very delicious dinner at the White House, in the eloquent company of US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle.

More than just an excuse to gobble some tasty Maryland Blue crabs, the dinner was actually a rather significant event. A full state dinner at the White House is held in honour of a visiting head of state but not every visiting leader is extended the privilege, far from it.

The Obama administration has hosted just 12 such events over its 10 years, so the fact that our diminutive nation should be extended such an invitation is an honour.

The meeting of our leaders at such a high and intimate level indicates that US-Singapore relations are on a high — which is a good thing.

While bashing the US for its hypocrisy and hegemonist tendencies is de rigueur for columnists and every sort of armchair intellectual in this part of the world, we mustn’t forget that the US has been a strategic partner for Singapore since the birth of our nation.

The US is one of our largest trading partners and is the largest source of foreign investment in our nation — billions of US dollars flow into our stocks and shares. The US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (USSFTA) ratified in 2004 was the first between the US and an Asian country and since then, trade ties have only strengthened.

In fact that’s probably why our national leaders snagged their sought-after invite — because little Singapore is among the US’ top 20 trade partners and destinations for investment.

We are the top destination for US exports in South and South-east Asia — that’s right, with five million people we import more US goods than Indonesia with 200 million people or India with 1 billion! — so we surely deserve a good dinner.

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama welcome Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife Ho Ching to the White House in Washington US, August 2, 2016. — Reuters pic

Of course it’s not just dollars and cents, the strategic partnership between the US and our defence and education sectors is vital in terms of our security and development.

Also where would we be without Coca Cola? McDonalds and our other American friends? Again that’s no joke over 2,000 US companies have regional headquarters in Singapore and this employs no small amount of Singaporeans.

The bottom line being the US is very important to Singapore and unlike relations either with Malaysia, China and Indonesia which tend to fluctuate, the US — with the exception of the Hendrickson incident — has been an anchor partner and this genuinely strengthens Singapore.

While the rise of China has been spectacular, the US remains considerably more wealthy and powerful than the middle kingdom, its GDP stands at 18 trillion dollars as opposed to China’s 11 trillion and together with its various global allies the US’ influence and reach is completely unmatched.

The US capacity for innovation remains outstanding; even as traditional manufacturing declined, a trillion dollar IT industry emerged in Southern California and from jet engines to iPhones the world still relies on US products.

Anyone prophesying the decline of arguably the most powerful nation in history is somewhat misguided. The home of the vast majority of the world’s best universities, the world’s largest corporations and the almighty dollar is not about to just fade away.

And Singapore will benefit from the US’ longevity, the Trans Pacific Partnership which is intended to increase the US’ economic influence across Asia and the Pacific will allow agile Singaporean companies access to markets in Asia and North America and it couldn’t be better timed for us as a trading nation dealing with a slowdown in China’s global growth engine.

While we punch above our weight, this is a small country reliant on other economies yet we can’t let our friendships be one-sided. Singapore has a deep interest in the US and we need to be able to tell our US partners directly when their actions have negative consequences for us, the wider region and the world.

No relationship is truly unconditional. Singapore in the past very bravely demonstrated this when it expelled US diplomat Mason Hendrickson for, allegedly, interfering in domestic affairs.

Whether that move was sound or not — we do need to be able to talk back to America. And that is the challenge confronting all those at that dinner and their successors.

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.