Back from a bipartisan Congressional trip to Singapore, Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) is urging deeper U.S.-Singapore relations and engagement. Last week, Larsen traveled to Singapore as part of a U.S. delegation led by Democratic Rep. Denny Heck (WA-10) and Republican Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01) aimed at forging stronger economic and diplomatic ties between the United States and Singapore.

“Washington state stands to benefit from a strong relationship between the United States and Singapore,” said Larsen, co-Chair of the U.S.-China Working Group. “The main goal for me was to expand on my past engagement in the Asia-Pacific by visiting the one country that is at the actual crossroads of the region. My takeaway is clear: the U.S. needs to show up for Singapore in all ways – not just militarily.”

See photos of Larsen’s trip to Singapore at https://twitter.com/RickonAP

In terms of dollar value, Singapore is among the top 25 countries that purchase goods from Washington state businesses – which exported more than $6.3 billion to Singapore between 2012-2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The U.S. Congressional delegation met with political, military, and business leaders in Singapore, including:

·         Minister for Home Affairs and Law, K. Shanmugam

·         Minister for Defence, Dr. Ng Eng Hen

·         Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan

·         Minister for Trade and Industry, Lim Hng Kiang

·         American Chamber of Commerce and U.S.-ASEAN Business Council

Larsen cofounded the U.S.–China working group with former Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL). While Larsen has traveled to China numerous times, this was his first time trip to Singapore and Southeast Asia.

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