US ambassador to Singapore’s ‘substantially larger gifts’ call to mark July 4 rankles

The US ambassador to Singapore, Anjani Sinha, has come under fire in the city state for asking businesses to make “substantially larger” financial contributions as his embassy plans for its July 4 celebrations, despite such fundraising being a standard annual practice of Washington’s diplomats.Observers told This Week in Asia that while soliciting businesses for contributions was not new, it was the language used by the ambassador that drew outrage amid Washington’s more transactional foreign policy.In a letter circulating online that was signed by Sinha, an orthopaedic surgeon, the ambassador invited business partners to support festivities as America prepares to commemorate 250 years of independence on July 4. In April, Singapore and the US will also celebrate 60 years of diplomatic ties.Sinha, who was selected for the role by President Donald Trump, wrote that throughout the year, the embassy planned to celebrate these milestones with friends in Singapore to honour the partnership between the two nations.He called celebrating the 250-year milestone “a major White House priority and Singapore’s celebration is part of that broader effort”, and that the celebration would depend on the generosity of American and Singaporean businesses.“Your partnership and financial contributions will help us honour the history we are proud to share and inspire us to look to future opportunities. Given the unique historical significance of this year, we are encouraging our partners to consider substantially larger gifts than in previous years in support of our 250th anniversary,” Sinha wrote.