SIIA Director Nicholas Fang was quoted by TODAY on Singapore’s ‘orchid diplomacy’ and the Trump-Kim summit. Here’s an excerpt from the article.
SINGAPORE — Heads of state, royalty and celebrities who visit Singapore often leave with a specially grown orchid, the national flower of the wealthy city-state, named after them.
Botanists, media and analysts are curious to learn if Singapore will extend its “orchid diplomacy” to United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un when they arrive on the island for Tuesday’s historic talks.
Mr Nicholas Fang, director of security and global affairs at think tank the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said the host country might well do this on the sidelines of the event, as a gesture of goodwill and friendship.
“This kind of soft diplomacy is something that is uniquely Singaporean,” said Mr Fang. “Whether it will be one orchid for each of the leaders or one that marks the joint nature of the summit, we will have to wait and see.”
Full Article: Will Singapore’s ‘orchid diplomacy’ extend to Trump-Kim summit? [TODAY, 6 June 2018]
