Featured Image: Paolo V/CC BY 2.0/Edited for size
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has confirmed and defended the move by his government to provide singer Taylor Swift with an incentive to make the city-state her only stop in south-east Asia.
Swift is currently halfway through playing six sold-out shows at Singapore’s National Stadium, before taking a break prior to embarking on the European leg of her Eras Tour in May.
According to reports, Lee told a press conference in Melbourne – where he was attending a regional summit – that Singapore’s agencies “negotiated an arrangement with her to come to Singapore and perform and to make Singapore her only stop in south-east Asia”.
The Prime Minister added: “It has turned out to be a very successful arrangement. I don’t see that as being unfriendly.”
The admission comes after Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said promoter AEG had informed him that Singapore’s government had offered subsidies of between US$2-$3m (£1.6m-£2.4m).
Lee added: “Sometimes one country makes a deal, sometimes another country does. I don’t explicitly say ‘you will come here only on condition that you’ll not go to other places’.”
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