Obama to host PM Lee to White house state dinner

Singapore

PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong will head to the United States in August in what will be his third trip to the world's largest economy this year.

He has accepted an invitation from US President Barack Obama to make an official visit to Washington, the highlight being a state dinner at the White House on Aug 2.

A state dinner honouring a visiting head of government or reigning monarch is a black tie function and one of the grandest and most glamorous of White House affairs.

This will be the first official visit by a Singapore Prime Minister in 31 years - the late Lee Kuan Yew was the last to do so in 1985 - and it takes place on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Sing…