Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Charms Singaporeans During Visit
Justin Trudeau is definitely one of the most famous PMs in the world.
So it’s no surprise that social media went crazy during his first official visit to Singapore last week.
The hype isn’t anything new. Mr Trudeau becomes an online sensation in every country he visits. And a lot more people have wanted to move to Canada since the beginning of his term.
But how did he recently win the hearts of many Singaporeans? Many are still hung up on him and if you need a recap, here’s everything he’s done in his short visit:
1. He has Singaporean connections
In a post, NParks mentioned that Mr Trudeau went to Fort Canning to pay tribute to his great-great-great-great-grandmother, Mrs Esther Bernard.
She was the daughter of Major William Farquhar who was the right-hand man of Raffles. Her husband Francis James Bernard then became the police force’s founder in 1820.
That said, the Singapore Police Force seems to be a fan of Mr Trudeau too.
2. He’s very charismatic
Mr Trudeau’s charm is legendary.
Say what you will about his policies and beliefs, but you gotta admit that he’s really, really charismatic.
The world loves him, and netizens seem to agree.
3. He has a genuine interest in hawker centres
We’re so proud of our hawker culture that we’re seeking UNESCO recognition.
Mr Trudeau probably wanted to see what the hype was all about, so he dropped by Adam Road Food Centre for some lime juice. He charmed young and old alike, and spectators described him as “nice” and “friendly” after the short encounter.
Lucky Singaporeans didn’t miss the chance to achieve their #selfiegoals, when Mr Trudeau offered to take photos with them.
4. He’s opening doors for collaboration between Canadian and Singapore FinTech firms
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard that FinTech (financial technology) is the future.
You may or may not know anything about blockchain and cryptocurrencies, but understand that Mr Trudeau wants Singaporean and Canadian FinTech firms to work together.
In fact, he went the extra mile and attended the Singapore FinTech Festival on Thursday (15 Nov).
5. He’s building bridges with the next generation of Singaporeans
Mr Trudeau charmed NUS students at his dialogue session about Canada and Asia in a changing world. He talked about trade deals, environmental interests, opportunities for SMEs among other topics.
And it seems that many students are super excited for Singapore and Canada’s collaborative future if Mr Trudeau is a part of it.
6. He’s building relationships with Singapore’s power players in tech
Singapore and Canada are both tech leaders, so of course Mr Trudeau didn’t waste any time to build relationships with the country’s power players.
On Wednesday (14 Nov), he had a meeting with Temasek President Song Hwee Chia about AI.
He also met ST Engineering CEO Vincent Chong to have a discussion on “smart cities”. For starters, the term “smart cities” is connected to ASEAN’s goal for smart and sustainable urban development in its 10 member states.
While Canada isn’t a member of the ASEAN, it seems that Singapore’s tech industry will enjoy a bright future in Canada.
And Mr Trudeau didn’t forget about the gaming and esports industry.
Min-Liang Tan, the CEO of gaming hardware giant Razer, reportedly “had a blast” with the Canadian PM.
Looking forward to the future
It’s pretty obvious that Mr Trudeau wants Canada to collaborate with Singapore.
He’s built bridges with Singapore’s tech leaders, politicians, business leaders, as well as locals from all-ages. So it’s no surprise that a lot of people are signing up for the Justin Trudeau fan club.
And while we can’t predict the future, we can believe that Singapore and Canada will have a good relationship in the years to come.
Featured image from Facebook
