With the United States celebrating its 250th year of independence, its embassy here is calling for «financial contributions» from Singaporean businesses for the July 4 festivities. In a letter dated Jan 8, Ambassador Anjani Sinha wrote that the milestone is «a major White House priority», coinciding with 60 years of diplomatic relations between the US and Singapore. «Your partnership and financial contributions will help us honour the history we are proud to share and inspire us to look to future opportunities,» he said.«We are encouraging our partners to consider substantially larger gifts than in previous years in support of our 250th anniversary.»The letter was sent to members of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Singapore, which represents some 700 member companies, including American firms and global companies with US business interests. Responding to media queries, the US Embassy in Singapore said the practice of soliciting funds is in line with the practices of every American embassy worldwide. Read more