Trump met Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday at the city-state’s presidential palace Istana, where they were expected to discuss everything from summit preparations to the US’s tariff threats. The meeting was Trump’s only scheduled public event as White House officials prepared for the critical meeting on Tuesday with Kim.

While the summit reaffirms the US’s close ties with Singapore — long one of America’s best partners in South Asia — local officials have in recent weeks criticized Trump’s efforts to reverse what he says are unfair trade practices. Earlier this month, Singapore’s defence minister said the US trade threats were as disruptive to the global order as China’s military deployments in the disputed South China Sea.

Trump was joined at the meeting with Lee by US officials including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and National Security Adviser John Bolton.

Singapore is hosting this year’s meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which has seen the US and China jockey for diplomatic influence in recent weeks. The nation also has repaired ties with China after a setback in late 2016, a shift reinforced by Lee’s visit to Beijing in April.

The Trump-Kim summit is expected to cost about S$20 million ($15 million), Lee told Singaporean media on Sunday, with security costs representing about half the total.