MUMBAI: Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has defended his government's decision to offer an incentive to Taylor Swift, ensuring that Singapore would be the sole destination in Southeast Asia for her world tour, asserting that it was not intended to be hostile towards neighboring countries.

Lee revealed during a press conference in Melbourne, where he is attending a regional summit, that government agencies negotiated an agreement with Swift for her exclusive performance in Singapore, which has proven to be highly successful.

Currently, Swift is halfway through her six sold-out shows in Singapore. Last month, Thailand's Prime Minister claimed that concert promoter AEG had informed him about the Singaporean government's subsidies of US$2 million to $3 million (£1.6 million to £2.4 million) per show as part of an exclusivity deal. While Singapore's government had previously announced providing a grant to Swift for her performance in the city-state without disclosing the deal's specifics, Lee confirmed on Tuesday that Swift received "certain incentives" from a government fund established to revive tourism after the pandemic, without divulging the exact cost.

Some Southeast Asian neighbors have expressed discontent over the alleged deprivation of the tourism boost that Swift's concerts bring. Last month, a Filipino lawmaker criticized the arrangement, stating that it isn't what good neighbors do. When asked if there were any tensions among other leaders due to the arrangement, Lee did not provide a direct response but suggested that if Singapore hadn't secured an exclusive deal, a neighboring country might have done so.

Swift's representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press news agency. Lee mentioned that he anticipated Australia had made similarly mutually beneficial arrangements with Swift for her performances in Sydney and Melbourne before flying to Singapore, although he was unaware of the specifics.

Lee emphasized that if such arrangements are necessary to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes and promote economic growth and goodwill in the region from Singapore's perspective, he sees no reason to object. Many of Swift's fans across Southeast Asia expressed disappointment when it was announced last year that she would skip most of the region and only perform in Singapore during her Eras tour. Even for those who could afford to travel to see her, obtaining tickets was challenging.