【By Chen Sijia, Observer】US President Trump is about to make his "unprecedented" second state visit to the UK, as the British government has made ample preparations to consolidate the relationship between the UK and the US. On the local time of 17th, King Charles III, Prince William, and over 1500 soldiers will hold a welcome ceremony at Windsor Castle to greet Trump with solemn etiquette.
"King Charles laid out a red carpet to show favor to Trump," reported the Wall Street Journal on September 15. As the UK's economic and military strength continues to decline, the royal family's soft power has become the "ace" that the British government relies on. In the current situation where the "special relationship" between the UK and the US is becoming increasingly imbalanced, the UK urgently needs to use the royal hospitality to maintain the goodwill of American leaders.
Photo: Trump during his state visit to the UK in 2019, Visual China
Some analysts also pointed out that the popularity of UK Prime Minister Starmer is declining, and his Labour government hopes to seize this opportunity to seek steel tariff exemptions, expand cooperation with the US in trade, technology, financial services, and other areas, thus promoting Starmer's growth agenda. However, UK officials have also admitted that Trump has not made any guarantees on this.
However, a recent survey by Ipsos showed that more and more British citizens are questioning the "special relationship" established between the UK and the US after World War II, with only about 36% of respondents believing that there is a "special relationship" between the two countries. A former British diplomat admitted that the UK and the US have already experienced fundamental differences in values and policies, saying, "The differences are deeper than at any time since World War II."
British royal sources are also concerned that using the monarchy's name may involve overstepping risks, because it amounts to requiring people who must remain politically neutral to represent the government in executing a political action. Another British diplomat expressed concern that even if the whole process goes smoothly, how much effect it can have remains unknown, "Is it too early to play this card now, when Trump is in the early stages of his administration? How can we perform it again?"
The UK's continuous decline in strength, and the royal family as Britain's last brand
According to tradition, after a US president's first state visit to the UK, if he visits the UK again, he usually only has tea or lunch with the British monarch. But Trump broke this tradition, following his first visit to the UK in 2019, he is about to make his second state visit to the UK this week, becoming the first US president to make two state visits to the UK.
Trump and his wife Melania will visit the UK from September 16 to 18. The Wall Street Journal said that the British royal family has arranged a grand welcome ceremony for the US leader, including firing salutes, horse-drawn carriage parades, military band performances, and a state banquet. The British "Red Arrows" aerobatic team and F-35 fighter jets from both the UK and the US will also perform flight displays.
The BBC said that King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate will welcome the Trump couple at Windsor Castle. Trump will also visit the tomb of the late British Queen Elizabeth II and present a wreath. After meeting with the British royal family, Trump will go to Chequers to meet with Starmer.
A British government source revealed that this visit will focus on visual presentation, historical moments, and grandeur, "For Trump, everything is for television, and this is a perfect TV picture." Another source said, "This is drama, this is performance, and it's not that we will do substantial work. We flatter the most powerful person in the world, and there is a reason for it."
September 15, Windsor, UK, British and American flags lined up side by side, Visual China
The meticulously prepared ceremonies by the UK government have apparently had some effect. On the 14th, Trump spoke excitedly about his upcoming visit to the UK during an interview with the media. Trump boasted that he was "making history," "They've never done this before, I'm the first one to be honored twice. This will be very exciting."
The Wall Street Journal pointed out that so far, the UK government has been using Trump's "preference" for the UK to secure better treatment in the tariff war and to conclude a trade agreement with lower tariff rates than most countries. Starmer hopes that the grand ceremony of the royal family will "soften" Trump's attitude, paving the way for issues such as steel tariffs and US security support for Europe in the meeting on the 18th.
Lewis Lukens, a former U.S. diplomat who served in the U.S. Embassy in the UK, said: "Starmer has effectively used the British monarchy as a diplomatic tool, which may help him avoid being criticized by Trump on social media or facing higher tariffs in trade disputes. Trump indeed has a special fondness for the UK and its monarchy."
The article said that over the past century, the British royal family has transformed into a diplomatic identity, from a ruler of a vast empire to a diplomatic envoy. With the UK's continued decline in economic and military strength, the royal family's soft power has become a "ace" that the British government relies on, they urgently need to use the royal hospitality to maintain the goodwill of American leaders towards the UK.
Trump is very friendly to the British royal family, he made Charles a honorary member of Mar-a-Lago Club in the 1990s, and has repeatedly publicly expressed respect for Queen Elizabeth II. Last year, Trump met with Prince William in Paris and praised his appearance enthusiastically.
However, the historical ties between the United States and the United Kingdom have also brought some embarrassing issues to British royal diplomacy. Next year marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, and the American Revolutionary War was against the rule of the British monarch.
Charles and Trump also have a series of political differences. The British monarch is also the king of Canada, but Trump has repeatedly threatened to "annex Canada" after taking office, causing strong dissatisfaction in Canada. Charles supports Ukraine, but Trump seeks to restore relations with Russia. Charles supports environmental causes, which is diametrically opposed to Trump's environmental policies.
Some analysts believe that the key issue now is whether Trump will reciprocate the royal family's hospitality and invite Charles to make a state visit to the United States.
Protesters plan to hold demonstrations, and the UK police are on high alert
Although the UK government has been preparing for Trump's visit for several months, the British public seems to have a skeptical attitude towards the future of the UK-US relationship. The Independent reported on the 16th that a recent survey by Ipsos showed that 61% of Britons said they dislike Trump.
The survey shows that the opposition rate to this state visit has decreased from 44% in March to 34%, with about half of the respondents supporting Trump's visit to the UK, and only one-third supporting protests against Trump.
Gideon Skinner, senior director of Ipsos UK, said that the British public holds a negative attitude toward Trump, but compared to the lowest point after Trump introduced his tariff policy earlier this year, "there has been some recovery in opinions."
However, the British group "Stop Trump Alliance" has planned a "Trump Is Not Welcome" demonstration in London on the 17th, accusing Trump of "opening the door to global fascism" and claiming that this visit "will further drag the UK into the abyss."
The Independent said that thousands of people across the UK are expected to hold demonstrations to protest Trump's visit. To avoid protests interfering with the visit, the London police will take a "major police operation." Thames Valley Police said that during Trump's stay in Windsor, armed police will patrol the streets and be ready with emergency vehicles to deal with security threats.
Daniel Hatfield, commander of the firearms unit of the Thames Valley Police, said: "We have considered any security incidents from low threat to high threat, so this is a very comprehensive security operation... This is not the first time a US president has visited Windsor, and we have established good relations with our American counterparts and done good practice, so planning the security operation has become easier."
He revealed that the British police will be equipped with protective clothing, gloves, respirators, and bulletproof helmets related to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, "We expect this situation to be very unlikely, but if there are actual threats involving firearms or CBRN, we will use these equipment."
The Times reported that since the assassination of right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk last week, British security personnel have been reviewing their security plans every day and will maintain a high level of vigilance during Trump's visit to the UK.
"There are fundamental differences between the UK and the US"
CNBC pointed out that the UK is very skilled at using its royal soft power to impress American leaders, and Trump was a guest of Queen Elizabeth II during his 2019 visit to the UK. The UK is about to "embrace" Trump because the UK government now needs to gain Trump's support.
Starmer and his Labour government are facing difficulties. A recent UK poll showed that 69% of respondents disapproved of Starmer's government, and only 12% clearly supported him. The fate of the Labour Party in the local elections in May next year could have a decisive impact on Starmer's political future.
Trump and Starmer have political differences, but the two leaders have maintained a friendly relationship. This June, when asked whether the UK would be affected by higher tariffs, Trump replied, "The UK is well protected. Do you know why? Because I like them. That is the ultimate protection for them."
CNBC noted that it is unclear what Trump thinks about Starmer's approval ratings, but in a difficult situation, the UK government obviously hopes to use the friendly relationship between the two leaders.
July 28, Trump privately visited Scotland, UK, and met with Starmer, Visual China
BBC also pointed out that the UK government's emphasis on this state visit fully reflects the huge influence of the US on the UK. Windsor has made ample preparations for the logistics and security of the visit, turning the castle into a "steel-like protective circle," to the extent that local residents have changed the name of the town to "Trumpton".
The UK government wants to use this opportunity to expand cooperation with the US in areas such as trade, technology, and financial services. For example, the UK cabinet hopes to secure steel and aluminum tariff exemptions, sign technology cooperation agreements in areas such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, and increase cooperation in civil nuclear energy projects. The Starmer government can also announce "major victories" through this.
However, UK officials admitted that Trump has not made any guarantees. The Wall Street Journal pointed out that the Starmer government has announced that it will recognize Palestine in September, and last week removed the British ambassador to the US, Mandelson, who had connections with the late American businessman Epstein, which could become a "point of conflict" between the two countries.
The UK and the US established the so-called "special relationship" after World War II, cooperating closely in political, economic, and military fields. But in recent years, the policy differences between the two countries have become increasingly evident. A former British ambassador told the BBC, "In terms of values and policies, we have fundamental differences with the Trump administration in NATO, Ukraine, the Middle East, and China. These differences are deeper than at any time since World War II."
The UK's continuous decline in strength has also caused the "special relationship" to become completely unbalanced. Simon Tisdall, a former White House reporter, wrote in the UK Guardian on the 7th that the world has long regarded the UK as a "faithful dog of America". Tisdall believes that Trump, known for his capricious behavior, and Starmer's act of catering to Trump cannot benefit the UK.
Ipsos' recent survey also showed that only about 36% of respondents believed that there is a "special relationship" between the UK and the US.
Olivia O'Sullivan, director of the "Britain in the World" project at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, believes that the transatlantic relationship between the UK and the US has been shadowed, and now the Starmer government needs to consider how the UK can enhance strategic independence and reduce dependence on the US, thereby reducing the vulnerability of the UK in the face of long-term political changes in the US.
This article is an exclusive article by Observer, and it is not allowed to be reprinted without permission.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7550662919076250153/
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