Diplomatic implications of Obama's visit to Europe
On the 25th Obama stayed in France for several hours and was received by the French president Sarkozy and warmly welcomed by the French people. The French media feasted on Obama's visit. Obama's photo and reports made the front page in some newspapers, and some websites followed up his itinerary in reports. Internet users expressed their preference for Obama by initiating quite a bit of online discussion. Even books on Obama have been selling like hot cakes in Paris. Clearly, diplomatic action has opened a "window" of opportunity for Obama. He can take advantage of this opportunity to establish his personal prestige and gain more points for his final round in the battle for the White House. Obama became so popular in Europe because Europeans do have high expectations for the United States. People generally believe that Obama is a candidate that will bring about change to US foreign policy and world peace. Obama was not only opposed to the war against Iraq at the beginning, but also an advocate for withdrawal from Iraq as soon as possible to seek a political solution. He has adopted a tough stance for preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons; but meanwhile stresses the necessity of dialogue with so-called "rogue states" and advocated holding an international conference, which would include Iraq, Iran and Syria, in order to defuse tension in the region. In his view, the United States should open the door that has been shut for some time, and conduct unconditional negotiations with North Korea and Cuba. In particular, Obama's intention to consolidate and stabilize transatlantic relations between the U.S. and Europe has helped enhance the common language and create a favorable impression within European countries. Compared with his visit to France, Obama's visit to the United Kingdom was somewhat low-key. One British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) journalis |
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