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New changes also occur in eon UK-US ties |
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16:50, July 31, 2007 |
Britain''s Prime Minister Gordon Brown arrived at the US presidential retreat at Camp David in Maryland on the early evening of Sunday, or July 29, for a two-day visit to the United States, his first-ever US visit made since he entered 10 Downing Street. People are trying hard to fathom how he will work to retain the special relationship between Britain and America as Iraq and Afghanistan issues have evoked too many troubles and his predecessor Tony Blair''s too "friendly", close relations with President George W. Bush brought so many reproaches.
In order to dispel doubts or misgivings of his people, Gordon Brown has set the keynote for the special UK-US ties. He made it clear prior to his trip that the UK-US ties are most important bilateral relations, which might possibly be more solidified. Upon his arrival in the U.S., he invoked the words of Winston L. Churchill (British PM in 1940-45 and 1951-55), by reaffirming his belief in the "joint inheritance" that binds Britain and America, that is, the joint inheritance of the English world, which refers not only to a "common history" but to the "common values based on the joint objective." These words of Brown''s are not merely spoken to Americans but intended to enunciate that the UK-US ties remained unchanged.
There have indeed been some signals from the British side to intentionally alienate itself from the United States. Britain will not continue to bind itself to the U.S. as it did during the Blair era, two senior British government officials claimed not long ago. And a foreign policy adviser to Brown also hinted recently that Britain would withdraw its troops from Iraq.
Traditionally, it has always been the gravity of Britain''s external policy since the end of the World War II in 1945 to safeguard the special UK-US ties and, in view of the present reality, if Britain wants to retain its role as a major power in Europe or on a global scale, it will not succeed it if it does not maintain the special UK-US ties. So Brown spoke the ensuing words honestly: "It is in compliance with Britain''s national interest" to retain the special UK-US ties.
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