Little-known facts about foreign trips of US Presidents

(Baonghean.vn) - Since the first time it took place in the early 20th century, foreign visits by US Presidents have become an important part of foreign policy. Before each visit, there are months of planning and preparation with much cooperation and information exchange between the parties.

Few people know that in the 19th century America had a rather strict concept of this. Domestic trips were considered an opportunity for the President to talk to the people - the people who elected him.

But on the contrary, the American people do not want their President to visit magnificent palaces and "kneel" before kings and queens of other countries.

This notion began to fade and eventually was abandoned beginning in the early twentieth century, as federal officials began to take a different view of America's role in international affairs.

In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first sitting US president to fly abroad.

The first foreign trip by a US President was Theodore Roosevelt's trip to Panama in 1906. This event also opened a new era in the way US Presidents conducted diplomatic relations with other countries. This was followed by Woodrow Wilson's trips to Europe after the end of World War I and his commitment to world peace, which completely closed the old concept.

Advances in transportation technology also had a major impact on presidential foreign travel. When Wilson traveled to Europe in 1919, it took him nine days at sea. Forty years later, Dwight Eisenhower was able to make the same trip in just nine hours, by helicopter.

Subsequent presidents have made frequent trips abroad by plane. John F. Kennedy made one of his most memorable trips to Europe in the summer of 1963, just months before he was assassinated.

US President Richard Nixon's visit to China in 1972 was one of the most important diplomatic events of the 20th century.

Lyndon B. Johnson's successor frequently traveled to Asia. Richard Nixon was the first US President to visit several countries, most notably China.

Jimmy Carter had a great time in the Middle East and was the first US President to make a state visit to Africa. Ronald Reagan also made several trips that were particularly significant in the history of US international relations, including a conference with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

The frequency and scope of US presidential travel has increased rapidly since George H. W. Bush became President in 1989. In 1990, the “military version” of the Boeing 747, the VC-25, entered service. This aircraft has a floor area of ​​more than 372 square meters.², a bathroom and a bedroom, and has enough facilities to ensure the President can still work. Accompanying the VC-25 is a heavy fighter jet carrying helicopters and limousines.

Air Force One is not an aircraft but the name given to any aircraft that carries the President of the United States. Currently, the US government uses two Boeing 747-200 aircraft, designated VC-25A, to transport the President of the United States.

Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton personally visited 74 different countries during their two terms. In total, they visited 94 countries and territories with populations equal to 85% of the world's population.

For his part, President Obama visited 35 countries during his first term. As of May 2016, he has visited 19 more countries during his second term. Trips to countries more than 10,000 miles (16,903 km) away from the United States are common.

Former Presidents Johnson and Nixon were the first to make a round-the-world trip. Bush and Clinton have done the same. Trips to Europe and Asia have become almost routine in the 21st century.

US President Barack Obama had a 3-day visit to Vietnam with many important events. He received a warm welcome from the Vietnamese government and people.

To date, the US President who has traveled to the most countries while in office is President Barack Obama. According to information on the website of the Office of the Historical Affairs of the US Department of State, President Obama has made 46 trips to 53 different countries, lasting a total of 119 days, since taking office as US President in 2009.

Second after President Obama is former US President George W. Bush with 28 trips, lasting 116 days. In third place is former President Bill Clinton with 27 trips, lasting 113 days./.

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