Early in February, Gov. Chris Christie will visit London as part of a trade mission, which he also plans to utilize for the purpose of improving his credentials with his foreign policy, in light of his upcoming run for president that has been speculated for some time now. The trip has been reported to be scheduled for a three-day period, starting February 1, and this is actually the third time Christie has left the country for an international trip in the last few months. This time, he’s planning to meet various business leaders and high-ranking government officials, hoping to strengthen the cultural ties between the United Kingdom and New Jersey.
It’s not entirely clear whether Christie is planning to meet up with David Cameron, as this is one of the details that are still being sorted out. It’s already been confirmed, however, that he will not be meeting with the Queen, nor with Prince Harry, after the two took a trip through New Jersey after Sandy laid its destruction on the region in 2013.
The main purpose of the current trip is to build on the business relations between New Jersey and the United Kingdom, particularly regarding finance and life sciences, and it’s part of a larger group of meetings with various CEOs based out of London. It could also include a trip to Cambridge, where Christie may pass through the University, as well as possibly attend a soccer match during his tour.
Commentators have been noting that these moves should be very beneficial for Christie, whose governing has been suffering in the area of foreign policies, where he has very little experience. He has definitely been taking steps to change that situation lately though, after taking a trip to Mexico and Canada over the last few months, where he worked on developing stronger ties with the United States, and in particular New Jersey.
According to people knowledgeable with the political scene in the US, these trips are not just a way for Christie to improve his own experience, but they’re also a perfect platform on which to build his potential presidential candidacy, as such trips can do a lot to strengthen ties with other countries, and subsequently to improve the way American citizens perceive Christie.
His plans for the coming months are still being sorted out, according to sources, and it’s not clear if this is going to be his last trip for some time, although it’s possible that he may want to make a few more visits to various countries as part of his pre-election work. Which countries those could be, it’s up for debate – though a few ones do seem like potentially prominent choices.