Yet for Trump, royal receptions in the UK and Japan will be as much about personal uplift as they are about diplomatic wrangling. In Trump's telling, Abe even nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize following his diplomatic gambit with North Korea, an effort that Abe has privately viewed skeptically. Abe, like many of his foreign counterparts, hopes the visits can keep his country in Trump's good graces. That Trump's visit will help herald in the new imperial era is an indication of how much weight Abe places on his personal friendship with the US leader. The individualized treatment of a state visit also compares favorably to the large summit meetings of foreign leaders that Trump has come to resent.

Source: CNN April 23, 2019 19:30 UTC