October 25, 1971
Relations between the Western powers and Eastern Bloc changed dramatically in the early 1970s. In 1960, the People's Republic of China publicly split from its main ally, the Soviet Union, in the Sino-Soviet Split. As tension along the border between the two communist nations reached its peak in 1969 and 1970, Nixon decided to use their conflict to shift the balance of power towards the West in the Cold War.
Nixon had begun entreating China a mere month into office by sending covert messages of rapprochement through Nicolae Ceausescu of Romania and Yahya Khan of Pakistan in December 1970. He reduced many trade restrictions between the two countries, and silenced anti-China voices within the White House.
In April 1971, the Chinese table tennis team invited the American table tennis team to attend a demonstration competition for a week in China. The invitation came upon the order of Mao Zedong himself, who had taken note of Nixon's "subtle overtures" to improve U.S.-Chinese relations, including the conflict in Pakistan. This was significant in that the fifteen-member table tennis team were allowed to enter mainland China after a period of over twenty years in which Americans, except on very rare occasions, had been denied visas (the term "ping pong diplomacy" arose from this encounter).
Chinese Premier Chou En-lai, through Pakistani intermediaries, had relayed a message to Nixon reading: "The Chinese government reaffirms its willingness to receive publicly in Peking a special envoy of the president of the United States, or the U.S. secretary of state, or even the president himself." Nixon sent then-National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger on a secret mission to China in July 1971, to arrange a visit by the president and first lady. Soon, the world was stunned to learn that Nixon intended to visit Communist China the following year.
In February 1972, President and Mrs. Nixon traveled to China, where the president was to engage in direct talks with Mao and Chou. Kissinger briefed Nixon for over forty hours in preparation. Upon touching down, the President and First Lady emerged from Air Force One and greeted Chou. According to Nixon biographer Stephen Ambrose: "[Nixon] knew that when his old friend John Foster Dulles had refused to shake the hand of Chou En-lai in Geneva in 1954, Chou had felt insulted. He knew too that American television cameras would be at the Beijing airport to film his arrival. A dozen times on the way to Peking, Nixon told Kissinger and Secretary of State William Rogers that they were to stay on the plane until he had descended the gangway and shaken Zhou Enlai's hand. As added insurance, a Secret Service agent blocked the aisle of Air Force One to make sure the president emerged alone."
Over one hundred television journalists accompanied the president. On Nixon's orders, television was strongly favored over printed publications, as it would capture the trip's visuals much better while snubbing the print journalists Nixon despised.
Nixon and Kissinger were soon summoned to an hour-long meeting with Mao and Zhou at Mao's official private residence, where they discussed a range of issues. Mao later told his doctor that he had been impressed by Nixon, who was forthright, unlike the leftists and the Soviets. He also said he was suspicious of Kissinger, though the National Security Advisor referred to their meeting as his "encounter with history." A formal banquet welcoming the presidential party was conducted that evening in the Great Hall of the People. The following day, Nixon met with Chou; during this meeting he stated that he believed "there is one China, and Taiwan is a part of China." When not in meetings, Nixon toured architectural wonders including the Forbidden City, Ming Tombs, and the Great Wall. Americans received their first glance into China via Pat Nixon, who toured the city of Beijing and visited communes, schools, factories, and hospitals accompanied by the American media.
The visit ushered in a new era of Sino-American relations. Fearing the possibility of a Sino-American alliance, the Soviet Union yielded to American pressure for détente.
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9:43
Reagan and RFK (1967)by RealAgentOfSHIELD231,389 views
Drucker wrote, well before it's collapse, that the SU would unravel due to the demographics of it's Islamic citizenry
wblakesx 14 hours ago
It is wrong to give credit to Reagan for the ending of the Cold War. It was clearly the combined efforts of Lech Walesa, the Pope, Gorbechev and the Russian people. In a totalitarian society, the ONLY way to make changes is from inside.
exenrontexas 3 months ago
@vcdna1, Oh come on quit being a hater. If you know your US history. Nixon, Reagan, & Bush Sr were the GOP Presidents to end the Cold War. If Nixon was never impeach, then the Cold War would've ended much sooner. Don't blame on them. Blame on those fuckin Democrats. Johnson began the War in Vietnam. Carter started the Iran Hostage Crisis. Yes thank God, Palin is not running for US President. My strong recommendation is watch Herman Cain. He got my vote for 2012.
chillinmc 5 months ago
@chillinmc You want to put the first president to be impeeched, a one term president, and a president who got us involve in Iran contra nightmare, and one of the worst economic policies ever on Mt. Rushmore with our founding fathers? WTF HAPPENED TO THE GREAT GOP, WHY ARE THE SARAH PALIN MORONS TAKING OVER MY PARTY??????????
vcdna1 5 months ago
I resisted the war, was totally against the Nixon administration and I don't apologize for that, but as the years have passed I've come to believe that Nixon was one of our smartest presidents and was not inherently an evil man, not a crook, etc... especially in comparison to the dimwit that he's speaking to on this tape and today's sorry lot of Republicans. If you took Vietnam out of the equation, not forgiving that debacle, Nixon was by comparison to today's Republicans a liberal.
edfou5 8 months ago
Note, Nixon trying to inform Reagan that the UN might be needed to stop a war in Pakistan/India so it might not be the best time to spit in their face.
bl0ke 9 months ago
I imagine Nixon totally ignoring Reagan and just saying "hmmm" whenever Reagan paused.
bl0ke 9 months ago
@ieodksnw787, I think the reason why Nixon said these negative comments on Reagan b/c they are both too much alike of their political beliefs. There was a later Nixon tape, when he was talking about Reagan to possibly run for US President in 76. Nixon stated, "Can you imagine a Hollywood actor (Reagan) to be the next US President, sitting here in the Oval Office?" Anyway, I think Nixon, Reagan, & Bush Sr. should be on Mount Rushmore.
chillinmc 11 months ago
Nixon described Rockefeller as "sort of bouncy and upbeat" while Reagan "just isn't pleasant to be around."
"No, he isn't," Haldeman said.
"I don't know. Maybe he's different with others," Nixon said.
"No, no I don't think so," Haldeman said.
"He's just an uncomfortable man to be around -- strange," Nixon said.
Nixon historian Stanley Kutler said it's odd to hear Nixon speaking disparagingly about someone else's personality.
- actually from a 2003 Fox News online article; pm me for link
ieodksnw787 1 year ago
He once said that Reagan was weird.
gwangjuboy1 1 year ago