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And its only one of several important what if moments, where we can second-guess the counterfactual about what wouldve happened otherwise. For Nixon to hold out his hand was a clear signal that times had changed and that America was ready to embrace the Chinese. Mark Wu: On July 15, 1971, President Nixon shocked the world by announcing that he was planning to visit the PRC the next year. The two sides hadnt spoken for decades, and the United States was at war with the Communist North Vietnamese in Chinas backyard. Taipei eventually left the U.N. And Beijing was voted in in the fall of 1971. While in Shanghai, Nixon spoke about what this meant for the two countries in the future: This was the week that changed the world, as what we have said in that Communique is not nearly as important as what we will do in the years ahead to build a bridge across 16,000 miles and 22 years of hostilities which have divided us in the past. History alone does not provide direct answers to these critical questions. There was spittoons, standing lamps. 1. Shanghai at the Huangpu river with Shanghai Tower Did you know that China has the most skyscrapers in any country in the world? Known as the "city of sails" thanks to its fabulous harbor and yachting community, Auckland is one of New Zealand's most beautiful cities, as well as the largest, with an incredible skyline and some fabulous beaches. By the late 1960s, frequent border skirmishes between the Soviets and the Chinese verged on all-out war. [citation needed], Max Frankel of The New York Times received the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting for his coverage of the event.[25]. By the time of Nixons visit, Mao was ailing, and his succession plans, as set forth by the 1969 Party Congress, had fallen apart. How have US-China talks failed and succeeded in recent years? South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Top 7 Landmarks in China Iconic and Renowned And from Beijing's perspective, the U.S. is once again playing the spoiler. It has thrived economically and politically. His attacks on Jerry Voorhis and Helen Gahagan Douglas for being soft on communism were instrumental in his early electoral victories and, as Mark noted, he sought to deploy that same strategy against Kennedy in the 1960 presidential race. So, the fact that Nixon, as president, would be willing to embark in outreach to Beijing came as a surprise. RUWITCH: Winston Lord was 34 at the time and an aide to Kissinger. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Copyright 2022 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Ailing Chinese leader Mao Zedong wanted to meet. After a series of these overtures by both countries, Kissinger flew on secret diplomatic missions to Beijing in 1971, where he met with Chinese premier Zhou Enlai. It was also the subject of a PBS documentary film, American Experience: Nixon's China Game. For two decades, my grandparents had been afraid to get in touch, lest it cause further harm to my uncles. An iconic black-and-white photo released afterwards shows Nixon and National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger sitting with Mao, a translator and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai. Whats your assessment of that? National Security Council staffer (and later U.S. They also shook hands with each other, the photograph of which is probably the most famous image to come out of the trip. Cambridge, MA 02138, 2022 The President and Fellows of Harvard College, International Legal Studies & Opportunities, Syllabi, Exam and Course Evaluation Archive, Sign Up for the Harvard Law Today Newsletter, Consumer Information (ABA Required Disclosures). It's no wonder leaders in both Beijing and Taipei have a hard time trusting the US," she said. It has statues of Nixon and Zhou Enlai, a video documentary and artifacts, like a tin of panda cigarettes from a banquet. Mine was one of those. Key materials from February 1972 include the verbatim records and agreements of US-China bilateral exchanges, including: Memorandum of Conversation between Chairman Mao Zedong and President Richard Nixon, February 21, 1972, Memorandum of Conversation between Richard Nixon and Zhou Enlai, February 22, 1972, Joint Communiqu of the United States of America and the People's Republic of China (Shanghai Communiqu), February 27, 1972, Although declassified Chinese language records from the February 1972 are generally lacking (the Chinese Foreign Ministry Archives never released any materials dated later than 1966), the Digital Archive does feature a number of sources from before and after the visit. "It was unprecedented, and probably the most meaningful part in the communique. Code-named "[Operation Marco] Polo II" and publicly announced weeks before Kissinger left for China, it was effectively a full-scale dress rehearsal for the historic presidential visit. 1585 Massachusetts Ave. Copyright (c) 2022. The Nixon trip certainly caught Taiwan off guard, as did the normalization of U.S.-PRC relations during the Carter administration. "[19][20], As an observer of the MaoNixon meeting, Lord noted Mao's peasant-like sensibilities and self-deprecating humor. Sky Tower, Auckland, North Island. What has the Nixon visit meant to you? Kissinger and his assistant Winston Lord were also present. The Soviets, who previously rejected calls for limiting their nuclear arsenal, changed their tune when Nixon reopened talks with China. The next morning, February 21, at 7 am the Nixons left Guam for Shanghai. [1] The seven-day official visit to three Chinese cities was the first time a U.S. president had visited the PRC; Nixon's arrival in Beijing ended 25 years of no communication or diplomatic ties between the two countries and was the key step in normalizing relations between the U.S. and the PRC. Later interviews with correspondents who traveled with the President show how eager they were to be on the trip, which some labeled the most important summit meeting ever. In the communiqu, both nations pledged to work toward the full normalization of diplomatic policy and acknowledged longstanding differences.