9/20/2023 0 Comments Nixon visits china broadcastedThe two sides hadn’t spoken for decades, and the United States was at war with the Communist North Vietnamese in China’s backyard. When Richard Nixon took office in 1969, it marked the 20th anniversary of the creation of the People’s Republic of China, and 20 years of frozen diplomatic relations between the United States and Communist China. President Nixon meets with his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, en route to China, 1972. WATCH: Watergate on HISTORY Vault China-U.S. In the words of one of his ambassadors, Nixon’s eight-day visit in February of 1972 was “the week that changed the world” and substantially altered the balance of power between the United States, China and the Soviet Union. Nixon, always a fan of the “big play,” had high hopes that his trip to China would be the kind of seismic geopolitical event that changed the course of history. The surprise announcement was the result of months of top-secret diplomacy between the Nixon White House and Beijing. “I have taken this action because of my profound conviction that all nations will gain from a reduction of tensions and a better relationship between the United States and the People's Republic of China,” said Nixon in his address. president to visit the People’s Republic of China, a Communist nation of 750 million that, next to the Soviet Union, was America’s fiercest adversary in the Cold War. (Cover: Richard Nixon shakes hands with Zhou Enlai after arriving in Beijing on February 21, 1972.On July 15, 1971, President Richard Nixon addressed the nation in a live televised broadcast to make an unexpected announcement: he had accepted an invitation from Beijing to become the first U.S. I have seen the last thaw, and I hope to see another in my time, and a season of bloom for bilateral relations," said Liu. "If winter comes, can spring be far behind? This is how I see the future of China-U.S. assertions that China is a major competitor, adding that the two sides should carry on the spirit of the Shanghai Communique to get bilateral relations back on the track of healthy and stable development. rose above their differences and acted in the interests of the people on both sides.Īlthough there have been ups-and-downs over the decades and sometimes an air of deep pessimism, there's always been a turning point even at the worst times.Ĭhina's Foreign Ministry said the sides' current problems stemmed largely from U.S. It said China and the U.S. should conduct their relations on the principles of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-aggression and non-interference in each other's internal affairs despite their differences in ideology and social systems.įrom Nixon's visit to the normalization of relations and the establishment of diplomatic ties, leaders and statesmen of that generation in China and the U.S. For China, one of the most important achievements was the Shanghai Communique. to eventually establish diplomatic ties in 1979. American politicians also thought it would be impossible for the Communist Party of China to make peace with their country," said Liu. "At that time, it was believed to be an unimaginable act that would hurt the U.S. However, the decision to shake hands with China was seen as a gamble. At the same time, there was the pressure of the United States-led embargoes – Beijing was in dire need of a breakthrough.Īs for Nixon, he sought to turn the tide in Washington's Cold War rivalry with the Soviet Union. In fact, this major disagreement aroused a kind of vigilance in the Communist Party of China," said Liu Zhiqin, senior fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies of Renmin University of China.Īfter several border skirmishes, relations between China and its former "Big Brother" hit a freezing point. "There were major differences between China and the Soviet Union in governance ideas and the realization of the goal of communism or the way of socialism. One important factor that brought China closer to the United States for a new start was Beijing's deteriorating relations with the Soviet Union. But then when the leaders shook hands, we felt relieved." "So when the Americans arrived, we had to adjust that mindset. imperialism," Zhang Hanzhi (1935-2008), interpreter during Nixon's visit once recalled. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53) and under the U.S. "We grew up during the War to Resist U.S. It took tremendous courage and political vision for both Chinese and American leaders to end more than 20 years of hostility after their armies clashed on the battlefields in the Korean Peninsula.
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