1972 Nixon visit to China

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The 1972 Nixon visit to China was the first step in formally normalizing relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China. It also marked the first time a U.S. president had visited the PRC, which considered the United States one of its biggest enemies. From February 21 to February 28, 1972, U.S. President Richard Nixon traveled to Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai.

Contents 1 Meeting 1.1 The U.S. at the People's Republic of China 1.2 Hong Kong and Macau 2 Media and Culture 3 References 4 Further Reading 5 See also 6 External links

[edit] Meeting

[edit] The U.S. at the People's Republic of China

In July 1971, U.S. President Nixon's National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger had secretly visited Beijing during a trip to Pakistan, and laid the groundwork for Nixon's visit to China. Almost as soon as the American president arrived in the Chinese capital he was summoned for a meeting with Chairman Mao who, unknown to the Americans, had almost died nine days earlier but was at that point feeling strong enough to meet Nixon. Secretary of State William P. Rogers was excluded from this meeting and the only other American present was National Security Council staffer (and later U.S. Ambassador to China) Winston Lord. To avoid embarrassing Rogers, Lord was cropped out of all the official photographs of the meeting.^[1]

Nixon held many meetings with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai during the trip, which included visits to the Great Wall, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. At the conclusion of his trip, the United States and the PRC Governments issued the Shanghai Communiqué, a statement of their foreign policy views and a document that was to prove to remain the basis of Sino-American bilateral relations for many years. In the communiqué, both nations pledged to work toward the full normalization of diplomatic relations. The U.S. acknowledged the notion that all Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait maintain that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of China. Nixon and the U.S. government reaffirmed their interests in a peaceful settlement of the Taiwan question agreed by the Chinese themselves. The statement enabled the U.S. and PRC to temporarily set aside the "crucial question obstructing the normalization of relations"^[2] concerning the political status of Taiwan and to open trade and other contacts. However, the United States continued to maintain official relations with the government of the Republic of China in Taiwan until 1979 when the U.S. broke off relations with the Republic of China and established full diplomatic relations with the P.R.C.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Hong Kong and Macau

In March 1972 one of the PRC's first acts was to demand that Hong Kong and Macau be removed from the United Nation's list of the world's remaining colonies.^[3] According to the PRC, Hong Kong was awaiting "independence" and that China can assert its "sovereign right" over both Hong Kong and Macau. It was declaring them to be under foreign occupation.^[3] However, the handover was not until 1997 and 1999 respectively some 25+ years later for the official Hong Kong handover and Macau handover.

[edit] Media and Culture

• Nixon's historic visit has been turned into an opera.
• Max Frankel of The New York Times received the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting for his coverage of the event.
• In the motion picture Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Spock repeats a Vulcan proverb, "Only Nixon could go to China," as an allegory for an opportunity for James T. Kirk to open up relations with The Klingon Empire.

[edit] References

[edit] Further Reading

• Burr, William (1999) The Kissinger Transcripts, New Press
• MacMillan, Margaret (2007) Nixon & Mao: The Week that Changed the World, Random House
• Mann, James (1999)About Face, Knopf
• Nixon, Richard (1978) RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon, Grosset & Dunlap
• Tyler, Patrick (1999) A Great Wall, Public Affairs
• Dallek, Robert (2007). Nixon and Kissinger : partners in power. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0060722304. 
• Drew, Elizabeth (2007). Richard M. Nixon. New York: Times Books. ISBN 0805069631. 

[edit] See also

• Ping Pong Diplomacy
• Sino-American relations
• Nixon in China (opera)
• Nixon in China (phrase)

[edit] External links

• Webcast: Nixon in China Council on Foreign Relations
• Interactive, Educational Site on Nixon's Legendary 1972 Visit to China

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