For my Show and Tell 4, I wanted to talk about President Richard Nixon going to China and trying to build a relationship with China. On February 28, 1972, President Richard Nixon visited China, becoming the first U.S. president since the communist revolution in 1949. The visit was a major diplomatic breakthrough, as the two countries had been bitter rivals for decades. Nixon aimed to build a relationship with China and use it as a strategic counterweight to the Soviet Union. The visit paved the way for the normalization of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China, which had significant implications for global politics and economics. Nixon’s visit to China marked a turning point in U.S.-China relations and remained a significant moment in modern diplomatic history.
President Nixon and Mao exchanged views on “Sino-U.S. relations and world affairs.” He also spoke with Premier Chou En-Lai about relations with the United States and the People’s Republic of China and “other matters of interest to both sides. Then Nixon and his party visited Peking to view cultural, industrial, and agricultural sites; they also toured Hangchow and Shaghai, where they continued discussions of interests with Chinese leaders, as stated on page 224 of “One China.” You will see many “buts” when the United States and China go back and forth, trying to figure out some middle ground, and they each want to push and see how much leeway one would give the other. You also have to remember that “There are essential differences between China and the United States in their social systems and foreign policies.” stated on page 228. The U.S. wanted Peace in Asia because if there were Peace in Asia, there would be Peace in the world, but it required both efforts to work together and reduce tensions between each other. The United States stated on page 225, “The United States will work for a just and secure peace: just because it fulfills the aspirations of peoples and nations for freedom and progress; secure because it removes the danger of foreign aggression. The United States supports individual freedom and social progress for all the peoples of the world, free of outside pressure or intervention.” The U.S. is saying that if China were to try and invade and take over other countries in any way, the U.S. would not hesitate to help those in need. As we know, the U.S. did that in World War One and World War Two. Then they say that; they will work better on communication between countries with different political ideologies to reduce tensions between countries. On page 227, it states, “The Chinese side stated that it firmly supports the struggles of all the oppressed people and nations for freedom and liberation and that the people of all countries have the right to choose their social systems according to their wishes and the right to safeguard the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of their own countries and oppose foreign aggression, interference, control, and subversion. All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.” China wanted the United States to withdraw from Taiwan, so China said this statement. Between the two countries, what both wanted from this meeting was progress towards normalization of relations between China and the United States is in the interests of all countries; they wish to reduce the danger of military conflict and not seek hegemony in the Asia Pacific region. After the disputes between China and the U.S., the Taiwan question was critical because they wanted to normalize relations. The U.S. said they would reduce forces and military installations in Taiwan as the tension reduced.
In the end, the two sides conveyed the hope that the assets achieved during the visit would open up new doors between the two. They know that the normalization of relations between the two countries would not be the only thing they need to improve on, but also the relationship between the Chinese and American people. Richard Nixon, his wife, and the American Party appreciated their hospitality to the Government and the people of the People’s Republic of China.
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