Nixon in China (The Film)

President Nixon's departure for China South Lawn 17 February 1972 hmm mr. vice president mr. speaker members of the Congress and members of the cabinet I want to express my very deep appreciation to all of you who have come here to send us off on this historic mission and I particularly want to express appreciation to the bipartisan leadership of the House and Senate who are here we of course are under no illusions that 20 years of hostility between the People's Republic of China in the United States of America going to be swept away by one week of talks that we will have there we must recognize that the government of the People's Republic of China and the government of the United States have had great differences we will have differences in the future but what we must do is to find a way to see that we can have differences without being enemies in war if we can make progress toward that goal on this trip the world will be a much safer world and the chance particularly for all of those young children over there to grow up in a world of peace will be infinitely greater I would simply say in conclusion that if there was a postscript that I hope might be written with regard to this trip it would be the words on the plaque which was left on the moon by our first astronauts when they landed there we came in peace for all mankind thank you and goodbye you the president's moved I'm glad to say after having worked with him for him for 21 years is one of really great pride and certainly all of us have great pride in him today because he's as I think he always is in complete control of his well his destiny but more I think the countries and the world his mode is pensive he has studied he has worked hard he has thought about this for well I know from early 1967-68 maybe longer that somehow we had to have a negotiation we couldn't have this many million people alienated from the United States I can only hope and pray and join the rest of the world and hoping it will be successful and I am excited I am proud lived through a lot of big moments with the Nixons but I think this is truly one of the greatest Thursday February 17 parts of my monies and the cloak off of and Rizzo went very well with no problems present in to be in good spirits on the choppers going over to Andrews as she too felt the whole thing had gone well so things seem to be on food on official start we saw a little bit of the yes TV coverage after we got on the plane because there as we set on the table in the staff room it was kind of an odd feeling because we they covered the actual a copy of the photo some research and we were on the plane watching the TV present the takeoff which is sort of fascinating well I think what we have to do bill the first day is to is to feel it out as we we're going we're going to find out what the mood we haven't want to find out whether might be the basis of their statement they need a couple of days ago or it might be may have set something else and I want to feel naturally there'll be plenary sessions will have a every people every about all our interpreters there I do not want to have a situation say where I'm at it's basically a very private meeting with him I'm bringing where their extra people there my experience has been that these times are really illustrative they they let it run difficultly years that day we have a plenary session we have a dinner and postponed to dinner I've never seen to pay any attention but they always start on this second that's never there never lay started a second and end on the hour I think again just tragic by my October trip they'll get it done in two hours in the plenary session because you'll make a statement he'll make a statement and there'll be some general agreement on how to proceed the Chinese comments before about Mao and Joe and now Rose Heaphy memoirs most interesting young and read the first part to is talked about really the more interesting part is this evaluation of the golf rather fascinated sigit miles and miles to state arrivals with wall down and everything else a whole bunch that's all for Petitte except to make one reel of the very best of it and then a series of just shots sort of a montage of the the leaders as they stood on the platform so you completely one after another Senate that will be fascinating yes hello governor how are you thank you very much my that's there I'll do my own oh yeah yeah you governor you get to do your own we've done this game our all we have to here that's have a day in Hawaii before moving on prosecutor and I'm going to work tomorrow I'm going to sit in the Sun work get some of that can you've got how are you thank you for all the flowers right roll baby wrong you know the I think we're going to have to walk a very fine line in this briefing today because it's the first briefing with this group that's that's going to China with us and because of the many sensitivities with the People's Republic of China I think I think we want to give them a general feel of what the visit will be about what the discussions will be about but we can't in any way get into the agenda or get into the schedule because it's not set now I think we want to talk a little bit about the leadership meeting yesterday and the point that the president made that all Americans have a stake in this visit that it's the beginning of a process a process of communications with a country that we haven't really been in touch with for 21 years and and how we want that process to continue and and how the continuation in that process will be discussed in the meetings and I think I think that's the only tone we will lead this morning don't you you know it's going to be a rough session Ron because they're just thirsting for news and you know you have an all-star cast down there so I don't envy you your job this morning well when you put Buckley and Teddy white max Franko Phil Potter and John Chancellor and Walter Cronkite and all those people in one room I guess they are going to be a little difficult day but we'll deal with Saturday February 19 and the wife doesn't hug me over again this morning we got into some domestic questions on this bustling thing the poverty girl the back strike we went over the script overdose squeaking and you discuss some is conflict for him and the meetings in the Putney so he's going to use he says women was urging him to do it Emily's way which is to get into the long drawn-out historical and philosophical discussions with Joe which saw the president is not inclined to group and he's also aging into studying the plenary session with a reading a written statement which the patient also is not inclined to do and intends to follow his own technique on those rather than Henry's right because it can he'll be much better that way he's absolutely right this is not a time for a long speech but I would not want this opportunity to pass without saying just a word with regard to the significance of this moment some of you may recall that it was two and a half years ago that right here in Guam I announced the new direction for American foreign policy based on the principles of self-reliance self-respect equal dignity for all nations large and small throughout the world and tomorrow I will take off from Guam for Shanghai and Peking the first President of the United States ever to visit China mom I know it is said is where the American day begins and I would hope that all of you here today would join me in this prayer that with this trip to China a new day may begin for the whole world thank you very much Hey you you you you you about 30 years maybe a little bit before apparently Joe and Maya period at the guest house unannounced got ahold of Henry and said that Jeremiah like T won't see the president that he would come over and he rushed upstairs told the resident he stopped on his coat to him went out grabbed Bob terror on the way and took off for residence unbeknownst to anybody else terror came in to the Chapin schedule planning meeting and said that this is what they were going to do he was very concerned about it but he was under orders to tell no one if they were not to totally make any public plan and I'm pretty going back the break came right down and told me we debated and how to handle the thing for a while called Ziggler and had him come over and I told him Brown was holding a tangerine in his hand took a bite of it getting about half the tangerine and one bite feeling at all he was to say the least a little startled we spent a very long haul and a half kind of hearing with the various contingencies reasons we had no idea when they'd be back or what would happen in the meantime since we couldn't mount any of this we didn't exactly know how to handle it we debated it back and forth as to what to do also speculative they're not only wild Ranger possibilities that you have when you're sitting in it the Chinese guest house with Red Army troops guarding you outside and you kind of wonder the president's taking off alone with no staff no security have one agent no doctor etc but that was generally turned out to be unfounded since the president they turn to shortly after for anyway there's a card me up tell me you've gone over to see now obviously we're that's what the whole thing that did get under any details at that time mojo younggu positon ganghwa independent washing do indeed Java idiot does a fool so many I'm gonna mean we want chichi Shindo so that so made angle questions up so you got wrong G President Nixon's visit to our country at the invitation of the Chinese government provides the leaders of the two countries with an opportunity of meeting in person to seek the normalization of relations between the two countries and also to exchange views on questions of concern to the two sides this is a positive move in conformity with the desire of the Chinese and American peoples and an event unprecedented in the history of the relations between China and the United States the American people are a great people the Chinese people are a great people the peoples of our two countries have always been friendly to each other but owing to reasons known to all contacts between the two peoples were suspended for over 20 years now through the common efforts of China and the United States the gate too friendly contacts has finally been opened in conclusion I propose a toast to the health of President Nixon and mrs. Nixon to the health of our other American guests to the health of all our friends and comrades present and to the friendship between the Chinese and American people's member you you you by UK yeah I think you'll win me come here Pago Pago Chico paddle relax everything before that it exceeds all expectations and one stands there sees the the wall going to the feet of this mountain and realizes that it runs through hundreds of miles as a matter of fact thousands of miles over the mountains and through the valleys of this country that it was built over 2,000 years ago I think that you would have to conclude that this is a great wall and that it had to be built by a great people many lives of course we're lost building it because there was no machinery or equipment at the time it had to all be done by hand but under the circumstances it is a certainly symbol of what China in the past has been and what China in the future can become people that could build a wall like this certainly a great pass to be proud of and a people who have this kind of a past must also have a great future my hope is that in the future perhaps as a result of the beginning that we have made on this journey that many many Americans particularly the young Americans who like to travel so much will have an opportunity to come here as I have come here today with mrs. Nixon and the others in our party if they will be able to see this wall that they will think back as I think back to the history of this great people and that they will have an opportunity as we have had an opportunity to know the Chinese people have know them better and I think one of the results of our trip we hope may be that the walls that are erected whether they are physical walls like this or whether they are other walls ideology or philosophy will not divide people's in the world that people's regardless of their differences in backgrounds and their philosophies will have an opportunity to communicate with each with each other to know each other and to share with each other those particular endeavors that will mean peaceful progress in the years ahead so all in all I would say finally I we've come a long way to be here today 16,000 miles and many things that have occurred in this trip have made me realize that it was worth coming but I would say as I look at the wall it's worth coming 16,000 miles just to stand here and see the wall you agree much secretary miss Lilly - mr. president it really is a tremendous privilege who we've all had to be here today are we rolling Mike here is a truck yeah you know it's him okay we are now in the final hours of the president's momentous visit this farewell banquet here in Shanghai but the deduct out keep rolling we are now in the final hours of the president's momentous visit this is the farewell banquet in Shanghai a few hours before the president ends his unprecedented pilgrimage to peace and flies back to Washington the guests here Americans and Chinese alike and the rest of the people around the world will one day have reason to thank Richard Nixon for having the courage and the vision to fly to pay King to further his search for a generation of peace get a little rest today especially got it under me I still love you hounded by you know they want to make it better than having a little bit on the nitrification hit ball cards because are some of their coaches in 2021 we picking overhand shower last night so they could in your life who comes to present a secret that is he told our Minister Deputy Minister of weekend here last night to tell them nothing to change the decorations and last night less than that in Han Xiao Hong Google all that I done then mr. prime minister chairman Jiang and our Chinese and American friends this magnificent banquet marks the end of our stay and the People's Republic of China we have been here a week this was the week that changed the world as we look back over this week we think of the boundless hospitality that has been extended to all of us by our Chinese friends we have today seen the progress of modern China we have seen the matchless wonders of ancient China we have seen also the beauty of the countryside the vibrancy of a great city Shanghai all this we enjoyed enormously but the most important was the fact that we had the opportunity to have talks with Chairman Mao with Prime Minister John ly with the Foreign Minister and other people in the government the joint communique which we have issued today summarizes the results of our talks but 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 hostility which have divided us in the past and what we have said today is that we shall build that bridge with Chairman Mao with the Prime Minister and with others with whom we have met our talks have been characterized by friends by honesty by determination and above all by mutual respect our communicating indicates as it should some areas of difference it also indicates some areas of agreement to mention only one that is particularly appropriate here in Shanghai is the fact that this great City over the past has on many occasions when the victim of foreign aggression and foreign occupation and we join the Chinese people we the American people in our dedication to this principle but never again shall foreign domination foreign occupation be visited upon this city or any part of China or any independent country in this world mr. Prime Minister our two peoples tonight hold the future of the world in our hands and as we think of that future we are dedicated to the principle that we can build a new world a world of peace a world of justice a world of independence for all nations and if we succeed in working together where we can find common ground if we can find the common ground on which we can both stand where we can build the bridge between us and build the new world generations in the years ahead look bad and thank us for this meeting that we have held in this past week and let the great Chinese people and the great American people be worthy of the hopes and ideals of the world for peace and justice and progress for all good thank you goodbye rack of the heavy cars from the boats back home you're only another big part premiere happy with the talk hey dummy I do quit has she fog and nagashi ha ha ha ha boom by you so llama it's already has been stated in the communique has a different mood apostle I don't have anything more to add I'm gonna take you back dream you can get some rest now can that's only crazy sure yeah you

Channel: Richard Nixon Presidential Library

Views: 285,434

Rating: 4.8715434 out of 5

Keywords: Richard, Nixon, People's, Republic, of, China, 1972

Id: 4cfsI4ZjTbU

Length: 45min 46sec (2746 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 22 2012