Nixon in China: The Week that Changed the World

on July 15th 1971 President Nixon requested time on national TV the announcement I shall now read is being issued simultaneously in Peking and in the United States knowing of President Nixon's expressed desire to visit the People's Republic of China premier Chou Enlai on behalf of the government of the People's Republic of China has extended an invitation to President Nixon to visit China the effect was electric the idea was almost unimaginable the Washington Post said if mr. Nixon had revealed he was going to the moon he could not have flabbergasted his world audience more the Cold War was raging in Southeast Asia China was North Vietnam's ally and Richard Nixon's credentials as an anti-communist were long-standing and impeccable but in the fall of 1967 Nixon wrote a seminal article about Asia after Vietnam taking the long view he wrote we simply cannot afford to leave China forever outside the family of Nations there is no place on this small planet for a billion of its potentially most able people to live in angry isolation in January 1969 in his first inaugural address President Nixon confirmed his determination to change America's policy toward China we seek an open world a world in which no people greater small will live in angry isolation On February 17th 1972 after two years of secret and delicate negotiations the president and first lady were on their way to China premier Joanne I was waiting at Beijing in 1954 the US Secretary of State had snubbed the then foreign minister Nixon wrote in his memoirs I knew the Jo had been deeply insulted by Foster Dulles as refusal to shake hands with him when I reached the bottom of the steps therefore I made a point of extending my hand as I walked toward him when our hands met one era ended and another began a few hours later the president met with Chairman Mao Zedong the 79 year old leader was in frail health but the lively hour-long meeting included philosophy history and banter Mao said I voted for you during your last election Nixon said I think the most important thing to note is that in America at least at this time those on the right can do what those on the Left can only talk about throughout his career Richard Nixon always reserve time for strategic thinking making and refining extensive notes on yellow pads in preparation for his China trip he considered all the possible permutations of policy involved what they want what we want what we both want at the Great Hall of the People the president and the premier exchanged toasts at in your toes the Chinese people are a great people the American people are a great people we have at times in the past been enemies we have great differences today what brings us together is that we have common interests which transcend those differences at the end of the trip diplomatic ground was broken with the Shanghai communique after covering the points on which both sides had reached agreement they proceeded to detail their different positions on all the other outstanding issues Nixon referred to this in his final toast to Shanghai on the eve of his departure a communique will make headlines around the world tomorrow but what we have said in that communique is not nearly as important as what we will do in the years ahead he has been here a week this was the week that changed the world during a visit to the Great Wall the president reflected on the purpose and potential of the trip and one stands there sees the wall going to the feet of this mountain and 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 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 retreat with each other to know each other and to share with each other those particular endeavors that will mean peaceful progress here goodbye after President Nixon returned home Clare Boothe Luce told him that a thousand years from now they will say of you he went to China and it began 40 years ago with a week that changed the world you

Channel: Richard Nixon Foundation

Views: 162,174

Keywords: Richard Nixon, China, Richard, Nixon, Yorba Linda, Orange County, President, United States, America, USA, CA, OC, Travel, Education, Learn, History, Government, School, Library, National Archieves, NARA, Milhouse, Vote, Washington DC, West Coast, Birthplace, POW, Lecture, Book, Signing, Keynote, Presentation

Id: Lnz7Ze71Pc0

Length: 5min 41sec (341 seconds)

Published: Tue Mar 06 2012