Richard Nixon’s Presidential Decision to Enact Sino-American Relations
David Kain
January 1, 2013
AP Government
Period Eight
The term ping-pong diplomacy itself is derived from the odd circumstance in which a Sino-American diplomatic relationship was formed during President Richard Nixon’s term in office. Though a ping pong tournament was not intended to bring about diplomacy between communist China and the democratic United States, it proved to be an essential spark in fueling the fire of Sino-American diplomacy. Each nation had its own differences with the communist Soviet Union and appeared to be a match made in diplomatic heaven. Within the next four decades the United States and China developed into the two largest global economies and the liaison became known as the single most important bilateral relationship of the twenty-first century.1 The historic opening of American and Chinese relations resulted in powerful overtones for the future of each country and provided ripple effects which spanned across the globe. The true significance of Nixon’s Chinese diplomacy cannot be fully appreciated without first comprehending the decades of Chinese-American hostility that preceded it. In 1949 a communist revolution took hold in China, and as the Communist People’s Republic of China obtained power the United States refused to recognize the party and instead deemed the nationalist Republic of China (Taiwan) as the sole legitimate government of China. As a response to the communist movement in China the United States removed all personnel from China in 1950. No official would permanently return until 1973.2
______________________________________________________________________________
The inner Chinese controversies were not the only point of difference between itself and the United States. China had direct ties with the Korean War, because of China’s involvement the United States imposed a trade embargo with the People’s Republic of China and eventually banned American travel to China completely.1 The president at the time, Lyndon Johnson, explained that there would be no hope for an easing of relationships with China as long as communist China continued to pursue conflict and preach violence.3 Despite these prior differences each nation shared a universal dislike of the Soviet Union. The Sino-Soviet relationship is vital in understanding how the Sino-American relationship came to be, and though both believed in communism, each took completely different roads to socialism.2 As the 1950s came to a close Sino-Soviet harmony began to dissipate, and as the 1960s emerged and progressed open hostility took hold.1 Tensions reached a maximum when the Soviet Union published the Brezhnev Doctrine. The doctrine permitted that Moscow possessed the right to bring any communist state to a heel by military force.1 National Security advisor to President Nixon, Henry Kissinger, perhaps but it best by stating “No communist leader was then challenging Moscow’s doctrinal preeminence more rigorously than Mao. If the Brezhnev Doctrine had any obvious application, it was to Mao’s China.”4
_____________________________________________________________________________
1 Bao
2 Holdridge
3 Buss
4 Kissinger
As China faced its controversies with the Soviet Union, the United States had its own number of differences with the Soviets. The United States had the goal of unsettling Moscow enough to convince Soviet leaders to relax the Soviet-American strained relations.5 While the Chinese attempted to defend its borders from Soviet threats, the American aspirations proved ineffective and the possibility of a Sino-American pact seemed to be ideal.
Apart from global indifference with the Soviet Union, President Nixon saw the opportunity for a pact with the Chinese to be a distraction from the Unites States’ involvement in the Vietnam War. President Nixon and advisor Kissinger envisioned a visit to China, which would lead to a transformation of Sino-American relations while also providing a diversion from Vietnam in the United States.6 The US’ involvement in Vietnam reached new heights daily and gained rapid displeasure across the globe; the shift of foreign attention greatly appealed to President Nixon and presented potential for China to help Vietnam accept terms of peace.1
The US government saw its opportunity to pursue China when the People’s Republic of China joined the United Nations Security Council. When addressing China as a nation Nixon proclaimed that a stable peace cannot be reached across the globe without the participation of China and its seven hundred and fifty million inhabitants. In September of 1968 the US State Department sent China a
______________________________________________________________________________
1 Bao
5 Mann
6 Dallek
proposition regarding ambassador-level communications, and to the amazement of the United States, China accepted1. As the 1970s approached, the Chinese and American governments began taking cautious steps towards one another. These flirtations between nations were not isolated to executive conversations; President Nixon publically explained in a TIME Magazine interview that he possessed a great desire to visit China. Mao responded in LIFE Magazine by stating that he would gladly host Nixon as either a tourist or president.7 In spring of 1971 Sino-American relationships jumped to an entirely new, unexpected, level. Rather than at a diplomatic conference or executive dinner, the setting for this unanticipated leap was the World Table Tennis Championship in Nagoya, Japan. The tournament was not meant to be a stepping stone for Sino-American diplomacy, in fact Chinese players were instructed to avoid American delegates.8 Despite these instructions diplomacy could not be avoided and, as if pulled directly from a Hollywood screenplay, fate intervened. US player Glenn Cowan found himself alone one afternoon after missing the American team bus, he eventually found a ride with the Chinese team. The team brought him to a tourism event and as a result a conversation and friendship emerged between Cowan and China’s player Zhang Zedong.
_____________________________________________________________________________
1 Bao
7 Isaacson
8 Hong and Sun
China’s Mao, when made aware, complimented Zedong as a table tennis star and diplomat, and on April 10 invited the US table tennis team to tour China. When informed, Nixon was quoted saying “I was as surprised as I was pleased by this news. I had never expected that the China initiative would come to fruition in the form of a ping-pong team”9 The American team was treated as royalty during the remainder of the tournament and although they suffered a brutal defeat in their exhibition match against China, the score meant nothing in comparison to the catalyst they became for Sino-American diplomacy. In June of 1971 China extended an invitation to the United States, asking the US to send an envoy to China.1 The recipient of this address was Henry Kissinger, and after the message was delivered to Nixon, Kissinger was scheduled to depart for Beijing on July 9, 1971. Kissinger was sent with one overall goal in mind; establish a meeting for Mao and Nixon.2 Nixon later wrote that he and Kissinger agreed on the codeword “Eureka”, and when Kissinger was able to confirm a meeting he sent a one word message to Nixon containing only “Eureka”.9 In February 1972 Nixon and Kissinger embarked on an expedition to China. The stakes were extremely high and all of the American actions in Moscow and Vietnam hinged on this ____________________________________________________________________________
1 Bao
2 Holdridge
9 Nixon
10 Time
China trip.11 The day of Nixon and Kissinger’s arrival contained a certain memory that Nixon kept with him for the rest of his life. As he later wrote in his memoirs, “The transcript of the conversation did not capture the most moving moment, when Mao reached out his hand, and I reached out mine, and he held it for about a minute.”9 The trip consisted of sightseeing, dinners, and many conversations regarding everything from current Sino-American relations to national views that had been left alone for over twenty years. The documented version of Nixon’s visit was titled the Shanghai Communiqué. The document explained each country’s goals and expressed their views and opinions of certain issues and topics. It incorporated the mutual desire further exchanges in science, technology, culture, and athletics. It also established an agreement to facilitate a development of trade between each nation. The document later shared a mutual opposition with regards to any major power dominating Asia.9 Finally, in the Shanghai Communiqué, the political status of Taiwan was discussed. The topic of Taiwan was stated as “the crucial question obstructing the normalization of relations between China and the United States.”12 The US did not argue or challenge the ______________________________________________________________________________
9 Nixon
11 Tyler
12 Shanghai Communiqué
Chinese stance that Taiwan was a province of China, and stated that it acknowledged China’s unified presence but did not state which governmental body it recognized.1 This semi-confusing section of the document stemmed from US hopes to continue supporting nationalist Taiwan, while also crafting new relations with the Communist People’s Republic of China.13 As the Chinese trip came to a close eight days after it had began, President Nixon delivered a quote that summarized the trip and the future perfectly, he said “In the years ahead, we will build a bridge across sixteen thousand miles and twenty-two years of hostility which have divided us in the past. We have been here a week. This was the week that changed the world.”9 Ping-Pong Diplomacy proved exponentially beneficial to the relationship between the United States and China. It opened the door to trade, culture, and advancements in technology and sciences; while also creating a window of opportunity for China to leave behind isolationism and grow into one of, if not the, most powerful country in the world. Though the goal of a Sino-American relationship was met, they goal of having China aide in ending the Vietnam War was never achieved. China refused to end support for North Vietnam, however, the Sino-American relationship did help to lower the power of the Soviet Union. ________________________________________________________________________
1 Bao
9 Nixon
13 Lilley
Two months after Nixon’s visit to China, the president again found himself abroad. This time, in Moscow, President Nixon reached the first ever nuclear arms limitations agreement between the two powerhouse countries of the Cold War, proving that the positive effects of Ping-Pong Diplomacy went far beyond the confines of the United States and China alone.6
In a presidency remembered for its scandals and hidden secrets, the diplomacy with China was a huge highlight of Nixon’s time in office. Nixon has been remembered for his infamous Watergate Scandal, and has been viewed as a man who dealt with his matters in the shadows. However, the Ping-Pong Diplomacy with China was an open-aired process which was highly covered and followed. President Nixon was able to turn his Chinese visit into an action of interest and drew in a lot of attention across the globe. This bright spot on Nixon’s career does not clean his slate, but does in fact show that he was productive during his presidency and exemplifies the positive side of Richard Nixon.
-------------------------------------------------
Opinions will always flourish as history progresses. One era may view a president as a cheat and a liar, and then the next may adapt to a respectable view of the very same president. It is true that the negative aspects of Nixon’s presidency are bound to linger over his name, but his push to open Chinese diplomacy may eventually help clear his name of some of the infamy that history has remembered him for. The global significance of Nixon’s Ping-Pong Diplomacy could be appreciated more in the future which could possibly reverse the Nixon stereotype.
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
6 Dallek
-------------------------------------------------
In the modern world the most obvious and beneficial effect of Nixon’s Ping-Pong Diplomacy may be the formation of China’s massive economy. In today’s world nearly everything can be assumed to have come from China. Nearly a decade after Nixon’s visit, China began to show signs of a capitalist economic system, and its economy began growing at an average annual rate of ten percent. China has grown into the largest foreign exporter in the world and the possibility for this was made available via Ping-Pong Diplomacy.
-------------------------------------------------
President Nixon’s decision to initiate Ping-Pong Diplomacy was intriguing when being unraveled. It distracted the United States from the Vietnam War for awhile and led to a new age of kinship between the United States and China. The Sino-American diplomacy offered potential peace for the Vietnam War while also offering and bringing about a level of limitations regarding the Soviet Union and its threats.
-------------------------------------------------
Four decades later Nixon’s presidential decision still has lingering effects. The United States is now the receiver of twenty percent of all Chinese exports, while China is currently the largest owner of US treasuries.3 With technology advancing more and more every day no one can predict where the United States and China will be years down the road, but it can be assumed that each will remain at the top of global powers and this became possible because of Ping-Pong Diplomacy in the early 1970s.
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
3 Buss
-------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------- Richard Nixon’s Chinese policy had coined the phrase Ping-Pong Diplomacy because of two reasons. The first, and most obvious, is derived from the ping pong tournament that enabled an opportunity for Sino-American relations. Secondly, from a figurative perspective, the term comes from the delicate skill in which the process required, much like the skill needed in table tennis. During the Nixon era Ping-Pong Diplomacy ended Chinese-American isolation, lessened the hold which the Soviet Union possessed, and distracted the nation from the Vietnam War. All in all, Nixon’s diplomacy effort was effective and its roots have developed into effects that still remain today.
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
[ 1 ]. 1 Boa
2 Holdridge
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Main Idea: American diplomacy helped create the “open door” in China, allowing other nations to partake in the wealth of the country.…
- 464 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
China led the list of gains. There is almost universal agreement that the opening up of China was a wise act of statesmanship. Regardless of their respective roles, however, the policy itself deserves acclaim as not only a step away from more than two decades of tensions that risked world peace but also a device for pressuring the Soviet Union into more accommodating relations with the west. “Reagan won the Cold War” is more than a celebration of Reagan’s presidency; it is an argument against the wisdom of détente.…
- 798 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
During the Nixon administration the Cold War diplomacy continued through the Vietnam war. During the earlier years as president he continued to fight the Vietnam war, which was a fight between the US backed South Vietnamese and the Chinese and Soviet backed North Vietnamese. Through the war many issues between communism and democracy arose, and the former HUAC member, Richard Nixon, was definitely not going to put them aside. Nixon continued to annoy different communist power, for example, “...Nixon irritated Mao by publicly justifying his costly ABM program as a defense against ‘the Chinese threat’...”(Fink, 157). Through the different actions Nixon took, he continued to spite communist powers when he could and therefore upheld Cold War tensions.…
- 581 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
After taking office, President Nixon is striving to end the nation’s involvement in the Vietnam War. However, the final years will yield more bloodshed and turmoil, as well as a growing cynicism in the minds of Americans about the honesty and effectiveness of the United States government. Nixon’s first step in ending the war is appointing Harvard professor Henry Kissinger as a special assistant for national security affairs and giving him wide authority to use diplomacy to end the conflict. Kissinger introduced a policy called linkage, which meant improving relations with the Soviet Union and China so that he could persuade them to cut back on their aid. Nixon also began to reduce the number…
- 584 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
U.S.-China trade relations, American missionaries were dying, and the U.S. needed to prove it was willing…
- 437 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Select one country you wrote about in Assignment 1 and describe the Cold War relationship that existed between it and the U.S. Explicate the diplomatic doctrine the president followed, with reference to specific actions or events that occurred.…
- 1242 Words
- 5 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Due to this the spread of communism and the preservation of America’s international ‘power’, a focus on the spread of communism to Vietnam was created- an area of Asia that America had not previously been involved nor concerned with. It was American belief that appeasement, that had such been seen before WWII and throughout the Truman administration, was not one that would secure America’s place in the world nor ensure prestige and international reputation. Thus the U.S vowed to stop the aggression of Communism before it happened, and consequently became involved in Vietnam in an attempt to preserve World stance and order through the containment of Communism. Conclusively, the events, establishments and decisions made by the American leaders in response to the conflict within Vietnam divulge a plethoric insight into the ideals, values and views of American politics during the 1960’s. From the very beginning of 1950, when American involvement in Vietnam first became notable, a wide range of sentiments in regard to international relations was demonstrated and revealed by the American decisions made in regard to Vietnam. Through the decisions made in regard to their involvement America namely displayed their attitude toward the Asian nations, their principles in regard to the existence and expansion of Communism and their position in reference to their ‘place in the world’- their prestige, power and influence. America became involved in Vietnam in the 1960’s for a variety of inter-connected and reflective reasons. Essentially, the philosophy of Communism was in direct opposition to the capitalist and democratic system of Government of the United States. In fear of the spread of such an ideology America decided that becoming involved in South Vietnam was the best way to assure the expansion of communism was not achieved. This decision was not simply made based upon the fear of the spread of Communism, or the “Domino Theory”. Rather…
- 2788 Words
- 12 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Since the beginning of the First World War to the present, nationalist ideology within China has caused change and continuity in several aspects of this nation’s society. One major change in China from the First World War to the present is its foreign relations with other countries due to factors such as communism and neocolonialism. Although China has changed in this way, it has remained one united nation despite foreign invasion and other internal/external conflicts.…
- 560 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
The relationship between the U.S. and China is one of the most important two-sided relationships in this century. Dr. Kissinger made lots of valid point in his webinar. Kissinger…
- 410 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
(1) In 1950, President Harry Truman prevented the expansion of Chinese communists and soviets from influencing East Asia. He did this by resisting North Korea’s invasion of South Korea. Although President Harry Truman’s decision prevented the expansion of the Chinese communists and Soviets, his decision was very risky and could have gotten the United States in big trouble. The reason being that the United States at that time had nearly no weapons (since they disarmed themselves in 1945) and was in a critical position to engage China or the Soviet Union in an Asian conflict. The United States and its allies, acting under the UN (United Nations) mandate, decided to cease-fire which replenished South Korea’s Territorial Integrity and led to the Cold War in U.S.-China relations that lasted about 20 years. This happened right after the three years of war with Chinese and North Korean forces. President Nixon later visited China to open relations with the People’s Republic in 1972.…
- 875 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
This paper will discuss/describe the current relationship between the U.S. and other countries since the Cold War.…
- 425 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Chang, T. (1993). The press and China policy: the illusion of Sino-American relations 1950-1984. Norwood, New Jersey: Ablex.…
- 8143 Words
- 33 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Richelman, J (1999) China and the United States: From Hostility to Engagement. Retrieved June 7, 2008 from website: http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB19/…
- 2236 Words
- 9 Pages
Good Essays -
China had fallen to communism in 1949, which was a reason in which the US got involved with Korea, to stop the domino theory from taking place, they thought to contain communism in Korea so that wouldn’t take place, and the US felt very passionately about this, which is supported by a quote from Lyndon B Johnson which he said that, "I am not going to be the president who saw South-East Asia go the way China went." And that is why they went into war with Korea in 1950-1953. 400,000 soldiers had died and many thought that was a lot of soldiers who died for the capitalism approach however many thought that winning against communism would end all wars during that time, and so President Eisenhower also thought that communism would stop at the 17th parallel, but as we know, it wasn’t as easy as that because there were many important factors that stopped it being that easy. For one thing, the leader of the south, Ngo Dinh Diem, was a catholic and many of South Vietnam were Buddhists led to many dangerous uprising, This is shown by the Buddhist crisis in 1963 in Hue when Diem prohibited displaying Buddhist flags in support of the Buddha’s birthday, meanwhile a few days later, Catholics…
- 1381 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
This opened many doors between the two countries such as trade, having any relations with China and the general safety of our own country. To show you the big picture here is a quote from PBS “Any initial press and Congressional criticism of the Shanghai Communique...Wrote Nixon in his memoirs, "For once a White House public relations strategy succeeded, and performed a diplomatic function as well.” This is a better understanding of the Visit to China because this is a peak for not only Nixon but for America. To put in perspective, at the time, China was a communist country and they let in a country that was lead by a democracy. The fact that Mao let us not only be there but to discuss over Ping-Pong was a very enlightening moment for the United states. On the subject of Nixon, he was one final peak to show from his…
- 724 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays