The Nixon move toward China.

        In March 1969, a border dispute between China and the Soviet Union came close to starting a war.  That conflict gave Nixon an opportunity to begin his initiative toward China.  Since there was no direct diplomatic contact between China and the United States Nixon used some interesting events to establish contact.  China had an interest in establishing a new relationship with President Nixon to attempt to change the United States’ firm defense of Taiwan.  A diplomat of the United States embassy in Poland made contact with a diplomat from the Chinese embassy in Poland.  The Chinese were made aware that President Nixon wanted to establish relations with their country.  The U.S. State Department was concerned that the contact might damage relations with America’s allies that were relying on the United States to protect them from what was seen as a communist aggressor.  Nixon then cut the State Department out of the discussions and conducted the Chinese foreign policy initiatives through his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger.  In April 1971, the U.S. ping-pong team was touring Japan.  Mao invited the U.S. ping-pong team to tour China.  This was seen as a friendly gesture towards the United States.  Then in June 1971 Mao sent a secret personal invitation for President Nixon to visit China.   It was determined that the trip arrangements could be made through a mutually friendly country, Pakistan.  Pakistan eventually arranged a secret meeting between the Chinese Premier Chou Enlai and Henry Kissinger. They secretly arranged the Nixon trip to China.  The main barrier to a U.S.-China relationship was the issue of Taiwan, the offshore Chinese island where Mao’s old enemy, Chiang Kai Shek, governed.  America had defended Taiwan since 1949 and China claimed Taiwan as part of its nation.  It was agreed that the issue would be discussed as part of the Nixon trip.

        As part of the announcement for Nixon’s visit, the Chinese wanted a joint statement that Nixon wanted to go to China and China was gracious to let him come.  The Unites States wanted the statement to be that China would like to have Nixon come and that Nixon was happy to accept the invitation.  After working all night, a joint announcement was agreed upon which stated: “Knowing of President Nixon’s expressed desire to visit the People’s Republic of China, Premier Chou Enlai, on behalf of the Peoples Republic of China, has extended an invitation to President Nixon to visit China.  President Nixon has accepted the invitation with pleasure.”  Taiwan accused Nixon of selling out its country.  The announcement stunned the world.  However, there was a hope that such a meeting could help world peace.

        Establishing some type of diplomatic relation with China could benefit the United States.  The Unites States was very concerned about the Soviet Union’s build-up of nuclear weapons.  It was thought that a closer relationship with China might cause the Soviet Union to be concerned about confronting two different enemies on two fronts.  It was thought that this might cause the Soviet Union to deal with the Unites States in attempting to limit nuclear weapons.  The United States also thought that improved relations with China might help resolve the war in which the United States was involved in Vietnam.  The United States also saw China, as the most populous nation in the world, as a potentially large market for the sale of goods.  In addition, the United States was concerned that China could be a very serious threat to the peace of the world and that improved relations might help in easing the tensions that were aggravated by the war-like relationship between the United States and China.  Therefore, President Nixon thought that his policy for China would be very beneficial for the United States.  

When Nixon came to China the big obstacle to U.S.-China relations was Taiwan.  The parties drafted a proposed statement on Taiwan.  That statement agreed that there was only one China, which included Taiwan.  The statement artfully did not address who should govern the “one China”.  The document states, “all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China.”  The proposed joint statement further said that the United States would support is mutual security treaties with Japan and Korea.  It said nothing about the treaties obligations with Taiwan.  After lengthy conversations it was decided to omit all reference to mutual defense treaties.  Therefore, the joint statement established a United States policy of recognizing “one China.”  This was acceptable to the Chinese even though the statement remained silent about who would govern China.  With this policy, the United States was able to open relations with China and still maintain a secure relationship with Taiwan.      

        This new relationship advanced American interests in many ways.  The Soviet Union became more concerned that it had two major enemies that were now establishing a relationship.  That led the way to the signing of a Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty.  For the first time, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to limits on anti ballistic missiles.  This was certainly in the best interest of the United States for security as well as economic reasons.  While China did not influence the further course of the Vietnam War, general relationships among the nations of Southeast Asia improved because China was no longer as much of an instigator of problems between those nations and the United States.  This new policy opened China to the United States and the rest of the world.  It has helped China mature as a nation so it can have fruitful relationships with other nations.  This United States policy importantly opened China as a commercial market.  This is very profitable United States business and its economy.  The United States now has an annual trade with China worth 80 billion dollars.  Without the Nixon visit and the “one China” policy, the Chinese market would not be open.  Because of the United States foreign policy as started by the Nixon visit, the United States has increased its wealth and security.  

        The U.S. foreign policy, as started by President Nixon, is also a policy that has been right and good for the world.  It has reduced tensions and potential conflicts between China and the rest of the world thereby making the world a safer place.  It brought China out of an economically isolated position in the world to a partner in the world economy.    The policy has also opened Chinese society to many types of cultural exchanges.  This has helped bring cultural advances and some degree of freedom to the Chinese people.  A nation with twenty percent of the world’s population has now been more fully integrated into the world political community.  This is advantageous to both China and the rest of the world in developing trade and helping with peace and security.  The Nixon policy towards China was a great contribution to world order and international relations.  The China policy as it has been developed, has benefited the self-interest of the United States but has also been beneficial to China and the rest of the world.