Isabella Carter
Richard Nixon's foreign policy as president of the United States (1969-1974) was focused on reducing the dangers of the Cold War with the Soviet Union and China. Nixon, known as America's foremost anti-Communist politician of the Cold War, took a unique approach to diplomacy with the two Communist giants. He sought to improve relations with the Soviet Union and establish relations with the People's Republic of China, playing one against the other to gain leverage in negotiations. This approach, known as triangulation, was a significant shift in US foreign policy and had a lasting impact on global relations.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Nixon's visit to China | February 21-28, 1972 |
| Nixon's position | President of the United States |
| China's leader at the time | Mao Zedong |
| China's premier at the time | Zhou Enlai |
| Nixon's National Security Advisor | Henry Kissinger |
| Nixon's goal in visiting China | To improve relations with the Soviet Union and establish relations with the People's Republic of China |
| Resulting agreements | Shanghai Communiqué, Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT), Interim Agreement on strategic offensive arms, cultural exchange, and trade agreements |
| Impact | A significant shift in the Cold War balance, driving a wedge between the Soviet Union and China, and resulting in Soviet concessions |
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What You'll Learn
Nixon's visit to China in 1972
Nixon's trip to China was highly publicized and caused a sensation among the American people, as it marked a potential shift in foreign policy and relations with the communist country. Prior to his election, Nixon had expressed his desire to improve relations with the two great communist powers, the Soviet Union and China, whose relations had been deteriorating since the 1950s. During his visit, Nixon met with Mao in the leader's study, toured the Great Wall of China with First Lady Pat Nixon, and attended banquets hosted by Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai.
The meetings between Nixon and the Chinese leaders focused on candidly presenting their views on various issues and improving communication between the two countries. The US side emphasized its commitment to peace in Asia and the world, reducing tensions, and eliminating the basic causes of conflict. The Chinese side expressed its support for the struggles of oppressed people and nations for freedom and liberation, and its opposition to foreign aggression and power politics.
Nixon's visit to China was part of his strategy known as "détente," which aimed to lessen tensions between the two superpowers and use the improved relations to pressure North Vietnam to negotiate an end to the Vietnam War. The trip also led to an immediate improvement in American relations with the USSR, as Nixon received an invitation to meet with Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev, which resulted in the signing of the SALT 1 ABM Treaty and other agreements on arms control, science, space, and trade.
Nixon's 1972 trip to China may be one of the most famous overseas trips by a US president, firmly lodging itself into American cultural consciousness. It demonstrated that Nixon, despite his anti-communist credentials, was willing to take bold steps to improve relations and reduce global tensions.
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The Shanghai Communiqué
The Communiqué was the result of secret diplomatic missions by National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, who made several visits to China in 1971, including early deliberations over the document and planning for Nixon's visit. Kissinger and Premier Zhou Enlai, the Chinese liaison in the negotiations, had 25 hours of documented meetings. Kissinger did not use translators from the State Department due to concerns of leaking. Kissinger's secret visits involved seven drafts over the contents of the Shanghai Communiqué.
The document covered three main aspects for the United States and China. The United States formally acknowledged that "all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China". The Communiqué also stated that both the United States and China strive for "normalization" of relations, and to expand "people-to-people contacts" and trade opportunities. In a slight indication to the Soviet Union, the communiqué affirmed that neither nation "should seek hegemony in the Asia-Pacific region".
The Communiqué also had a significant impact on global power dynamics, challenging Soviet hegemony and opening the door to new trade opportunities with China. It may have also contributed to the end of the Cold War in East Asia.
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Détente with the USSR
Richard Nixon's policy sought a détente with the USSR, which was hostile to the US in the wake of the Sino-Soviet split. Nixon's goal was to strengthen relations with the USSR and lessen tensions between the two superpowers. He also wanted to use the Soviets to apply pressure on their North Vietnamese ally to negotiate an end to the Vietnam War.
Nixon's trip to China in 1972 caused a sensation among the American people, who had seen little of the world's most populous nation since the Communists had taken power. The announcement of the Beijing summit produced an immediate improvement in American relations with the USSR, including an invitation for Nixon to meet with Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev in Russia. This was a sign that Nixon's effort at "triangulation" was working, and the fear of improved relations between China and America was leading the Soviets to better their own relations with America.
In May 1972, Nixon travelled to Moscow, becoming the first president to visit. He and Brezhnev signed the SALT 1 ABM Treaty (Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems) and the Interim Agreement on strategic offensive arms in Moscow. Nixon also negotiated and signed agreements on science, space, and trade. While Nixon tried to use improved relations with the Soviets and Chinese to pressure North Vietnam to reach a settlement, he could only negotiate an agreement that interrupted, rather than ended, the war.
In 1973, Nixon and Kissinger set up the international "Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe" (CSCE) in Helsinki, bringing together nearly all of Europe. Washington's goal was to strengthen relations with the Soviet Union through détente. The 1975 accords were signed by all of Europe, the USSR, the US, and Canada. The key provisions included legitimizing the current borders and a pledge by each nation to respect the human rights and civic freedoms of their citizens. For the first time, the USSR recognized its people's rights regarding free speech and travel.
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Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT)
The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) were bilateral conferences and treaties involving the United States and the Soviet Union. The Cold War superpowers addressed arms control in two rounds of talks and agreements: SALT I and SALT II.
SALT I, or the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks Agreement, was signed on May 26, 1972, by President Richard Nixon and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. It froze the number of strategic ballistic missile launchers at existing levels and allowed for the addition of new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) launchers only after the same number of older intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and SLBM launchers had been dismantled. SALT I also limited land-based ICBMs that were within range of the northeastern border of the Continental United States to the northwestern border of the continental Soviet Union. Additionally, it restricted the number of SLBM-capable submarines that NATO and the United States could operate to 50, with no more than 800 SLBM launchers between them.
The first results of SALT I came in May 1971, when an agreement was reached over Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) systems. The ABM Treaty limited strategic missile defenses to 200 interceptors for each side and allowed each side to construct two missile defense sites: one to protect the national capital and the other to protect an ICBM field.
SALT II was signed by US President Jimmy Carter and Brezhnev in Vienna on June 18, 1979. It banned new missile programs and limited the development and construction of new strategic missile types. It also restricted the number of MIRVed ballistic missiles and long-range missiles to 1,320.
SALT II was submitted to the US Senate for ratification but was never ratified due to renewed tensions between the superpowers, including the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the discovery of a Soviet combat brigade stationed in Cuba. Despite this, both sides continued to respect the terms of the agreement until its expiration on December 31, 1985.
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Playing the USSR and China against each other
Richard Nixon's visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1972 was a significant event in the history of US-China relations, marking the end of 25 years of diplomatic isolation and hostility between the two countries. Nixon became the first US president to visit the PRC, meeting with Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai. This trip was the culmination of his administration's efforts to establish relations with the PRC, which had been dominated by anti-communist sentiment since the Chinese Civil War.
Prior to his election, Nixon had hinted at establishing a new relationship with the PRC. Once in office, he began sending subtle overtures through his National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger, who made secret diplomatic visits to Beijing in 1971. Kissinger's trips laid the groundwork for Nixon's visit, which was announced in a dramatic speech and caused a sensation among the American people.
Nixon's trip to China was part of a strategy known as "triangulation," aiming to play the USSR and China against each other to gain leverage in negotiations with both countries and their North Vietnamese allies. The US sought to pressure the Soviets and Chinese to reduce their support for North Vietnam and to improve relations with the US. This strategy was based on the deteriorating relations between the two communist powers, which had erupted into open conflict along their borders during Nixon's first term.
The rapprochement with China drove an ideological wedge between the PRC and the USSR, resulting in significant Soviet concessions and eventually contributing to the fall of the Soviet Union. Nixon's meetings with his Soviet counterpart, Leonid Brezhnev, in 1971 and 1972, led to important agreements, including the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM). These treaties paved the way for future pacts aimed at reducing and eliminating nuclear arms.
While Nixon's efforts at "triangulation" had some success in improving relations and reducing tensions, they did not lead to a general improvement in the international climate. The agreements with the Soviets only interrupted, rather than ended, the Vietnam War. Nonetheless, Nixon's visit to China was a seismic geopolitical event that substantially altered the balance of power between the US, China, and the Soviet Union.
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Frequently asked questions
Nixon's trip to China in 1972 was the first time a US President had visited the country while in office. The trip was set up by Nixon's assistant, Henry Kissinger, who used Pakistan as an intermediary. The visit produced an agreement to facilitate the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two powers, known as the Shanghai Communiqué. The agreement included a pledge from the US to end its official recognition of Taiwan and withdraw military forces from the island. This trip ended the cold war with China and ushered in an era of friendship.
Nixon's diplomacy with the USSR led to the signing of the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) and an Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. These agreements helped to contain the nuclear arms race and paved the way for future pacts to reduce and eliminate arms. Nixon also negotiated and signed agreements on science, space, and trade.
Nixon and Kissinger were committed to a realism that focused on American economic advantages. They jettisoned moralism in foreign policy, seeking détente with Communism and confrontation with old allies who had become economic adversaries. Nixon played the two Communist giants, China and the USSR, against each other, taking advantage of the tension between the two countries.
