Malcolm Rivera
Richard Nixon's foreign policy, influenced by his national security adviser and secretary of state, Henry Kissinger, was driven by a desire to be known for his expertise in diplomacy and to reshape America's approach to international relations. Nixon's triangular diplomacy, involving the US, the Soviet Union, and China, aimed to exploit the rivalry between the two communist powers to America's advantage. This policy was particularly relevant during the Vietnam War, where Nixon sought to gain Soviet and Chinese assistance in withdrawing US troops from Vietnam. Kissinger's realpolitik approach, which aimed for stability and a balance of power, led to a temporary thaw in Cold War tensions, with Nixon achieving a rapprochement with China and pursuing détente with the Soviet Union.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for triangular diplomacy | To gain Soviet and Chinese assistance in softening North Vietnamese troops and withdrawing from the conflict with dignity |
| To reshape the U.S. approach to international relations and seek a balance of power to reduce military and political tensions between the three main players in the international order: the Soviet Union, the United States, and China | |
| To prevent Soviet turbulent expansion into Asia as the U.S. retrenched militarily | |
| To appear politically powerful against adversaries | |
| To establish a détente, or an easing of tensions, with the USSR | |
| To exploit the rivalry between the Soviet Union and China to win advantages for the United States | |
| To achieve a rapprochement with China against the Soviet Union | |
| To challenge the idea of a monolithic communist bloc dominated by the Soviet Union | |
| To safeguard against Soviet Union adventurism in Asia | |
| To end years of isolation between the U.S. and China |
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What You'll Learn
Nixon's desire to be known for his foreign policy expertise
Richard Nixon longed to be known for his expertise in foreign policy. Unlike his predecessor, he wanted to make his mark in this area. As he entered the White House during the height of the Vietnam War, Nixon, along with his adviser Henry Kissinger, initiated several new trends in American diplomatic relations.
Nixon contended that the communist world consisted of two rival powers: the Soviet Union and China. Given the long history of animosity between those two nations, Nixon and Kissinger decided to exploit that rivalry to win advantages for the United States. This policy became known as triangular diplomacy.
Nixon's desire for change in US-China policy was evident even before he took office. However, China's isolationism and Mao Zedong's ideological regime meant that any change in the short term seemed unlikely. Nonetheless, Nixon revealed to Charles de Gaulle his determination to open dialogue with China.
Nixon and Kissinger's triangular diplomacy was a grand strategy that aimed to gain Soviet and Chinese assistance in softening North Vietnamese troops and withdrawing from the conflict with dignity. They used China to pressure the Soviet Union to concede in other foreign policy areas, especially in the Vietnam War. This was achieved by offering integration into the international trade system, scientific and technological resources, and the stabilization of bilateral relations.
Nixon's pursuit of a détente, or an easing of tensions, with China and the Soviet Union, was a visionary move that bore fruit in 1972 and continues to benefit the United States to this day.
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Kissinger's policy to gain Soviet and Chinese assistance
Kissinger's policy of triangular diplomacy was designed to gain Soviet and Chinese assistance by exploiting the rivalry between the two Communist powers. Kissinger and Nixon recognised that the communist world consisted of two rival powers—the Soviet Union and China—and sought to use this to their advantage. Kissinger's primary intention was to gain assistance from the Soviets and the Chinese in softening North Vietnamese troops and withdrawing from the Vietnam War with dignity.
The policy was also intended to prevent the decline of American authority during the Vietnam War, following the perceived inefficiencies of previous policies. Kissinger sought to reshape the US approach to international relations, seeking a balance of power that could produce stability and reduce military and political tensions between the three main global powers. Kissinger argued that it was better for the United States "to be closer to either Moscow or Peking than either was to the other".
The Sino-Soviet split offered an opportunity for Nixon and Kissinger to pursue this policy, by offering integration into the international trade system, scientific and technological resources, and stabilisation of bilateral relations. Kissinger and Nixon's policy of rapprochement with China was also used to cause consternation in the Soviet Union. Nixon directed Kissinger to privately plant ideas of rapprochement with China to cause Soviet concern, and Nixon's secret trip to China in 1972, as well as the Beijing and Moscow summits in 1972, further exacerbated tensions between the Soviet Union and China.
The policy of triangular diplomacy was also an attempt to achieve long-term stability in Asia. As Sino-Soviet clashes heightened, China's role in triangular diplomacy centred on preventing Soviet turbulent expansion into Asia as the US retrenched militarily.
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Nixon's intention to victimise China within the Sino-Soviet split
Richard Nixon, unlike his predecessor, was more interested in foreign policy than in domestic affairs. He longed to be known for his expertise in foreign policy. He saw an opportunity to improve relations with the Soviet Union and establish relations with the People's Republic of China.
Nixon's triangular diplomacy was a foreign policy developed during the Vietnam War by Henry Kissinger, his national security advisor and later secretary of state. The policy was to manage relations between the two contesting communist powers, the Soviet Union and China, by exploiting their rivalry to win advantages for the United States. Nixon's intention to victimize China within the Sino-Soviet split was to gain Soviet cooperation on matters deemed important to the United States.
Nixon's triangular diplomacy was a means to an end, with the end being national interests and security concerns. The policy was to reshape the U.S. approach to international relations, seeking a balance of power that could produce stability and thereby reduce military and political tensions between the three main players in the international order: the Soviet Union, the United States, and China.
Nixon's triangular diplomacy was also a way to pressure the Soviet Union to concede in other foreign policy areas, especially in the Vietnam War. The policy was to prevent Soviet turbulent expansion into Asia as the U.S. retrenched militarily. Nixon's policy of rapprochement with China was also a means for long-term stability in Asia.
Nixon's triangular diplomacy was a grand strategy developed with his adviser Henry Kissinger through a perceptive insight into a surfacing triangular relationship. The policy was to cause Soviet consternation and disquiet their confidence without hindering chances of rapprochement. Nixon's pursuit of a China that was a responsible member of the world community bore undeniable fruit in 1972 and would continue to benefit the United States.
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Nixon's pursuit of détente with China
Richard Nixon's pursuit of détente with China was a significant shift in US foreign policy. The US and China had been estranged since the Communist takeover in 1949, and the two countries had not spoken for decades. However, Nixon had long been interested in China, and in 1967, he wrote in Foreign Affairs that continuing to ignore China was "unrealistic and unwise".
Nixon's determination to open dialogue with China was motivated by his desire to reshape US foreign policy and establish a more stable triangular balance of power with the Soviet Union and China. Nixon and his adviser, Henry Kissinger, sought to exploit the rivalry between the two communist powers for the advantage of the US. This policy became known as triangular diplomacy.
Nixon's visit to China substantially altered the balance of power between the US, China, and the Soviet Union. It also led to a temporary thaw in Cold War tensions, with the US and the Soviet Union signing the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I) in May 1972. Nixon's pursuit of détente with China was ultimately hampered by the Watergate scandal, which led to his resignation in 1974. It wasn't until 1979 that full diplomatic relations were established between the US and China.
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The US-China rapprochement
Richard Nixon's policy of triangular diplomacy was driven by his desire to be known for his expertise in foreign policy and to shape his legacy. Entering the White House during the Vietnam War, Nixon aimed to leverage the rivalry between the Soviet Union and China to advance US interests and achieve stability in Asia.
Nixon and his adviser, Henry Kissinger, recognised the opportunity presented by the Sino-Soviet split to pursue a policy of détente with both powers. They sought to improve relations with China, primarily to gain leverage over the Soviet Union and prevent its expansion into Asia. This approach, known as the "China card" perspective, was a strategic move to enhance US power and influence in the region.
Nixon signalled his interest in improving relations with China by easing travel and trade restrictions and reopening Ambassadorial Talks in 1969. He also established a secret channel of communication with the PRC's leadership through Pakistani President Yahya Khan, demonstrating his commitment to rapprochement.
The process of US-China rapprochement gained momentum in 1970, with the PRC expressing interest in high-level discussions to improve relations. This led to the famous "Ping-Pong Diplomacy" in 1971, where the PRC invited the US ping-pong team for a match in China, marking the first time Americans were allowed into the country since the Communist takeover in 1949. This informal approach paved the way for more serious diplomatic negotiations.
In 1972, Nixon made a historic trip to China, meeting with Chairman Mao Zedong and laying the groundwork for formal diplomatic relations, which were eventually established in 1979. This rapprochement had a significant impact on the Cold War dynamics, altering the context of the global conflict and contributing to a temporary thaw in tensions.
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Frequently asked questions
Nixon and his adviser, Henry Kissinger, wanted to exploit the rivalry between the two communist powers, the Soviet Union and China, to win advantages for the United States.
Nixon entered the White House during the Vietnam War. Kissinger, as Nixon's national security adviser, wanted to gain Soviet and Chinese assistance in softening North Vietnamese troops and withdrawing from the conflict with dignity.
Kissinger made a secret trip to China in 1971, arranging the first-ever presidential visit to China in 1972. This caused concern in the Soviet Union. Nixon also sought to ease tensions with the USSR, visiting Moscow in May 1972 to support a nuclear arms agreement, resulting in the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I).
