![]() ![]() Strategically, the Kremlin faced the prospect of adversaries on two fronts. By demonstrating the willingness to work directly with Beijing, Washington’s message to Moscow was not subtle: Either moderate Soviet global ambitions or the US would help energize China’s deepening struggle against the USSR. True, American leaders were to be later disappointed that China was unable to “deliver” a negotiated end to the Vietnam War.Įven if the visit could not solve the burning Vietnam question, however, Nixon’s trip still had immense and positive geopolitical consequences. Yet the surprise visit to Beijing helped give America its “mojo” back, appearing as it did to demonstrate Americans’ willingness to rethink old assumptions and strive for making peace with old enemies, even in East Asia. This diplomatic maneuver amounted to such a radical turnabout in US foreign policy that Nixon’s national security adviser Henry Kissinger was at pains to keep the State Department completely in the dark. Kissinger deserves ample credit for successfully paving the way for the trip with his secret visit to the Chinese capital in July 1971 that made the subsequent Nixon visit possible.Īlso read: Fifty years on, lessons from Sino-US rapprochementĪbe’s legacy lives on in Japan’s foreign and security policies The visit featured one of the most right-wing, anti-communist figures in American politics sitting down to chat amiably with the world’s most preeminent exponent of Communist revolution. It was perhaps the boldest leap for American diplomacy in the 20th century. Yet as the “New Cold War” with China solidifies, there has never been a more important time to reflect on Nixon’s 1972 visit to Beijing. ![]() Between the Olympics and the Ukraine-Russia crisis, the 50th anniversary of US president Richard Nixon’s visit to China has not received the attention it deserves. That event not only helped transform China and US-China relations, but it played a major role in “winning” the Cold War and ushering in a new, multipolar, globalized system. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |