Cold War Game Change

President Nixon’s China game brought Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev to the negotiating table in May 1972.  Since the rise of the Iron Curtain after World War II, the US-Soviet relationship was based on a balance of power. That is, both sides tried to ensure the...

An Important Handshake

Premier Chou receives President Nixon’s extended hand upon his arrival in Peking Walking down the steps from the “Spirit of ‘76” after landing on the small tarmac of the Peking Airport, President Nixon made it a point to extend his hand toward Premier Chou...

The South Lawn Departure

The President and First Lady waiving goodbye from the South Lawn News crews filmed the small crowd, including Republican and Democratic Congressmen, the Vice President and Mrs. Agnew, and the President’s two daughters, Tricia and Julie, which had all gathered around a...

Dinner with Andre Malraux

Andre Malraux, French Minister of Information and Culture After accepting the invitation to visit China, President Nixon began to prepare himself for exchanges with the Chinese leadership. One of the most important, and most difficult, aspects of the preparation was...

The Announcement

The July 26, 1971 cover of Time Magazine featuring RN and Dr. Kissinger. To a very keen observer, President Nixon’s acceptance of Premier Chou En-Lai’s invitation to China would not have had as great a shock as it did to the rest of the nation. President Nixon, in...