How did Nixon’s Visit to China
Change the Cold War?
Mr. Ornstein
Willow Canyon High School
IB: History of the Americas
Nixon Visits the People’s Republic
of China


US President
Richard Nixon
Visited the People’s
Republic of China in
February of 1972
He Was the First US
President to Visit
Communist China
China Since 1949
 Establishment
of the People’s
Republic of China
 Mao and Communists Rule
 US Refused to Recognize
Communist Government
 Views Government of Taiwan as
Official Chinese Government
Could Only Nixon Go To China?
Nixon Had a Strong History and Record
of Being Anti-Communist going back to
times of McCarthyism.
 Some Say Only A Very Strongly AntiCommunist President Could Open
Relations with China.
 Nixon Could Not Be Criticized for Being
soft on Communism.

Why Does China Want to Improve
Relations with the US?
 Sino-Soviet
Split
 Fear of War with Soviet Union
 Invasion of Czechoslovakia
 Wants to Cut Aid to North
Vietnamese
Why Does Nixon Want to Open
Relations with China?
China is providing major economic and
military assistance to North Vietnam
 US Does not want to See USSR
destroy China
 US wants to reduce nuclear arms and
tensions with Soviets, better relations
with China could force Soviets to
negotiate.

Common Goals of China and US
 Fear
of Soviet Union/Check on
Soviet Power
 Chaos at Home: China is going
through Cultural Revolution and
US is going through Vietnam War
Sticking Point: Taiwan
Taiwan
China viewed Taiwan as part of
People’s Republic.
 US had recognized Taiwan as
legitimate Chinese government and
pledged to defend.
 Strong support for Taiwan in US
Congress

Taiwan, Nixon, and China
US and PRC agree to disagree on
Taiwan issue.
 Both sides agree to “one China” and
Taiwan being part of China.


The U.S. acknowledged the notion that all Chinese
maintain that there is only one China and that
Taiwan is part of China. Nixon and the U.S.
government reaffirmed their interests in a peaceful
settlement of the Taiwan question agreed by the
Chinese themselves.
Results of Nixon’s Visit to China



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Relations continue to normalize with China.
China decreases support for North
Vietnamese and US is in better position to
leave Vietnam.
Nixon improves bargaining position with
Soviets on Nuclear Weapons Reduction.
Russian don’t want to be left out
Détente or “cooling” period of Cold War
SALT I: 1972



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Strategic Arms Limitation Talks
Began between US and USSR in 1969
Goal: Prevent Nuclear War
Both Sides Discuss limiting anti-ballistic
missiles (ABM) and strategic nuclear missiles
Talks stalled and bogged down until Nixon’s
visit to China.
Opening of China and SALT
Leonid Brezhnev
and Soviet Union
are more willing
to negotiate after
Nixon improves
relation with
China.
 Triangular
Diplomacy

Triangular Diplomacy


Rejects Monolithic Communism
Nixon Plays China off USSR to improve Cold
War Position of US and reach a “easing of
tensions”/détente
ABM Treaty







1972
1st step towards detente
Limits Anti-Ballistic Missiles or defensive
missiles
Protects Nuclear Balance
Limits ability to retaliate
SDI of the 1980’s conflicts with
US Pulls out in 2002
SALT I




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May 1972
Center Piece of Détente and Triangular Diplomacy
Limits Intercontinental (ICBM) Missiles and
Submarine launched ballistic missiles
Both superpowers recognize that the nuclear arms
race hurt both and made them less secure.
Acceptance of MAD: Mutual Assured Destructionremaining defenseless from a Nuclear Attack was
the best way to prevent one from happening.
Ticket Out the Door
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What were 2 reasons China was interested
in better relations with the US?
What were 3 reasons Richard Nixon wanted
better relations with China?
What is Détente?
What are 3 results of Nixon’s visit to China?