The Historical Visit of President Nixon to China

As I understand the historical connection between China and United States, they were and in some sense still are both rivals, which began with Mao Zedong driving American-supported Chang out of China soon after the unconditional surrender of the defeat of aggressive Imperial Japan in 1945. Mao took over China and forced Chang to beat a hasty retreat to Taiwan Island. Then in l950, the world witnessed the fierce armed confrontation between Mao led China versus the United Nations' forces with the full backing of United States during the three year Korean War which eventually became a stalemate to this day. Then there was another world-shattering war between U.S. and Communist Soviet-China over the devastating Vietnam. So China had been at odds with the United States for many years until the opportunity of the “ping pong diplomacy” (MacMillan, 297), when President Nixon occupied the White House. China’s Premier Zhou Enlai, peace was extended to United States first under the guise of “ping pong diplomacy” (MacMillan, 297) which led subsequently to the secret visit of Kissinger to China from Pakistan, allies of China. Then came the world-shaking announcement, when President Nixon stepped foot on Chinese soil for the first time ever and extended his sincere hands of friendship to the beaming host, Premier Chou Enlai. When President Nixon stepped foot on Chinese soil this news was listened by the whole world and the Audience was the world. But out of all the audience it was a major concern for the U.S. allies such as Taiwan and Japan and also enemies such as the Soviet Union. There were mutual reactions from the allies and enemies of the U.S. who initiated this historic, unexpected, impossible meeting. China’s allies such as North Korea ...

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...shocked them but also Taiwan getting expelled from the U.N. and also number of countries switching their recognition to China threatened their country. (MacMillan, 298) With this discomforting Sino-American event Taiwanese press said that people all around the Pacific no longer trusted the U.S. as their ally.

The historical visit of President Nixon in which he was instrumental in opening many diplomatic doors led China to eventually joining its rightful place in the United Nations. Although President Nixon’s visit to China put the whole world to an utter shock, it helped China to open up and become one of the world leading countries. Moreover, this visit put a brake to the then Soviet aggression and he used it as a China card to squeeze more concessions later from the Soviets. China on its part was grateful for Nixon which jointly warns off the Soviet aggression.