A significant milestone in recent world history was the meeting of U.S. President Nixon and Chairman Mao Zedong in Beijing in February 1972. This important event and what it accomplished is little known to many today. This is probably due to Nixon’s Watergate scandal, which overshadows everything. However, we should also remember the events of that time, as parallels can be drawn with the current tensions between the USA and China.
The basis for economic success
The “Shanghai Communique” signed at that time laid the foundation for a very successful economic cooperation between China, the USA and the West in general. It is the central element that has steered the development of the last half century here. The real “heroes” of these successful negotiations were not Nixon and Mao, but Dr. Henry Kissinger, then US National Security Advisor and Zhou Enlai, Premier of the People’s Republic of China.
On close inspection, many parallels
The casual observer will take the view that the situation at the time was quite different. I myself have been dealing with the history of this meeting and how it came about for a good two years. The more I review this, the more I come to the conclusion that nevertheless very much is comparable, and that it should therefore serve us as a lesson of history. Since the secret American meeting transcripts and memos were released in 2002, we can get an accurate picture today. Another interesting source on this is Kissinger’s book “On China.”
The situation in 1972 was more explosive than it is today
Since 1947, the Americans had been in bed with Chiang Kai Shek’s Nationalist Party, which ruled from Taiwan as the People’s Republic of China since 1949. For the United States, anything was simply more acceptable than pacting with Mao’s communists. Since then, the United States has blocked everything and completely isolated China. In two wars, Korea and Vietnam, the two parties had faced each other as enemies on the arms front, and blades were also crossed in the first and second “Taiwan Strait Crisis.” Moreover, American troops were stationed on Taiwan, only 180 km off the Chinese coast.
The cold war between the USSR and the USA was in full swing and communism was seen as a great danger. China also felt threatened by the Soviet Union. Among other things, Soviet troops were stationed on the northwestern border of China in Xinjiang and battles broke out. During this time period, China also became a nuclear power, and in May 1965, the People’s Republic detonated its second hydrogen bomb. A nuclear war between the USSR and China was considered possible. Mao was also concerned about developments in Japan and India.
The domestic situation of both countries was also critical. In China, the Cultural Revolution was at its peak. There was also a failed coup and assassination attempt against Mao by Marshal Lin Piao, who Mao had intended as his successor, unprecedented in the People’s Republic of China. There were deaths in the U.S. due to protests against the Vietnam War and racial unrest. America was divided as it had not been since the Civil War.
In this tense situation, or precisely because of this difficult situation, the 37th American President Richard Nixon extended his hand to Chairman Mao Zedong, and Mao took it. To learn more about how the Shanghai Communiqué came about and what we can learn from the current tensions, please read the next blog post: “The Week that Changed the World II/VI.“
Other blog posts in this series:
“The Week that Changed the World III/VI”
“The Week that Changed the World IV/VI”
“The Week that Changed the World V/VI“
“The Week that Changed the World VI/VI“
Below you will find my English YouTube video on “The Week that Changed the World.”