The Abject Failure Of Nixon's China Policy
On February 21st, 1972 President Richard Nixon arrived in China for a historic eight-day trip. He was taking a risky gamble. But in Nixon's mind it was a gamble worth taking. Nixon wrote: "The world cannot be safe until China changes. Thus our aim, to the extent that we can influence events, should be to induce change. The way to do this is to persuade China that it must change: that it cannot satisfy its imperial ambitions." He had three main goals. First, opening up China would give the United States more flexibility on the world scene. Second, it would provide the U.S. more leverage against the Soviet Union and get their attention. Third, he hoped it would help in resolving the Vietnam War and provide for a way to pull out and save face. Ultimately, Nixon didn't get his wish on Vietnam. China continued to provide arms, materials, and fighters to the North Vietnamese leading America to a humiliating retreat. He fared much better though on his goal of gaini...