Reply #14: Nixon "The Statesman" [View All]

[KharmaTrain]

IRC, Kissinger's Ping Pong trip then Nixon's trip to Beijing fell right at the '72 election was getting underway...and the trip was billed as a great breaktrhough and spun into how Nixon was a great statesman. China was fighting across the Amuri River with the Soviets and the US saw the opportunity to open long closed doors to China (AKA Playing the China Card)...as almost every one of our allies had already set up relations with Mao...we were, as usual, late to that party.

I can remember being impressed with the live TV coverage...opening up a world I had never seen in my life and it was truly a historic moment...one of Nixon's rare smart moves.

Cheers...