Vigorous Cold War handshakes : reviewing Nixon's 1972 China trip.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to reexamine former United States (U.S.) President Richard Milhous Nixon's historic trip to the People's Republic of China (P.R.C.). Although his administration is most often remembered for its involvement in the Watergate scandal, during his first term, Nixon diverted from his previous staunchly anti-Communistic Cold War mindset to reopen diplomatic relations with Chairman Mao Zedong's nation. This narrative focuses attention on how one of the world's most powerful leaders decided to sit down with his ideological enemy to peacefully discuss their differences. Nixon's move not only lessened international tensions, but also allowed for greater economic prosperity in Asia rather than further animosity and bloodshed. In planning and carrying out this new initiative, the administration utilized a methodology that relied on secrecy--Abstract, leaf iii.