Drawing China out was a noble goal in 1972. It remains one today
The president’s stated motives were grandly visionary. China, home to a fifth of humanity, languished in angry isolation in 1972, its borders all but closed to the world. Desperately poor, its people were six years into the Cultural Revolution, a decade of ideological purges and violence at times approaching civil war. Nixon, a cold-war hawk who had spent years smearing opponents as soft on communism, had come to believe that a stable global order must include China.
Declassified American records of the visit reveal much relish for cynical realpolitik. Nixon and close aides calculated the benefits of each move to America, but also to the president’s re-election campaign. They sighed about the brilliance and subtlety of Mao and his prime minister, Zhou Enlai, despite the horrors unfolding in China at that time.
Very different memories move Zha Jianying, who in 1972 was a 12-year-old schoolgirl in Beijing. Her father, like many intellectuals, was in a labour camp. She recalls a life of shabby, propaganda-filled monotony, and a fear that “maybe this is going to be the rest of our lives”. Nixon’s arrival, from long-demonised America, offered a first glimmer of hope by showing that “a different world exists”, says Ms Zha, now a writer based in New York.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
This vertical forest in China brings nature to the urban environmentVertical garden meets residential accommodation in the new Easyhome Huanggang Vertical Forest City Complex in Huanggang, Hubei province, China. Stefano Boeri Architetti China is behind the design, which has just welcomed its first tenants.\u00a0It\u00a0continues the Italian architect and\u00a0Salone del Mobile 2021 curator Boeri\u2019s exploration of the Bosco Verticale (vertical...
Read more »
Restricting China Ties a 'Huge Mistake' Warns U.S. ScholarBrown University president Christina Paxson calls for 'academic freedom and openness and exchange of knowledge'
Read more »
Cold warrior: why Eileen Gu ditched Team USA to ski for ChinaEileen Gu has had an all-American childhood. Why is she skiing for China at the Beijing Olympics? 1843mag investigates
Read more »
Tiny gecko survives 4,800-mile trip from China to UK among musical instrumentsThe Asian house gecko, nicknamed Thin Lizard, was sealed in an ocean shipping container in October.
Read more »
Heart attack: The ‘stuttering’ warning sign that may come and go - seen in 50% of casesHEART attack is an unforgiving condition that often strikes without presenting blatant warning. This leaves a small window opportunity to receive vital treatment. Warning signs may not always be clear-cut, and in some cases, they may come and go.
Read more »
Sid Owen, 50, shares sweet snap of his smiling newbornSid Owen has shared some sweet updates on his newborn daughter Skye after his partner Victoria Shores gave birth earlier this month.
Read more »