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Handshake between Mao Zedong and Richard Nixon

Sino-American Cooperation, 1972-1989

Following Nixon's visit to China in 1972 and until the tumultuous events of 1989, China and the United States engaged in a dialogue on, and cooperated in resolving, a range of global issues and problems. For other Digital Archive collections on US-China relations, see Sino-American Confrontation, 1949-1971, and Sino-US Ambassadorial Talks, 1955-1970.

Handshake between Mao Zedong and Richard Nixon

Popular Documents

February 27, 1972

Joint Communique between the United States and China

The United States and China pledge to improve relations with one another in the famous "Shanghai Communique."

February 21, 1972

Memorandum of Conversation between Chairman Mao Zedong and President Richard Nixon

Mao Zedong and Richard Nixon focus on "philosophic problems" in relations between China and the United States during their first meeting.

November 12, 1973

Memorandum of Conversation between Mao Zedong and Henry Kissinger

Secretary of State Henry Kissinger met with Chairman Mao and Zhou Enlai. The three discussed a large range of topics from Sino-Soviet relations to the Middle East to the influence of Chinese communism.

February 17, 1973

Memorandum of Conversation between Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Henry Kissinger

Mao Zedong and Kissinger's meeting was aimed at establishing political relations between China and the United States. They discussed the following issues: U.S.-Chinese cooperation, the differences in ideology, Western German policy towards the Soviet Union, the amount of American overseas troops, the Vietnam War, trade barriers between two nations, Chinese-Japanese relations, and the historical issues between Germany and Britain during WWII.

December 18, 1970

Record of Conversation from [Chairman Mao Zedong’s] Meeting with [Edgar] Snow

Mao Zedong talks to American journalist, Edgar Snow, about the Cultural Revolution and his thoughts about the Nixon administration. Mao expressed discontent towards China's pace of development compared to the United States. Mao emphasized the secretive nature on part of Nixon in setting up talks between the US and China. Mao and Edgar also discussed the US's intentions in the Asia-Pacific region. Mao consistently claims that he likes Nixon because Nixon's "reactionary" approach to foreign policy is an advantage to China. Mao admits to Edward Snow that the personality cult around Mao Zedong during that Cultural Revolution was necessary to oppose Liu Shaoqi. Mai discusses his increasingly suspicious view towards the Soviet Union.