50 years since Nixon visited China

In February 1972, US president Richard Nixon defied conventional foreign policy wisdom when he arrived in Beijing for meetings with Chinese leader Mao Zedong. In recognition of the trip’s historical significance, the South China Morning Post is running a multimedia series exploring interesting points of the past 50 years in US-China relations.

Updated: 06 Apr, 2022

[1]

When Nixon met Mao: 50 years later, reverberations are still felt

A hinge point in modern history, the US president’s trip to China outflanked the USSR and helped bring Beijing out of international isolation.

13 Feb, 2022

[2]

Winston Lord, in the room with Mao and Nixon, on US-China relations then and now

‘We opened up for geopolitical, economic, security reasons, and we hoped – as an added plus – this would loosen up the Chinese political system. But engagement was not preconditioned on that.’

20 Feb, 2022

[3]

How landmark Shanghai Communique shaped China-US ties for past 50 years

Joint statement released on last day of US president’s visit in 1972 is arguably the most important breakthrough agreement in the history of US-China relations.

28 Feb, 2022

The Shanghai Communique, drafted by Zhou Enlai and Henry Kissinger, became arguably the most important breakthrough agreement in the history of the US-China relations. Image: SCMP Graphic

[4]

Explainer | How Nixon’s visit to China 50 years ago changed the world forever

In 1972 the first visit to the communist country by then-US president Richard Nixon is what Nixon described as “The week that changed the world.”

01 Mar, 2022

How Nixon’s visit to China 50 years ago changed the world forever

[5]

50 years of panda diplomacy: the softest power meets hard reality

Lingling and Xingxing arrived in Washington in 1972 as a symbolic offering of friendship between the US and China, sparking panda fever around the world. As history has shown, the era of comity did not last, although the bears’ popularity has.

04 Mar, 2022

[6]

When Nixon met Mao: ping-pong tables charted a path to the negotiating tables

‘Finding ways to bring the two peoples together, we just have to look for them’ is the reminder, more than 50 years later.

28 Mar, 2022

[7]

The handshake that turned Taiwan towards a new future

Chiang Ching-kuo inherited his father’s ambitions to retake mainland China but Washington’s embrace of Beijing shattered those hopes.

30 Mar, 2022

[8]

Fifty years later, despite US pivot, Taiwan has done well economically

The self-ruled island built itself into a powerhouse, first with cheaply manufactured products then as an indispensable player in the tech industry.

05 Apr, 2022

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