February 26, 1972 – Hangzhou

The morning of February 26 was spent making final preparations for travel from Peking to the next stop on the President’s trip, Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang Province. President Nixon and Premier Chou En-lai left for Peking’s Capitol Airport at 8:30 a.m. and...

February 25, 1972 – The Forbidden City

President Nixon’s last full day in Peking began with a tour of the Forbidden City, which is now one of Beijing’s biggest tourist attractions.  Situated in the middle of Beijing, it was the center of Chinese politics for five hundred years, serving as the imperial...

Nixon Aide Discusses Pioneering Trip

Stephen Hess, who assisted Vice President Nixon on his first book Six Crises, and later served as the 37th President’s Deputy Assistant for Urban Affairs, explains the genesis of the vision for the China journey: In a restorative break from an intense Beijing...

February 24, 1972 – The Great Wall

On his fourth day in China, President Nixon left the meeting room and ventured out to see some of China’s most famous sights. The first stop on the agenda, about an hour and a half drive from Peking, was the Ba Da Ling section of the Great Wall of China. The sheer...

February 23, 1972 – People to People Diplomacy

The President’s third day in Peking consisted primarily of meetings with Chinese officials.  Three members of the American delegation accompanied President Nixon into these meetings: Henry Kissinger, the President’s National Security Advisor, Winston Lord, Kissinger’s...