On April 22, 1994, Nixon died of illness in the United States. As the 37th president of the United States, there were many controversies about him. Nixon was a very ambitious politician. From the process of establishing diplomatic relations between China and the United States, we can see that he was a very skillful person.
At that time, China and the United States were able to turn enemies into friends, and Nixon contributed a lot. The establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States was undoubtedly a major event that promoted the development of world history. However, when he was dying, Nixon expressed very strongly when talking about this matter. of regret.
Nixon said that he probably should not have promoted the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, and left a meaningful sentence: "We may have created a scientific monster."
Political Game
Among the previous presidents of the United States, the relationship between Nixon and China It can be said that they are very close. He has visited China many times and spared no effort to promote the progress of establishing diplomatic relations between China and the United States.
But why did Nixon completely deny what he did back then in his later years?
This thing seems strange, but Nixon was definitely not talking nonsense before he died. When the United States established diplomatic relations with China, the most important thing to consider was never friendship, but interests.
From Nixon's perspective, the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States in the 1970s was of great benefit to the United States. However, it is obvious that after decades of development, China has slowly risen. Nixon felt that China will become the most powerful country in the United States in the future. Opponent, that's why Nixon regretted it.
He even imagined that if China and the United States had not established diplomatic relations at that time and China had no room for development, would everything be different?
Nixon
However, at this moment, he was about to go to see God, and it was useless to think about these things. The wheel of history will not change because of one person's thoughts.
During the Nixon administration, Sino-US relations gradually moved from hostility to normality, and even became close allies, but this does not mean that Nixon was essentially pro-China. On the contrary, when he first entered the political arena, he showed a very hostile attitude towards the Communist Party and red countries such as the Soviet Union and China.
When he was running for Congress in 1950, Nixon publicly stated that the United Nations should not restore the People's Republic of China 's legal seat in it. This view of
was mainstream in the United States and even the entire Western world at that time. The West is eager to destroy all red countries immediately. From the official to the private sector, everyone adheres to this extreme attitude. After the end of World War II, chauvinism became more prevalent in the United States, and it strongly criticized the communists. .
Under such circumstances, as a politician, of course, you must conform to the mainstream of society in order to gain a firm foothold.
At that time, I am afraid no one would have thought that Nixon, a politician who showed extreme anti-China attitudes, would one day become one of the biggest contributors to the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. It may be difficult for ordinary people to overturn their past views, but it is not difficult at all for a qualified politician.
After
entered the government, Nixon rose through the ranks, gaining much support along the way. Although he also received a lot of attacks from the opposition parties, overall, he rose step by step until he was close to the position of president.
Diplomatic Efforts
In 1969, Nixon defeated his opponent in the election and became the new leader of the United States. With great power, Nixon must think carefully about his next course, because his decision is related to the fate of the United States.
That was in 1969, when Nixon became president, his attitude towards China made a 180-degree turn.
That year, he had a conversation with French President De Gaulle about China.
De Gaulle
Nixon recalled: "During the conversation, the two of us had the same ideas. We didn't know much about China, but we cannot let China be isolated and helpless in a state of chaos. The West should understand China, contact China, and be familiar with China. ".
Such friendly words towards China would come out of the mouth of an American president. This was unimaginable ten years ago.
However, the world situation changed rapidly. As a leader of a country, Nixon realized the reality faster than others. At this time, the United States and China had a common enemy, and that was the Soviet Union.
The Cold War is still going on, and the Soviet Union is increasingly threatening the United States. At the same time, as a neighbor of the Soviet Union, China is inevitably threatened by this former big brother. The Sino-Soviet feud is a big problem for the United States. Big news, and the United States wants to gain enough benefits for itself from this news.
As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. At this moment, facing the threat from the Soviet Union, China and the United States can also put aside their past grudges and become friends temporarily until this threat is lifted.
Moreover, Nixon believed that establishing diplomatic relations with China should be put on the agenda as soon as possible. China is constantly developing. If China becomes really strong in the future, the United States will be passive when talking about establishing diplomatic relations. If we go now, it will be equivalent to the United States. By sending China a favor, the United States can take the initiative.
De Gaulle expressed his acquiescence to this idea. Once, all Western countries hated China, but now the United States, as the anti-China pioneer, has shown a friendly attitude, and other Western countries naturally follow the opinions of the United States.
However, it is not easy for two countries that were once diametrically opposed to quickly reconcile. To this end, both the United States and China are making efforts. Nixon undertook a long overseas visit and visited Pakistan and Romania . He hoped that the leaders of these two countries would send messages for him.
Although Pakistan is a capitalist country, it has always had a good relationship with China, while Romania belongs to the socialist camp . Nixon believed that China could see the determination of the United States from his several visits.
At the same time, Nixon was also sending a signal to the Soviet Union through such actions.
Of course China can understand what the United States means. At this moment, the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States is the general trend. Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou are also trying this matter. Now Nixon's actions make Premier Zhou feel that the opportunity has come.
Therefore, Premier Zhou also entrusted the leaders of Pakistan to contact the United States first on behalf of China.
Premier Zhou held the same idea as Nixon. At this tense moment, the biggest threat China faced was the military threat from the Soviet Union. In comparison, the threat from the United States is not that dangerous. At the same time, Premier Zhou is also very worried about the resurgence of militarism in Japan. When
was at odds with the Soviet Union, Premier Zhou once made the worst assumption, that is, the Soviet Union, Japan, the United States, India and other countries would invade China at the same time.
The diplomatic environment at that time was very unfavorable for China. Several neighbors with different intentions were eyeing Chinese territory. In this case, a breakthrough must be found, and the United States was the best breakthrough.
When he later came into contact with high-level officials in the United States, Premier Zhou was very cautious in his remarks. Premier Zhou said:
"China is not a superpower, and it cannot be said to be on an equal footing with the United States and the Soviet Union. China is not It is just a developing country trying to avoid becoming a big country or disrupting the world structure and causing trouble to the world. "
Change the situation
China is not strong enough. This is what Premier Zhou is most worried about. It will take 30 years for China to rise. to 50 years. During this period, China needs enough peace, and Premier Zhou must try his best to buy this period of time for China.
The friendly attitude shown by the United States made this matter much easier to handle. Kissinger was entrusted by Nixon to begin contact with China. He continued to send friendly signals while trying his best to repair past conflicts.
Kissinger said to Chairman Mao during his visit to China:
"Mr. Chairman, the world situation is changing, and China and the United States are constantly developing and growing. We used to think that all socialist countries in the world were the same, but then Mr. Chairman Only after telling that China's revolutionary method is different from other countries did we understand the difference."
Kissinger
After confirming the signal from the United States, Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou began to arrange various matters for receiving Nixon's visit to China .
Nixon also maximized They have vigorously introduced some policies that are friendly to China, such as lifting trade restrictions on China, relaxing the blockade policy against China, etc.
This series of signals has made the world begin to believe that the relationship between China and the United States is going to happen. Huge changes.
In 1972, Nixon finally decided. It was decided to go to China.
This is something that China and the United States have been working hard for several years. Although the world was already prepared for this in a series of previous signals, when Nixon actually set foot on Chinese soil, it still triggered Everyone is witnessing the earthquake in public opinion around the world. History, the hands of Nixon and Premier Zhou held together, which means the beginning of a friendship.
Of course, Nixon understood that he came to China this time not to make more friends, but to do his best to benefit the interests of the United States. Maximize, they still need to talk clearly Many issues, cooperation between China and the United States, Taiwan, Japan, the Soviet Union...
These things are the most important at the moment. From the moment he got off the plane, Nixon fell into a long thought.
At this time, Premier Zhou told Nixon. :Chairman Mao is ready to meet him. html. 3
This meeting with Chairman Mao was something that Nixon would remember forever. He had heard Chairman Mao's name more than once from Kissinger and others. He knew that he was facing a political crisis that would never happen again in a century. Jia is a person who leads China from weakness to independence and prosperity step by step.
Although. Although they had never met him before, Nixon knew that Chairman Mao's abilities were far beyond the reach of ordinary people.
After actually meeting Chairman Mao, Nixon was convinced that the positive comments about Chairman Mao from those in the past were not exaggerated. I talked with Chairman Mao about some philosophical issues, and also talked about things as far away as Taiwan. Chiang Kai-shek .
Chairman Mao said to Nixon and Premier Zhou in a joking tone:
"They said that I changed the world and changed this country. According to me, I have no ability to change the world. I can at most change a few places near Beijing. Our common old friend, Chairman Chiang Kai-shek, disapproved. He said we were communist bandits. He also gave a speech recently, have you seen it? "
Hearing Chairman Mao's ridicule, Nixon smiled. He and Chiang Kai-shek also had several contacts. For the United States at this time, Taiwan was still an ally, and it was also the most sensitive thing between China and the United States during the establishment of diplomatic relations. question.
Nixon asked Chairman Mao: "Chiang Kai-shek called the Chairman a communist bandit. What did the Chairman call Chiang Kai-shek? "
Premier Zhou replied on behalf of Chairman Mao: "We generally call them the Chiang Kai-shek Group. He was sometimes called a bandit in the newspapers. They called us bandits in return. We were just yelling at each other. "
Premier Zhou and Chairman Mao both heard that Nixon's question was not very friendly. Although it was said in a joke, this sentence is likely to sow discord between Taiwan and mainland China.
Although the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang have been enemies for a long time, in any case, Taiwan and the mainland are still one, and the reunification of the motherland will be a matter of time.
If it gets too ugly under the instigation of the United States, that is not the outcome we want to see. Therefore, Premier Zhou also joked about this. The topic passed.
Chairman Mao added: "Actually, we have been friends with him for much longer than you have been friends with him. "
So, this topic came to an end.
Trouble continued.
Chairman Mao said to Nixon that we should continue to talk about philosophical issues. This topic is interesting.
But it is obvious that the conversation between several politicians cannot only focus on Even though we were talking about simple philosophical issues, it would still fall into politics, and inevitably it would fall into the common enemy of both parties - the Soviet Union.
Nixon mentioned to Chairman Mao: He was attacked by the left during the election.
The left is a faction close to the Soviet Union, and Nixon is a representative of the right Republican Party .
Chairman Mao said with a smile: If he were to vote in the United States, he would definitely vote for Nixon. Kissinger, who was accompanied by
, said: From the intelligence point of view, the Soviet Union was the direct cause of the left's opposition to Nixon.
Chairman Mao laughed loudly when he heard the word "intelligence". He said to Nixon: "The intelligence of the United States is more accurate in the world, followed by Japan. As for the Soviet Union, they dug up corpses there, but said nothing. "
Nixon vomited bitterness:
"In the recent India-Pakistan crisis, we also encountered the same problem. The left in the United States is very. I am not on India's side for harsh criticism. One is that they are pro-India and the other is that they are pro-Soviet. I think it is important to look at the bigger picture and not let one country, no matter how powerful it is. , to annex the country. This cost me a political price. I don’t regret it, because I did the right thing, and history will prove that I did it right.”
This complaint was not without reason, and Nixon led to the next. Problems in U.S.-Soviet Relations.
At this moment, Nixon was facing tremendous pressure in promoting the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. The domestic opposition was fierce, and the international community was also filled with various contradictory voices.
During Nixon's visit to China, the Soviet Union, India, Japan and other countries openly expressed hostility. In addition, Vietnam, , North Korea, and Taiwan, several countries or regions at the center of the whirlpool, expressed their views on this matter. received extraordinary attention.
If this matter is not handled well, it will cause even greater international conflicts in the future. Solving problems is precisely the most difficult thing.
Nixon's idea at the time was that he and China wanted to find a common middle fulcrum. On this fulcrum, they wanted to establish a peaceful order, an order that would satisfy both parties. To put it simply, both sides still go their own ways, but they can cooperate and put aside conflicts. This is exactly what Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou thought.
But in Nixon's idea, he did not think about the variable of China's rise. Nixon knew that China would become stronger, but Nixon still maintained the confidence of an American president at this time.
He believed that a country's rise would not be that fast, let alone the suppression of the United States. The United States had defeated countless opponents in the past, so Nixon knew how to suppress his opponents.
If one day China shows signs of rapid rise, he believes that the United States will also have ways to stop it.
At this moment, the focus of Nixon's thinking is still to use China to safeguard the interests of the United States. The development after 30 years that the Chairman and Premier Zhou had in mind was not within the scope of Nixon's consideration.
Perhaps Nixon believed that it was not a problem for the United States to suppress China for 30 years.
Based on this confidence, Nixon made great efforts to promote the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. If he could predict what would happen 30 years later, he might get in a time machine and come back to stop himself.
In 1972, China and the United States issued the Joint Communiqué , officially announcing the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries. For China, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. China was temporarily freed from the threat of the United States, and the two countries also entered a honeymoon. Expect.
Profit comes first
In order to give China the power to fight back against the Soviet Union, the United States gave China a lot of support. Of course, this is by no means out of good intentions. In essence, the United States wants to watch the fire from afar. In the American plan at that time, China was weak and the Soviet Union was strong. If China, a weak country, could play a role in defending the Soviet Union, it would be of great benefit to the United States without any harm.
However, the United States, which is accustomed to supporting puppets, could not have imagined that China is by no means the countries they have encountered in the past. This ancient country that has experienced countless ups and downs will never be willing to be a puppet, be threatened by others, let alone be satisfied. In spite of the charity from the United States, China must take an independent and powerful path.
However, by the time Nixon realized this, it was already too late.
In 1976, Nixon accepted Chairman Mao's invitation to visit China again. At this time, he was no longer the president of the United States. Due to the Watergate scandal, Nixon was forced to step down, and his ambition to be re-elected as president was shattered early.
Nixon was at the lowest point in his life at that time, and nothing good happened around him, because the Watergate incident really stimulated the nerves of all Americans and shattered the mask of freedom and democracy that the United States claimed.
In this case, Nixon's only option was to remain silent and try to downplay the impact of the incident.
However, Chairman Mao still invited Nixon to visit China at this time, which was a timely help for Nixon. Of course, Chairman Mao's invitation to Nixon to visit China was mainly for the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States.
The attitude of the United States has changed, and the progress of establishing diplomatic relations between China and the United States has stalled. Under such circumstances, inviting Nixon is to remind the United States that they still have some unfinished business.
When he visited China for the second time, Nixon was still in a very relaxed mood. As a former president, a president who stepped down due to scandals, was able to receive such a high-level reception from China. I am afraid it is unprecedented and unprecedented.
At that time, Nixon was full of sense of achievement in the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. Although the Watergate incident forever stained his presidential career, the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States was still his achievement that cannot be erased.
However, the most important prerequisite for Nixon's friendly attitude towards China is that China is weak. A friend who is not a threat is a friend worth keeping for the United States. When this friend becomes a threat, the friend will become enemies.
Self-doubt
Less than ten years later, Nixon once again changed his view on China. Since China's reform and opening up, China's development speed has become more and more fierce, and Nixon has doubts about his decision back then.
Especially in the 1990s, Nixon's prejudice against China became more and more profound.
Because he noticed that China's politics, economy, and culture are all developing at a terrifying speed, especially in terms of science and technology. In the past, China could not even produce a decent fighter , but now China's various This technology has already begun to catch up with the United States.
This is something that Nixon never thought of, and the reason why China's science and technology can develop so rapidly has something to do with the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States.
If the United States continues to maintain that strict blockade, the development of China's scientific environment will inevitably be very difficult, and the development speed will also slow down. This is the reason why Nixon regretted it before he died.
He wondered whether he could have stopped China's development by changing his policies back then.
But this is of course just a fantasy. This is the direction of history. Even if the United States and China did not establish diplomatic relations in 1972, sooner or later they would reach the point of establishing diplomatic relations due to changes in the international situation . This is not something that Nixon alone can do. changed.
Even without Nixon, other US presidents would have taken this step, and China would not have given up the opportunity to establish diplomatic relations with the United States. The interesting thing about history is that accidents are always inevitable.
Nixon seemed to be swinging from anti-China to pro-China to anti-China, but that was nothing more than following the international trend.
However, from a certain perspective, it is not a bad thing for China to be called a "scientific monster" by Nixon, because when our opponents are afraid, that is when we become stronger.
Nixon left this world with some regrets, but China continues to move forward along the direction of history and writes a new chapter.
I don’t know what Nixon’s true views on China were before his death. People are constantly speculating about where history would have gone if Nixon had not promoted the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States.
But maybe everything will not change, because China’s desire to rise and become strong will not change. No matter what choices its opponents make, China will definitely go on this road of rejuvenation without hesitation!
