Managing US-China ties

Former US president Richard Nixon's week-long visit to China in 1972 concluded with publication of the Shanghai Communiqu, a unique joint political document that established the principles for normalizing US-China relations.

Looking back over four decades, it is clear that Nixon's visit, and his discussions with Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou Enlai, fundamentally changed the political dynamic of the Cold War - to the benefit of the security of both countries. The Soviet Union was put on the defensive, and the US and China began to dismantle their decades-long confrontation. The visit represented one of the most dramatic and transforming diplomatic initiatives of the 20th century.

Full normalization of Sino-American relations was completed by former US president Jimmy Carter and Deng Xiaoping in late 1978. This development made possible a dramatic advancement in our bilateral relationship - especially in the economic and cultural realms.