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Nixon's 1972 opening to China — the most dramatic diplomatic reversal of the Cold War. The arch-anticommunist visits Mao Zedong, transforming the geopolitical landscape and exploiting the Sino-Soviet split.
Canon
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Nixon and Kissinger saw the Sino-Soviet split as an opportunity because they analyzed power relationships rather than ideological labels. The Cold War demanded realism — and realism demanded the courage to act against ideological orthodoxy.
Highlights
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Only Nixon could go to China — his anticommunist credentials gave him the political cover to engage with Mao
Whittle argues that a liberal president could never have opened relations with China — they would have been accused of being soft on communism. Nixon's hawkish reputation was the political armor that enabled the diplomatic revolution.