Summary: The Documentary Film "Nixon in China"

The foreign policy of the United States of America has always played an important role in establishing the USA as a powerful country. The United States of America practically always claimed to be a central and dominant player in the Western world. Though, there were times when other countries started changing their vector of development that caused affected diplomatic relations and even led to long-term alienation. China was such isolated, alien country. This paper will focus on the documentary film Nixon in China highlighting the significance of the first official trip of the President Nixon to China after a substantial period of contradictions and hostile attitude. It will consider the extent of comprehension of the visit and its consequences for both countries.  

The documentary film Nixon in China is dedicated to the first President Nixon’s visit to the People’s Republic of China that took place in February 1972. The first part of the film demonstrates the determination of the President Nixon to bring changes into the American-Chinese relationship. All his public speeches were filled with enthusiasm and strong belief in the rightness of the chosen direction. His words reflected a friendly attitude and deep comprehension of the historic event that targeted to normalize the American-Chinese relationship. The public appearance of President Nixon, his outspoken declarations, the official surroundings, and the way he was met near the White House, the Air Force Base, and Hawaii demonstrated decisiveness of the American society to give a new breath to the relationship between the two countries for mutual benefits. Nixon’s trip to China demonstrated readiness of the United States for cardinal changes in the foreign policy. The President and his adherers realized the importance of China’s presence in the orbit of the American interests. Together with his top advisers, he realized that the United States could not disregard a multimillion nation and keep on escalating tensions with the vast country despite the ideological discrepancies between them. They understood that it was senseless to continue further policy of containment that only escalated controversy and pressure for both sides. On the contrary, there was a strong inclination of acceptance of China in the world community as a great and a progressive nation. The United States of America demonstrated its desire to build new relations on the principles of equality, non-interference, and peaceful coexistence. Particularly in that period, it was vital and highly important to start a new dialogue with China, review relationship with the country leaving aside ideological differences and contradictions. The American officials showed their consent to recognize the Communist regime represented in the legitimate government of China and initiative in searching the points of coincidence. The American delegation was adjusted to seek effective means for approaching cooperation in various spheres of human activity as industry, culture, education, sports, and others for mutual benefits for the beginning. Though there was a strong determination to restart a dialogue with the Communist China, the audience could feel speechless unrest and some uncertainty among the officials on their flight to China and during the first stay there after more than twenty years of hostility and non-communication between two countries.

Watching Nixon in China, one may realize the independent strategy and thinking of President Nixon. He did not use any written statements throughout the entire film. Wherever he spoke, his fluent speech expressed confidence and dignity. It was respectful and reasonable.