--- title: Nixon in China: A First Taste of Modern U.S.-Chinese Relations description: Richard Nixon's historic trip to communist China in 1972 continues to provide food for thought all these years later. canonical: https://time.com/3880250/nixon-in-china-a-first-taste-of-modern-u-s-chinese-relations/ author: Ben Cosgrove article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-06-23T18:50:46.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:03:40.124Z og:title: Nixon in China: A First Taste of Modern U.S.-Chinese Relations og:description: Richard Nixon's historic trip to communist China in 1972 continues to provide food for thought all these years later. og:url: https://time.com/3880250/nixon-in-china-a-first-taste-of-modern-u-s-chinese-relations/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltba4b60ba39153e53/69884c0af887dc0954e9001b/140623-nixon-in-china-1972.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1500 og:image:height: 844 og:image:alt: Nixon in China, 1972 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Nixon in China: A First Taste of Modern U.S.-Chinese Relations twitter:description: Richard Nixon's historic trip to communist China in 1972 continues to provide food for thought all these years later. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltba4b60ba39153e53/69884c0af887dc0954e9001b/140623-nixon-in-china-1972.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Nixon in China: A First Taste of Modern U.S.-Chinese Relations > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=117f7fa3-9640-458e-9e14-bc9a64a81dae&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) * TIME Subscriptions: [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=117f7fa3-9640-458e-9e14-bc9a64a81dae&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) by [Ben Cosgrove](https://time.com/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove Jun 23, 2014 6:50 PM UTC  Chinese Premier Chou En-lai, President Richard Nixon, Pat Nixon and Mrs. Chou En-lai at an official banquet during Nixon's landmark visit to China in 1972. Chinese Premier Chou En-lai, President Richard Nixon, Pat Nixon and Mrs. Chou En-lai at an official banquet during Nixon's landmark visit to China in 1972. John Dominis—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images by [Ben Cosgrove](https://time.com/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove Jun 23, 2014 6:50 PM UTC To some degree, the rapprochement was a dinner party. In 1972, for the first time in 25 years, American and Chinese leaders convened to discuss normalizing diplomatic relations. Although high-level political discussions went on behind closed doors, people around the world were able to witness cultural events between the two countries — like the banquet depicted in the photo above. Large, round tables filled the hall where Americans and Chinese sat side-by-side with their counterparts. The press was also there, but very few American photographers were allowed to document the historic trip — just six total, including LIFE’s John Dominis. When not shooting photos he, too, was seated near his Chinese media colleagues. At the Feb. 1972 banquet, President Richard Nixon and Chinese Premier Chou En-lai clinked glasses in celebratory toasts. Incidentally, Nixon had a known low tolerance for alcohol, and was advised by fellow U.S. official Alexander Haig to abstain from actually drinking the potent Chinese liquor, Maotai. In an unheralded political and cultural compromise, the president took small sips. Back in the States, these dinners were — and continue to be — an endless source of fascination. They have been replicated [at a New York restaurant](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/26/dining/26nixon.html?%5Fr=1&) and recreated [on stage](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixon%5Fin%5FChina%5F%28opera%29), while one of the menus has been [studied by students](http://docsteach.org/documents/595300/detail) in U.S. history classrooms. More than 40 years later, Nixon’s landmark trip to the People’s Republic continues to provide food for thought. **_Paulina Hartono_** _is a student in the History Department at the University of California, Berkeley_  Chinese Premier Chou En-lai, President Richard Nixon, Pat Nixon and Mrs. Chou En-lai at an official banquet during Nixon's landmark visit to China in 1972. 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