By the late 1960s, the United States had become bogged down in the prolonged Vietnam War, spending about $250 billion with no prospect of victory. Its international standing declined, and Washington needed new forces to counterbalance the Soviet Union. China, having successfully developed atomic weapons, saw its international status rise and thus became an object of U.S. engagement.

The Beijing government also hoped to restore relations with the United States, enhance its international standing, and secure China’s seat in the United Nations. However, years of ideological hostility stood in the way. As Henry Kissinger put it, “Nixon was always concerned about China, but he struggled to find a channel to break through and open relations between the two countries.”

In the early 1970s, the Nixon administration made efforts to improve relations with the Chinese Communist government. Restrictions on travel to China were relaxed, and the U.S. supported an American table tennis team’s visit to China, giving rise to the famous “ping-pong diplomacy.” Soon afterward, Nixon unexpectedly announced his intention to visit China.

In February 1972, Nixon made his first visit to China, where he was received by Mao Zedong. Nixon held talks with Zhou Enlai, opening the door to improved relations between the two countries. Before the visit concluded, the two governments issued the Shanghai Communiqué.

The communiqué stated that both sides were committed to developing comprehensive and normalized diplomatic relations. The United States acknowledged that there is only one China and that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to China. The United States affirmed its one-China policy, recognized Taiwan as part of China, and supported a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue.

The following year, Nixon sent a special envoy to establish a liaison office in Beijing, restoring channels of communication that had been severed since 1949. Formal diplomatic relations between China and the United States were established in 1979.