Pat Nixon touring the Summer Palace in Peking (Beijing). Pat Nixon in her signature red coat on the Ming Tombs Sacred Way. Her coat, the emblem color of China, gave a tacit nod of respect and also conveyed the subliminal message that the wife of a wealthy, capitalist world leader was appearing in the same clothes on numerous days. (WHPO-8529-09A)Īmong the sea of muted, unisex uniforms of the onlookers and political escorts, Pat’s iconic red coat stood out. Nixon visits the Evergreen People's Commune in Peking (Beijing). Nixon sampling an assortment of Chinese food in the kitchen of the Peking Hotel. While President Nixon spent the visit negotiating behind closed doors, it was the First Lady’s visible activities that “ were vital to the media and the public realization of the unprecedented visit’s monumental significance.” As with most of her diplomatic travels, she bypassed luncheons to visit local markets, hospitals, orphanages, and schools where average citizens lived and worked. An astute diplomat in her own right, Pat read State Department dossiers, studied political ideologies, and even learned phrases in the native tongue to show respect. With this visit, Pat Nixon became the first First Lady to visit the communist nation since its revolution in 1949.
President Nixon’s goal of détente with China and Russia in the 1970s eased tensions and increased dialogue between the once adversarial countries.Īmerican delegation at the Ba Da Ling portion of the Great Wall. (WHPO-8498-17)īy 1972, Richard Nixon had already made his mark in the arena of foreign diplomacy traveling overseas numerous times during his first term before he visited China to begin re-establishing diplomatic relations with China. President Nixon shakes hands with Premier Chou En-lai (Zhou Enlai), symbolically ending 17 years of Sino-American tension. Just six years after the start of Mao Zedong’s cultural revolution, a movement intent on purging the influences of Western civilization from China, the Chairman surprised the world by welcoming both the 37th President of the United States and the First Lady.
Nixon’s historic visit to the People's Republic of China. Monday, February 21, 2022, will mark the 50th anniversary of President and Mrs. President Nixon and the First Lady arrive in the People's Republic of China. 50th Anniversary of Richard and Pat Nixon’s Historic Visit to China The Education and Public Programs Team at the Nixon Library is pleased to remind you that the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) continues to be an excellent source for entertaining and historical content! Simply follow the links below for additional information.
0 kommentar(er)
