RICHARD NIXON 1972 The Foundation of Peace (part 5) Chairman Mao

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In a trip planned and choreographed to the minute, an enormous surprise happened with in hours of the President's arrival.  Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai showed up at the guest house where President Nixon was staying and whisked him away with only Henry Kissinger, his aid Winston Lord, and one Secret Service Agent in tow. 

Bob Haldeman recorded in his diary his worry at having the President just taken ,without security, and without the usual Presidential entourage surrounding him.   Richard Nixon was off for what would be the most important meeting of his entire journey. He was off to see Chairman Mao Tse Tung, undisputed ruler of China. It was an extraordinary meeting, full of philosophical comments, and friendly banter, between one of the leading Communist in all the world and one of the great politicians in all the world who had made his career as an anti-communist crusader. The meeting went stunningly well.

The next day the Chinese were informed of the American President's presence in China and that the meeting had the stamp of approval of the leader, Chairman Mao.  It marked a new beginning in United States and Chinese relations. it started a relationship that has grown ever since .  It is a relationship that has grown ever more complicated and intertwined for a half century.