Jiang's Speech for Exhibition on Richard Nixon's 1972 China Visit

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, November 21, 2002

Jiang's Speech for Exhibition on Richard Nixon's 1972 China Visit

Chinese President Jiang and his US counterpart George W. Bush have both congratulated the opening of an expo on former US President Richard Nixon, who made an �ice-breaking� visit to China 30 years ago. Jiang has recorded a speech for the exhibition, named "Journeys to Peace and Cooperation", which opened at the Museum of Chinese History in Beijing on Wednesday.

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Expo on Richard Nixon's China Visit Opens in Beijing

Chinese President Jiang Zemin has recorded a speech for an exhibition on former US President Richard Nixon's history-making visit to China in 1972.

In his video-taped speech, Jiang welcomed visitors to the exhibition, entitled "Journeys to Peace and Cooperation," an event which opened here Wednesday to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Nixon tour.

Jiang said the historical handshake between the leaders of China and the United States three decades ago signaled the beginning of a new journey for China-US ties and for friendship between the two peoples. That was an event of great historic significance.

He said China-US relations as a whole have been forging ahead despite ups and downs over the past 30 years, and the two countries have made great progress in exchanges and cooperation inmany fields.

Chairman Mao Zedong Shook Hands with President Nixon

To review the history, Jiang said, is to create a better future. History has shown that contacts and cooperation between China and the United States are in the fundamental interests of both peoples and have a major impact on maintaining world peace and promoting common development.

Both China and the United States are great nations, Jiang said. The Chinese people have always cherished friendly feelings for the American people. The two sides should make joint efforts to develop their constructive and cooperative relations against the backdrop of the current complex global state of affairs.

"We believe that as long as the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit and seeking common ground while setting aside differences are observed, China-US ties will have unceasing progress," said Jiang, who wished the exhibition a success.

A TV speech by US President George W. Bush to mark the occasion also aired Wednesday.

February 22, 1972, People's Daily Front Page

Bush says Nixon's trip to China started a new path in bilateral ties and the two countries are still continuing on this path. Bush says China-US bilateral ties continue to develop based on mutual respect and on the understanding of the aspirations of both peoples. He adds the two countries are looking for more ways to cooperate and benefit both peoples and the world.

The show was jointly organized by the Chinese Ministry of Culture, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China, and the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace Foundation. The Reader's Digest Foundation sponsored the exhibition.

According to the organizers, the show includes about 200 artifacts, including pictures, original handwriting, clothes, presents and formally classified government documents.

The organizers also produced two documentary films. Julie Nixon Eisenhower, daughter of the former US president, narrates one filmthat commemorates her father's historic visit to China. The other, produced by China, reviews Nixon's visit and covers the subsequent exchanges of visit between leaders of the two coutries in the following years.

The show closes in Beijing on Nov. 30 and runs in Shanghai on Dec. 11-17. It will be on display in the United States in January next year.

'Ice-Breaking' Visit

Thirty years ago, the then U.S. President Richard Nixon started his "ice-breaking" visit to China, marking the beginning of a normalization process for relations between China and the United States.

Accompanied by Secretary of State William Rogers and Henry Kissinger, adviser to the president for national security affairs,Nixon and his wife arrived in Beijing on February 21, 1972.

The late Chairman Mao Zedong paid special attention to Nixon's visit. Immediately after Nixon finished his luncheon following his arrival, Mao met with the American guest in his study. The two leaders had a candid exchange of views on major issues of common concern.

Substantive talks on the international situation and bilateral relations, lasting four days in Beijing, were held by then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and Nixon, Kissinger and some other officials.

Nixon and his wife visited the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs and the Imperial Palace during their stay in Beijing.

On February 26, accompanied by Zhou, Nixon and his wife left Beijing for Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, where they toured the picturesque West Lake.

On February 27, still accompanied by Zhou, Nixon and his wife arrived in Shanghai. They left China for the United States the following day.

On February 28, 1972, the historic Shanghai Communique was issued by the People's Republic of China and the United States of America.

This diplomatic document, which has been of great significance for Sino-U.S. relations, does not conform with the usual style of communiques.

In the Shanghai Communique, the two sides expressed what they agreed as well as what they differed on bilateral and international issues.

Both Nixon's visit to China and the Shanghai Communique became a milestone in Sino-U.S. relations, laying a foundation for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and further development of bilateral relations.

By People's Daily Online

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