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February 28

US and China Sign Shanghai Communiqué (1972)


On February 28, 1972, President Richard Nixon met with Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong and other Chinese diplomats of the Communist Party of China to discuss Sino-U.S. relations, i.e. Chinese-U.S. relations, and world issues. In particular, the U.S. and China met for the first time in Shanghai, China after many years without contact to discuss diplomatic issues between the two countries.

President Nixon was accompanied by U.S. Secretary of State, William Rogers, Assistant to the President, Dr. Henry Kissinger, and other American diplomats. According to the reports, both sides immediately realized that they would not be able to agree on certain issues such as the liberation of Taiwan, the war in Vietnam, and other topics. However, both sides agreed to disagree early on in their discussions and made some concessions in order to promote any issues where they saw common ground.

The main contention between the U.S. and China centered on Taiwan. The Chinese regarded the presence of American troops on Taiwan as a violation of China's sovereignty and requested the U.S. to withdraw all military from the country. Nixon and Kissinger wanted to condition any withdrawal in Taiwan on China's commitment to assist the U.S. in ending the Vietnam War. However, China did not agree to assist the U.S. in the Vietnam War.

China also expressed its support for the people of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos in their efforts to promote communism and attain their revolutionary goals. But China did state that it agreed that international disputes should be settled through diplomatic relations without the use of force.

Overall, the Shanghai Communiqué pledged both countries to work to improve relations and trade opportunities. The Communiqué declared that neither country should seek "hegemony," i.e. power, in the Asian-Pacific region, and that each country agreed not to let their differences ruin the development of their new relationship. On this day, February 28, 1972, the U.S. and China signed the Shanghai Communiqué in an effort to improve their mutual relationship.

Today, most scholars agree that the Sino-American relationship will be a major factor in determining the fate of the world in the 21st century.