Sino-American Relations, 1969: The Sino-Soviet Border War and Steps Towards Rapprochement

The complex story of Sino-American rapprochement under Richard M. Nixon and Mao Zedong has received much attention from historians, but only recently have primary sources from both sides become available to shed light on its initial phases during 1969. Newly declassified US documents show how mutual suspicions and internal political conflicts checked rapprochement but also how Sino-Soviet border fighting created opportunities for major policy change.

Concern about Beijing's nuclear arsenal, worries about a Soviet threat to the balance of power, and interest in Chinese markets motivated the Nixon administration's effort to signal Beijing that it sought a new relationship. Archival material also shows how secret back channels and regular diplomatic communications raised interest on both sides in an understanding, especially when Washington began moving on the difficult Taiwan issue. While distrust would endure and further progress would be difficult, both sides had made important progress toward the rapprochement to come.