The Nixon Administration’s China Policy Change And The United States National Interests

The Nixon administration is in the face of a series of problems at home and abroad at that time, its accurate analysis of the domestic and international situations, and seizing the principal contradiction, such as the Vietnam issue, the Sino-Soviet issue and the Taiwan issue. The U.S. government took these into account, finding the feasible directions of the United States national interests. In the decision-making process of the U.S. policy toward China, the Nixon administration faces the problem of Vietnam and grasped the Sino-Soviet relations flexibly, and carefully analyzes the inevitable issue of Taiwan between the United States and China. All the analysis and discussions on these issues that make the Nixon administration and its policy makers recognize the necessity and feasibility of the change existed in the U.S. China policy. The United States Security Advisor Kissinger’s secret visit to China, President Richard Nixon’s visit to China in1972and the announcement of the Sino-US Joint Communique make the Nixon administration’s China policy into reality; and at the same time, this decision also greatly achieves and maintains the national interests of the United States.Before the Nixon administration’s China policy shift, the United States was in its difficulties and it also reaches an impasse in foreign relations at that time. Through the adjustment of the policy on China, the Nixon Administration makes the United States in its foreign relations from passive to active, alleviating some of the domestic problems as well. From President Harry Truman to President Richard Nixon, American policy towards China transforms "containment and isolation" into "curb but not isolation" and "containment and add contact". The result of this process and the shift from the Nixon administration’s China policy, change in U.S. policy toward China has not incurred the opposition of most Americans; it is consistent with the wishes of most Americans and the American national interests are come true.It is argued that the Nixon administration’s China policy shift is because of the change in U.S. foreign policy-making concept. That is, the U.S. understanding of China has changed. But the premise and foundation of the concept change is still the U.S. national interests. The national interest is the starting point and ultimate goal of the U.S. foreign policy-making, it has not changed. Since the cold war, the long-term policy to contain and isolate China was carried out by the U.S. government. Many Americans discuss and debate their China policy during this period, but the policy of containment and isolation toward China has not changed. The United States policy to contain and isolate China, on the surface it is ideological conflict and confrontation, but essentially it is the U.S. national interests under the "communism" and "capitalism".Since the cold war, the ideological struggle and conflict is not incompatible with the United States national interests, but rather to safeguard and protect the national interests of the United States, it just serves and is subject to the highest purpose——the national interests. During the United States President Truman took office to the Eisenhower administration, and then to the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, the execution of the Cold War mentality, ideological confrontation and the containment and isolation policy at the time is accord with the interests of the United States, which is to keep highly consistent with the U.S. national interests. The Nixon administration’s China policy shift can not be explained that the disappearance of the two ideological struggles or the Cold War mentality, but with the change of the domestic and international situation, foreign policy adjustments and changes in the US China policy are more in line with the national interests of the United States. It is also proved that the Nixon administration’s China policy changes at the time maintain the national interests of the United States and open a new situation of the American foreign relations.