President
Richard Nixon of the United States of America visited
the People's Republic of China at the invitation of Premier
Chou En-lai of the People's Republic of China from February
21 to February 28, 1972. Accompanying the President were
Mrs. Nixon, U.S. Secretary of State William Rogers, Assistant
to the President Dr. Henry Kissinger, and other American
officials.
President
Nixon met with Chairman Mao Tsetung of the Communist Party
of China on February 21. The two leaders had a serious
and frank exchange of views on Sino-U.S. relations and
world affairs.
During
the visit, extensive, earnest and frank discussions were
held between President Nixon and Premier Chou En-lai on
the normalization of relations between the United States
of America and the People's Republic of China, as well
as on other matters of interest to both sides. In addition,
Secretary of State William Rogers and Foreign Minister
Chi Peng-fei held talks in the same spirit.
President
Nixon and his party visited Peking and viewed cultural,
industrial and agricultural sites, and they also toured
Hangchow and Shanghai where, continuing discussions with
Chinese leaders, they viewed similar places of interest.
The
leaders of the People's Republic of China and the United
States of America found it beneficial to have this opportunity,
after so many years without contact, to present candidly
to one another their views on a variety of issues. They
reviewed the international situation in which important
changes and great upheavals are taking place and expounded
their respective positions and attitudes.
The
Chinese side stated: Wherever there is oppression, there
is resistance. Countries want independence, nations want
liberation and the people want revolution--this has become
the irresistible trend of history. All nations, big or
small, should be equal: big nations should not bully the
small and strong nations should not bully the weak. China
will never be a superpower and it opposes hegemony and
power politics of any kind. The Chinese side stated that
it firmly supports the struggles of all the oppressed
people and nations for freedom and liberation and that
the people of all countries have the right to choose their
social systems according their own wishes and the right
to safeguard the independence, sovereignty and territorial
integrity of their own countries and oppose foreign aggression,
interference, control and subversion. All foreign troops
should be withdrawn to their own countries. The Chinese
side expressed its firm support to the peoples of Viet
Nam, Laos and Cambodia in their efforts for the attainment
of their goal and its firm support to the seven-point
proposal of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of
the Republic of South Viet Nam and the elaboration of
February this year on the two key problems in the proposal,
and to the Joint Declaration of the Summit Conference
of the Indochinese Peoples. It firmly supports the eight-point
program for the peaceful unification of Korea put forward
by the Government of the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea on April 12, 1971, and the stand for the abolition
of the "U.N. Commission for the Unification and Rehabilitation
of Korea". It firmly opposes the revival and outward
expansion of Japanese militarism and firmly supports the
Japanese people's desire to build an independent, democratic,
peaceful and neutral Japan. It firmly maintains that India
and Pakistan should, in accordance with the United Nations
resolutions on the Indo-Pakistan question, immediately
withdraw all their forces to their respective territories
and to their own sides of the ceasefire line in Jammu
and Kashmir and firmly supports the Pakistan Government
and people in their struggle to preserve their independence
and sovereignty and the people of Jammu and Kashmir in
their struggle for the right of self-determination.
The
U.S. side stated: Peace in Asia and peace in the world
requires efforts both to reduce immediate tensions and
to eliminate the basic causes of conflict. The United
States will work for a just and secure peace: just, because
it fulfills the aspirations of peoples and nations for
freedom and progress; secure, because it removes the danger
of foreign aggression. The United States supports individual
freedom and social progress for all the peoples of the
world, free of outside pressure or intervention. The United
States believes that the effort to reduce tensions is
served by improving communication between countries that
have different ideologies so as to lessen the risks of
confrontation through accident, miscalculation or misunderstanding.
Countries should treat each other with mutual respect
and be willing to compete peacefully, letting performance
be the ultimate judge. No country should claim infallibility
and each country should be prepared to reexamine its own
attitudes for the common good. The United States stressed
that the peoples of Indochina should be allowed to determine
their destiny without outside intervention; its constant
primary objective has been a negotiated solution; the
eight-point proposal put forward by the Republic of Viet
Nam and the United States on January 27, 1972 represents
a basis for the attainment of that objective; in the absence
of a negotiated settlement the United States envisages
the ultimate withdrawal of all U.S. forces from the region
consistent with the aim of self-determination for each
country of Indochina. The United States will maintain
its close ties with and support for the Republic of Korea;
the United States will support efforts of the Republic
of Korea to seek a relaxation of tension and increased
communication in the Korean peninsula. The United States
places the highest value on its friendly relations with
Japan; it will continue to develop the existing close
bonds. Consistent with the United Nations Security Council
Resolution of december 21, 1971, the United States favors
the continuation of the ceasefire between India and Pakistan
and the withdrawal of all military forces to within their
own territories and to their own sides of the ceasefire
line in Jammu and Kashmir; the United States supports
the right of the peoples of South Asia to shape their
own future in peace, free of military threat, and without
having the area become the subject of great power rivalry.
There
are essential differences between China and the United
States in their social systems and foreign policies. However,
the two sides agreed that countries, regardless of their
social systems, should conduct their relations on the
principles of respect for the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of all states, non-aggression against other
states, non-in- terference in the internal affairs of
other states, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful
coexistence. International disputes should be settled
on this basis, without resorting to the use or threat
of force. The United States and the People's Republic
of China are prepared to apply these principles to their
mutual relations.
With
these principles of international relations in mind the
two sides stated that:
·
progress toward the normalization of relations between
China and the United States is in the interests of
all countries
·
both wish to reduce the danger of international military
conflict
·
neither should seek hegemony in the Asia-Pacific region
and each is opposed to efforts by any other country
or group of countries to establish such hegemony
·
neither is prepared to negotiate on behalf of any
third party or to enter into agreements or understandings
with the other directed at other states.
Both
sides are of the view that it would be against the interests
of the peoples of the world for any major country to collude
with another against other countries, or for major countries
to divide up the world into spheres of interest.
The
two sides reviewed the long-standing serious disputes
between China and the United States. The Chinese side
reaffirmed its position: the Taiwan question is the crucial
question obstructing the normalization of relations between
China and the United States; the Government of the People's
Republic of China is the sole legal government of China;
Taiwan is a province of China which has long been returned
to the motherland; the liberation of Taiwan is China's
internal affair in which no other country has the right
to interfere; and all U.S. forces and military installations
must be withdrawn from Taiwan. The Chinese Government
firmly opposes any activities which aim at the creation
of "one China, one Taiwan", "one China,
two governments", "two Chinas", an "independent
Taiwan" or advocate that "the status of Taiwan
remains to be determined".
The
U.S. side declared: The United States acknowledges that
all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain
there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China.
The United States Government does not challenge that position.
It reaffirms its interest in a peaceful settlement of
the Taiwan question by the Chinese themselves. With this
prospect in mind, it affirms the ultimate objective of
the withdrawal of all U.S. forces and military installations
from Taiwan. In the meantime, it will progressively reduce
its forces and military installations on Taiwan as the
tension in the area diminishes. The two sides agreed that
it is desirable to broaden the understanding between the
two peoples. To this end, they discussed specific areas
in such fields as science, technology, culture, sports
and journalism, in which people-to-people contacts and
exchanges would be mutually beneficial. Each side undertakes
to facilitate the further development of such contacts
and exchanges.
Both
sides view bilateral trade as another area from which
mutual benefit can be derived, and agreed that economic
relations based on equality and mutual benefit are in
the interest of the peoples of the two countries. They
agree to facilitate the progressive development of trade
between their two countries.
The
two sides agreed that they will stay in contact through
various channels, including the sending of a senior U.S.
representative to Peking from time to time for concrete
consultations to further the normalization of relations
between the two countries and continue to exchange views
on issues of common interest.
The
two sides expressed the hope that the gains achieved during
this visit would open up new prospects for the relations
between the two countries. They believe that the normalization
of relations between the two countries is not only in
the interest of the Chinese and American peoples but also
contributes to the relaxation of tension in Asia and the
world.
President
Nixon, Mrs. Nixon and the American party expressed their
appreciation for the gracious hospitality shown them by
the Government and people of the People's Republic of
China.
