Relations with China

• President Nixon was keen to improve relations with China as well as with the Soviet Union, to prevent the two countries from forming an anti-American communist alliance - The 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia angered China and gave Nixon his opportunity - Growing relations with China, which was supporting North Vietnam , would be useful in American attempts to withdraw from South Vietnam.
• Good relations between the Chinese and American teams at the 1971 World Table Tennis Championships in Japan led to the American team being invited to China - Americans had not been welcome in China since the communist takeover in 1949 - As a result, the USA lifted its ban on trade with China , which had been in place since 1950. 
• Later in 1971, the United Nations officially recognised the communist government of China, which helped to improve its relations with many other countries as well - As these improving relations had begun between the table tennis teams , improving relations between the USA and China became known as ping pong diplomacy
• Chinese and American diplomats began to meet regularly - In February 1972, Nixon became the first US president to visit China and had talks with the Chinese leader Mao Zedong - Relations between the two countries had now returned to normal - The Chinese put pressure on North Vietnam to begin talks with the USA, which would enable America to withdraw from Vietnam