Video: 'History: Feb 1972 President Nixon to China (4/6) 1972/2/21' (Nixon meets with Mao at 6:29)

(Monday, February 21, 1972, 2:50-3:55 p.m. China Standard Time; during the 1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China and the Cold War) — Three hours and 20 minutes after he arrived in Beijing, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon’s week-long summit conference in China quickly reached a high point today with a surprise meeting with Chairman Mao Zedong, the enshrined leader of the Communist rulers of China.

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The meeting lasted 65 minutes and appeared to have been added hurriedly to Nixon’s schedule on his first afternoon here.

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Unknown to Nixon and the rest of the American diplomats at the time, Mao was in poor health and he had been hospitalized for several weeks up to only nine days before Nixon’s arrival. Nevertheless, Mao felt well enough to insist to his officials that he would meet with Nixon upon his arrival.

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Upon being introduced to Nixon for the first time, Mao, speaking through his translator, said to Nixon: “I believe our old friend Chiang Kai-shek would not approve of this.” Mao also joked that “I voted for you during your last election.” Nixon, charmed, said “you voted for the lesser of two evils,” and Mao replied, “I like rightists, I am comparatively happy when these people on the right come into power.”

Video: '1972 PRESIDENT NIXON MET CHAIRMAN MAO'

Although Nixon was in China for a week, this would be his only meeting with the top Chinese leader.