Chou En-lai's Statecraft in Sino-American Rapprochement
Abstract
Chou En-lai's role in initiating diplomatic contact with the United States is widely regarded, particularly in the West, as the crowning achievement of his five decades of leadership and statecraft. Chou was unique in Chinese internal and foreign policy annals, at times eclipsing even Mao Tse-tung as the architect of policies to relate China's revolution to the rest of the world. He was a superb tactician, perhaps even more than a grand strategist. The opening to Washington was largely a tactical move at the time it was accomplished -- a means rather than an end in itself -- despite Chou's efforts over several decades to hold out a hand to America. The timing of this event for Chou was compelled equally by Soviet military pressure and China's internal leadership struggle following the Cultural Revolution, including Lin Piao's pro-Soviet leaning. Henry Kissinger recollects that he and Chou were brought together by "necessity." This conclusion was long in coming to both sides. But when the meeting of minds finally happened, the new grand strategy of "triangular diplomacy" among the United States, the Soviet Union, and China came into full bloom.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 07, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA437563
Entities
People
- Terry Otis
Organizations
- National War College