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Conversation: 252-020

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Start Date: 28-Apr-1971 4:51 PM

End Date: 28-Apr-1971 6:08 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Kissinger, Henry A.Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Butterfield, Alexander P.

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:44:23

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:43:37

252a.mp3

252b.mp3

NARA Description:

On April 28, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:51 pm to 6:08 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 252-020 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 252-20

Date: April 28, 1971
Time: 4:51 pm - 6:08 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger

     Kissinger’s trip to California
          -Schedule
          -Timing

     Kissinger’s conversation with Pakistani Ambassador Agha Hilaly

     People’s Republic of China [PRC]
          -Agha Muhommad Yahya Khan
          -US policy

     Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
         -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
         -Negotiations
               -[David] Kenneth Rush and Philip J. Farley

     PRC
           -Chou En-lai

     USSR
         -Negotiations
             -Kissinger’s conversation with Dobrynin
             -Vienna
             -Arms control
             -Possible agreement
             -US policy
             -Possible agreement
             -Anti-ballistic Missile [ABM] treaty
                    -Soviet strength

     PRC
           -Pakistani ambassador
           -US emissary
                -Possible candidates
                                         10

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)



           -Dr. David K. E. Bruce
                 -Vietnam negotiations
           -Kissinger
           -[Unintelligible name]
           -Nelson A. Rockefeller
                 -Taiwan
                 -Chiang Kai-shek
           -John B. Connally                              Conv. No. 252-20 (cont.)
                 -Personal style
           -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

USSR
    -Cuba
    -Middle East
    -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
          -Prospects
    -Kissinger’s discussion with Dobrynin
          -Possible summit
          -SALT
          -US position
    -PRC

PRC
      -Possible US emissary
           -Rockefeller [?]

Vietnam
     -Paul N. (“Pete”) McCloskey, Jr.
     -PRC
     -US policy
           -Possible withdrawal of US forces
     -Thailand
     -Indonesia
     -William P. Rogers’ speech
           -Criticism
     -Cambodia and Laos

PRC
      -Kissinger’s conversation with Henry Hubbard
      -Donald H. Rumsfeld
      -Marshall Green
      -Rogers
                                             11

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 9/08)



          -State Department
          -Goal of US policy
                -End isolation of PRC
          -President’s possible statement on April 29, 1971 regarding Taiwan
                -US relations
                      -Treaty commitments
                -United Nations’ [UN] representation
                -Two-China policy                                     Conv. No. 252-20 (cont.)
          -US policy
          -State Department
          -Negotiations
          -Pakistan
                -Rawalpindi
          -Bruce
          -Robert D. Murphy
          -Chiang Kai-shek
          -Haldeman
          -Chou En-lai
          -Rockefeller
          -Taiwan
          -Bruce
          -Vietnam negotiations
          -State Department
          -Signal to the USSR
                -Berlin talks
          -Bruce
          -Rockefeller
          -Vietnam
          -USSR
          -Timetable
          -Bruce
          -Kissinger
          -Bruce’s possible role
          -Kissinger
          -Possible visit by President
          -Vietnam
          -Meeting in Rawalpindi
          -Possible US emissary to Peking
                -Bruce

Haldeman entered at 5:20 pm
                                           12

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 9/08)



      -Possible summit meeting
      -Timing of President’s visit
      -Vietnam negotiations
            -Taiwan
            -Vietnam
      -Announcement
      -Kissinger’s possible role
      -Bruce                                               Conv. No. 252-20 (cont.)
      -Visit by President
            -Arrangements
            -Kissinger
      -Meeting with PRC representatives
            -Kissinger’s possible itinerary
            -Timing
            -General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
      -Personal emissary
      -Risks
      -USSR
      -Laos, Indonesia, and Thailand
      -Kissinger
      -Bruce
      -Meeting in Rawalpindi
      -Timing
      -USSR
      -Rockefeller
      -Need for subtlety
      -Preparation for meeting with President
            -Arrangements
            -Agenda
            -Kissinger
            -Agenda
            -Emissary
            -Announcement
            -Press conference

President’s conversation with Charles W. Colson
     -Television coverage

PRC
      -Timing of President’s visit
           -USSR
      -Announcement
                                               13

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 9/08)



           -Kissinger
           -Rockefeller and Bruce
           -State Department
           -Meeting in Rawalpindi
                 -PRC emissaries
           -Chou En-lai
           -Timing
           -Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield                               Conv. No. 252-20 (cont.)
                 -Tour of China
           -Purpose of negotiations
                 -Summit meeting
                 -Vietnam
           -Emissary
           -Possible discussions
           -Purposes of Kissinger’s visit
                 -President’s visit
                 -Possible visit by “public” envoy
           -US position
           -Meeting in Rawalpindi
           -Pakistan ambassador
           -Kissinger and Rogers
           -Negotiations
           -Possible “public” emissaries
                 -Bruce and Murphy
           -Condition of presidential visit
                 -End of Vietnam War
           -Timing of President’s visit

     USSR
         -Summit meeting

     Vietnam
          -Bruce’s statement on Prisoners of War [POWs]

[A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under court order from
December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access [SA] 8, Ronald V. Dellums, et al. v.
James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records Administration
produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]

[End of transcript]

Kissinger left at 5:49 pm
                                               14

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)




     State Department
           -Possible change of secretary
           -Rogers
           -Elliot L. Richardson
           -Rockefeller
           -Connally
           -Rogers                                             Conv. No. 252-20 (cont.)
           -Kissinger
           -Need for “mechanic” as secretary
           -Richardson and Rogers
           -Rogers
                 -Accomplishments
                       -Middle East and USSR
                 -Career aspirations
                 -Supreme Court
                       -Warren E. Burger
                       -John M. Harlan
           -President’s PRC policy
                 -Taiwan
                 -Speech

     Barry M. Goldwater
          -Tennessee Valley Authority [TVA]
               -Comments in Tennessee
          -Social Security
               -Comments in St. Petersburg, Florida
          -Press
          -Television
               -Marvin L. Kalb

     State Department
           -Rogers
                 -President’s PRC policy
           -Green
           -President’s PRC policy
                 -Kissinger
           -Rogers

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 5:55 pm

     George P. Shultz
                                         15

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 9/08)



      -Minimum wage
      -President’s schedule
            -Dr. W. Kenneth Riland

Minimum wage
    -Decision
    -James D. Hodgson
          -Testimony                                           Conv. No. 252-20 (cont.)
    -President’s schedule
          -Shultz
    -President’s instructions to Haldeman
          -Purpose of Shultz’s request to discuss minimum wage
          -President’s upcoming press conference
    -Patrick J. Buchanan
    -Administration’s position
    -Hodgson

State Department
      -Rogers
      -Melvin R. Laird
           -Career aspirations
      -Rogers

Television networks
     -President’s conversation with Colson
     -Demonstrations
     -Public opinion
     -Veterans
     -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
     -John A. Scali
     -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
           -Pentagon [Department of Defense]
     -Media
     -President’s reaction to media in 1962

President’s meeting with editors

State Department
      -Connally
      -Rogers

PRC
                                              16

                              NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 9/08)



           -Visit by US emissary
           -Kissinger
           -Richardson
           -Announcement
           -Emissary
                 -Public and private
           -Timing
           -Conditions                                             Conv. No. 252-20 (cont.)
                 -Vietnam
                 -Taiwan
           -President’s visit
           -Mansfield

     Shultz
          -Hodgson’s testimony
          -President’s schedule
                -Call back

Butterfield left at 6:06 pm

           -John D. Ehrlichman

The President and Haldeman left at 6:08 pm