President Nixon and Secretary of State William Rogers discussed the precarious vote count regarding the admission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations. They reviewed the effectiveness of the President's personal appeals to various foreign leaders, expressing frustration over uncooperative nations and the limitations of multilateral foreign aid. Ultimately, the two agreed that if the U.S. failed to secure the vote, they would avoid direct presidential involvement in the aftermath, prioritizing a pivot toward bilateral diplomacy that rewards supportive nations and penalizes those that oppose U.S. interests.
On October 25, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 12:20 pm to 12:31 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 012-111 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 12-111 Date: October 25, 1971 Time: 12:20 pm- 12:31 pm Location: White House Telephone The President talked with William P. Rogers. [See Conversation No. 601-30] US Foreign Policy -United Nations [UN] vote on Chinese representation -The President’s telephone calls to foreign leaders -Italy -Voting position -Mexico -Portugal -Morocco -The President’s previous telephone call to King Hassan II -Senegal -Togo -Leopold S. Senghor -Georges Pompidou 73 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) ****************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1 [National Security] [Duration: 32s ] SENEGAL END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1 ****************************************************************************** -European countries -African countries -Future meeting with the President -Mexico -Canada -Mexico -Emilio O. Rabasa -Rogers forthcoming conversation -Luis Echeverria Alvarez ****************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2 [National Security] [Duration: 1m 1s ] MEXICO, IRELAND END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2 ****************************************************************************** -US strategy 74 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) ****************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3 [National Security] [Duration: 8s ] PRC END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3 ****************************************************************************** -World Bank, International Monetary Fund [IMF], Asian Development Fund, Latin-American Fund -Peter G. Peterson Committee -US -John B. Connally -Brazil -Argentina -Peru -Ecuador ****************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4 [National Security] [Duration: 27s ] BOLIVIA END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4 ****************************************************************************** 75 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) -Latin America -Henry Cabot Lodge -un -Possible outcome -US response -Belgium -Pierre Harmel ****************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5 [National Security] [Duration: 4s ] FRENCH, GREAT BRITAIN END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5 ****************************************************************************** -Actions -Possible decision 76 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) ****************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6 [National Security] [Duration: 13s ] FRENCH, GREAT BRITAIN END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6 ****************************************************************************** -Possible vote count -Rogers view -Southern Yemen -Sudan -Syria -Iraq -Southern Yemen -Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Bulgaria, Burma, Burundi Belorussia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Ceylon, Chile, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia -Ceylon -Chinese -Guinea, Hungary -Iceland 77 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) ****************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7 [National Security] [Duration: 3s ] ICELAND END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7 ****************************************************************************** -India, Iraq, Kuwait -Kenya -Multilateral assistance -US position -Aid -George H.W. Bush -Comments on vote -Possible defeat -Rogers -Alexander M. Haig, Jr. -The President's Position -Us Domestic Situation -China -Italy -Rogers’ Schedule -Harmel 78 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06)
This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.