Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 12 › Conversation 012-126

Nixon phone call with Haig on United Nations and People's Republic of China

Monday, October 25, 1971 · 7:27 PM–7:34 PM ET · White House Telephone · 7 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation012-126 on Tape 12 (tape position 05:15:06–05:22:01)StartMonday, October 25, 1971 at 7:27 PMEndMonday, October 25, 1971 at 7:34 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 012-126 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig discuss the rapidly evolving situation regarding the United Nations vote on Chinese representation, noting potential setbacks with Belgian and Peruvian positions. They review diplomatic efforts by Secretary of State William P. Rogers to influence Mexico and assess the impact of pending messages to Laos. The conversation concludes with scheduling arrangements for Henry Kissinger’s return and a brief acknowledgment of recent helicopter losses in Vietnam.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 4 minutes of this recording (about 53% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
General Hayes.
Hello?
Yes, Mr. President?
Any late developments?
Yes, sir.
I was just sending you a note.
It appears as though there may be a vote tonight, which would be to our advantage if it happens that way.
Oh.
We've got word now that the Belgians are running down the recognition of the TLC at 4.30 our time.
So we lose that?
We lose that, and plus the psychological impact of it.
And the Peruvians will be the same sometime tomorrow.
You think we have a chance?
Really?
I can't believe that.
At least we've done our part.
Rogers has really worked on the Mexicans, he said.
It's probably to no avail, but he's putting it to them hard.
He says, you know, he told me, he told the Mexican foreign minister, he said, look, here are the presidents.
He says, we're still going to have good relations with the president and a special relationship with Echeverria and so forth.
This is going to be it.
very seriously impaired yeah right yeah
Right.
Henry gets back that time.
I have a meeting with Connolly tomorrow at 4, but it's very important, and so I have to go forward with that.
So when Henry gets back, why don't you say that I'd like for him to get a little rest and so forth, and that I'd like to see him and say...
about 6 to 6.30 for him to come over at the EOB and I'll have dinner with him and talk about it, okay?
That'll be a good thing for him.
Oh, you'll follow me, whatever comes your way, you'll climb it.
What's the call?
Sure, whatever happens.
Okay?
You mean it'll be around midnight?
Well, it could be that late.
Good.
You call me, whatever it is.
Okay.
Everything else, uh, nothing?
No, I think everything's quite quiet.
Well, that's great.
That's great.
That thing is really wound down at the moment, isn't it?
30 helicopters?
30 helicopters lost in flight are on the ground.
Well, that's one of those things.
We can replace our country.
And we should do that, of course.
Well, exactly.
Do you think the Savannah Fulmer message will get through in time to affect your vote or not?
Yes, sir, I think it will.
We've all been there.
It takes the country.
Well...
At the present time, they're against the sun.
I got the Laotians, pal.
This is terrible.
They go that way.
Yeah, I understand.
Yeah, I suppose you're right.
Yeah.
On the other hand, without our third bed... Enigmo in Indian Pakistan.
They'll support it.
They'll support it for you.
Don't you think so?
Yes, they do.
They need to close it because they don't want to have any infection from it.
I know.
My Hemingway string has worked out fine because of his...
He probably needed a 24 hours anyway.
I agree.
Right.
So set the appointment again.
So set 30 tomorrow night.
Okay.

NARA Description

On October 25, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 7:27 pm to 7:34 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 012-126 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 012-126

Date: October 25, 1971
Time: 7:27 pm- 7:34 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The White House operator talked with the President.

     Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

The President talked with Haig.

     United Nations [UN] vote on Chinese representation question
          -Timing of vote
          -Peoples Republic of China [PRC]
                -Belgium
                -Peru
          -Timing of vote
          -Possible outcome
          -William P. Rogers

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

                 -Mexico
                      -Luis Echeverria Alvarez

     Henry A. Kissinger's schedule

     The President's Schedule
          -John B. Connally
          -Kissinger
          -UN vote on Chinese representation

     Vietnam
          -North Vietnam
          -South Vietnam
          -Helicopter losses

     UN vote on China question
         -Laos
               -Souvanna Phouma
                    -Message from the President

     India-Pakistan
           -Agha Muhommad Yahya Khan
           -U Thant
           -Proposal

     Kissinger's schedule

Also recorded on October 25, 1971

  • 012-120 3:30 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:30 pm and 5:22 pm.
  • 304-017 4:35 PM · 1 hr 19 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, John D. Ehrlichman, unknown person(s), White House operator, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:35 pm to 6:01 pm.
  • 012-122 5:22 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, Alexander P. Butterfield, George P. Shultz, and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 5:22 pm to 5:25 pm.
  • 012-123 7:22 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:22 pm.
  • 012-124 7:22 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:22 pm and 7:27 pm.
  • 012-125 7:22 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:22 pm and 7:25 pm.
  • 012-127 7:34 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:34 pm and 7:37 pm.
  • 012-128 7:37 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 7:37 pm to 7:45 pm.

All 50 conversations from October 25, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 012-126, October 25, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/012-126 (accessed October 12, 2026).