Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 014-115
Date: Monday, November 15, 1971 at 7:23 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Kissinger, Henry A.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/014-115

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:01] Hello?
[0:06] Mr. President, Dr. Kissinger is calling you, sir.
[0:19] Yeah, bye.
[0:19] Here you are.
[0:20] Hello?
[0:20] Hi, Henry.
[0:21] Mr. President, I just wanted to call you to tell you that the Chinese, having presented their credentials, made a speech at the UN today.
[0:24] And from fragmentary news reports, it was a rather rough one, that they stated, faked out their program.
[0:27] Now, Rod has called and immediately wanted to hit back tonight.
[0:45] I think we shouldn't hit back tonight.
[0:46] We should study the scene.
[0:47] And I think our position ought to be, we haven't even got the text of the game.
[0:48] Yeah.
[0:49] Time enough is tomorrow, every three things, three, four days after.
[0:50] Mm-hmm.
[0:50] That makes sense.
[0:51] Well, certainly, certainly I wouldn't say anything tonight.
[0:53] In fact, if we can get through tomorrow without saying something, which is just as well, then we could make a dignified but strong statement on Wednesday, which we can then consider.
[1:13] So there's a certain amount of glee that's been said about this, and I think we should tell everyone else to do so.
[1:20] A glee, you say?
[1:20] Why?
[1:20] Well, it takes an oddly way to get it to stray, and that it's not being typical before.
[1:23] No, that's right.
[1:26] Are you surprised at the speech?
[1:29] No, I think it's good.
[1:31] I think they'll behave moderately.
[1:34] Yeah.
[1:34] Every time I've been there, I've heard Henry Hillbottom speak.
[1:41] That's about what I expected.
[1:44] God damn it, they've got to be the leaders of the communist world in any event.
[1:47] That's their point.
[1:49] So I think that there's going to be that.
[1:53] The main thing is to get our announcement off at the proper time, and that's that.
[2:00] But it would be ridiculous to respond to them immediately.
[2:08] Who wants to do that?
[2:08] Roger.
[2:09] Roger wanted Bush to reply tonight.
[2:10] I think we should say nothing tonight and probably not tomorrow.
[2:12] I wouldn't say anything tomorrow.
[2:13] Tom, I want to study it tomorrow.
[2:16] Right.
[2:19] Sure, I'll take some time to study it tomorrow.
[2:20] Well, we can play it, you know.
[2:21] We can see whether we have to, but...
[2:23] like responding tonight is the most ridiculous.
[2:25] Why?
[2:26] What is the line they take that needs to be responded to?
[2:41] Oh, that they will support the enslaved people.
[2:42] It wouldn't get so much as no deal about the Arabs behind their backs.
[2:43] They will support Vietnam.
[2:44] All of this, they've said.
[2:44] They've said this to me, too.
[2:45] Oh, for Christ's sakes.
[2:46] What's that?
[2:47] You know what?
[2:47] It almost seems, though, that in this case, the state may be wanting to blow the China trip.
[2:54] That's what I think.
[2:55] Don't you think so?
[2:59] Well, neither does the Russian one, but nevertheless.
[3:04] Okay.
[3:04] Just cold turkey.
[3:06] Fine.
[3:06] It'll work out, too.
[3:07] How are you going to run with Cromer?
[3:11] Well, this is pretty much as those would say.
[3:12] All right.
[3:13] Good.
[3:13] Fine.
[3:14] Okay.
[3:15] All right.
[3:15] Don't worry about it.
[3:16] Bye.