Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 39 › Conversation 039-033

Nixon phone call with Bull on People's Republic of China and Media relations

Tuesday, May 29, 1973 · 1:52 PM–1:54 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation039-033 on Tape 39StartTuesday, May 29, 1973 at 1:52 PMEndTuesday, May 29, 1973 at 1:54 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 039-033 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed his aide, Stephen B. Bull, to revise the arrangements for an upcoming meeting with a delegation of journalists from the People's Republic of China. Nixon explicitly rejected a planned question-and-answer session in the Cabinet Room, favoring a brief, structured event in the Oval Office instead. The President directed that the visit be limited to a welcoming statement, a photo opportunity, and a quick departure to avoid informal dialogue or media scrutiny. He also requested that his barber appointment be scheduled for 3:30 pm.

Audio

Download MP3 · 3.2 MB

Transcript (AI-generated)

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Hello?
Yes, sir, Steve Ball.
I noticed that they seem to have that business with the Chinese journalists set up for the cabinet room and the rest.
And I don't think that's a good idea, because I don't want to sit around and sit down and answer questions and, you know, you understand?
Yes, sir.
I just want a stand-up deal.
Why don't you just have them in the office and have a picture taken in 15 minutes?
You see what I mean?
They're planning a long session here now, weren't they, or something?
No, they were planning up to 30 minutes, sir.
What?
Questions?
Uh, no, I'd rather do that.
Okay.
I thought Al Hagan talked to you.
No, don't get him in this.
You can work this out.
Right.
You understand, I just don't want a law.
I just don't think it's a good idea to have a question and answer session with a bunch of foreign journalists at this point.
We weren't going to have questions.
Discourage that and recommend that it be discouraged.
We'll do it in the office, Spencer.
I think I'll do it in the office, and I'll make a welcoming statement, and they can respond, and the press should have a photo opportunity, and then they come in and they get the hell out.
All right, sir.
Fine.
You see what I mean?
And so that we can not have a situation where we sit around and jazz, because I don't...
I don't want to do that with foreign journalists.
I'm not doing it with journalists here, you see.
All right, sir.
There's quite a sizable number.
Fine, fine.
There can be 30.
We can put them in there.
All right, sir.
Fine.
Put them in there.
Just have them all come in, stand up, and have a picture taken.
See?
Very good, sir.
And that's the way I think is the best way to handle it.
Just do it that way, okay?
We will do it.
Yes, sir.
And put the haircut at 330, please.
Fine.
Thank you.
Yes, sir.

NARA Description

On May 29, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 1:52 pm to 1:54 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 039-033 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 39-33

Date: May 29, 1973
Time: 1:52 pm - 1:54 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Stephen B. Bull.

[See also Conversation No. 440-64]

       President’s schedule

       Meeting with People’s Republic of China [PRC] journalists
             -Arrangements
                     -Cabinet Room
                     -Type of session
                     -Duration
                     -Type of session
                            -Question-and-answer
             -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
             -Arrangements
                     -Type of session
                            -Question-and-answer
                                    -President’s preference
                     -Oval Office
                     -Statement, photo opportunity
                     -Type of session
                            -Foreign journalists compared with American journalists
                     -Number of participants
                     -Photo opportunity
             -Barber
                                              -29-

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Also recorded on May 29, 1973

  • 039-029 1:46 PM · 46 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 1:46 pm to 1:47 pm.
  • 039-030 1:47 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at 1:47 pm.
  • 039-031 1:47 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thomas Hart talked on the telephone from 1:47 pm to 1:48 pm.
  • 440-061 1:47 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 1:47 pm.
  • 440-062 1:47 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thomas Hart met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:47 pm to 1:48 pm.
  • 039-032 1:48 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:48 pm and 1:52 pm.
  • 440-063 1:48 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:48 pm and 1:52 pm.
  • 440-064 1:52 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:52 pm to 1:54 pm.

All 45 conversations from May 29, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 039-033, May 29, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/039-033 (accessed October 10, 2026).