Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 160 › Conversation 160-013

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Vietnam War and Paris Peace Accords

Saturday, January 6, 1973 · 2:54 PM–2:59 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation160-013 on Tape 160StartSaturday, January 6, 1973 at 2:54 PMEndSaturday, January 6, 1973 at 2:59 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 160-013 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discussed the status of Vietnam peace negotiations and the potential for Chinese and Soviet influence on Hanoi's leadership. They evaluated the persistent demands for changes in the agreement and the role of North Vietnamese negotiator Le Duc Tho. Nixon instructed Kissinger to utilize presidential messaging to strengthen his bargaining position during upcoming sessions.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.

Mr. President.

You, uh, finished your lunch?

Yes, I have.

Are you still there?

No, I'm still in the, uh, no, no, I'm in the office.

Oh, fine, fine.

How'd it go?

Anything new?

Nothing new, uh, because we talked mostly, this was scheduled to discuss other matters.

Right, right.

He hasn't had a report yet, or said he hasn't had a report from the doctor.

So, this is much of.

But apparently these guys lie to them so much that he's totally confused as to what the issues are.

Ah, they're right.

He listed a whole batch of them that were already settled.

Frankly, as long as Vietnam is going on, I just can't turn to it effectively.

That's correct.

Well, you know, you really come down to the point, Henry, as to whether the Chinese and Russians really are going to put a little pressure on them or not.

I don't know.

Who are the Chinese?

Yeah, yeah.

in the Chinese.

One, they don't want Vietnam Unified under Hanoi.

Yeah.

And two, they don't want that influence to predominate in Hanoi.

Yep.

But, uh, and I think that message from Joe is... Well, that does seem to me to have some significance.

They do not talk lightly.

Now, the doctor who arrived today in Paris

He says what?

Uh-huh.

Yeah.

We're not insisting on any changes, are we?

I don't think.

I don't know.

But it's there that they're insisting on the changes, aren't they?

Exactly.

It may be, of course, that he's referring to it.

One thing about it, sometimes I wonder if our restraint and our public statements may be misinterpreted to them.

You know, they play everything up to the propaganda hilt and we refuse to talk and so forth.

What do you think?

I don't think so.

they have been pretty restrained except he couldn't let this opportunity go by around the airport right right the one thing i want to tell you adding to it needless to say in the course of these meetings if you need to say that you have a rep just received a message from me or you know anything you you feel free to

to use one you know right you know the various things we've covered and uh and they're all there so you just pull out anytime anytime you want you pull out a piece of paper and say well i just got this message right you know okay right or ask for one anytime you need one so that because you mustn't be i want you to be in every the strongest possible position okay henry goodbye

NARA Description

On January 6, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David from 2:54 pm to 2:59 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 160-013 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 160-13

Date: January 6, 1973
Time: 2:54 pm - 2:59 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

[See also Conversation No. 240-3]

       Kissinger's schedule

       Kissinger's meeting with unknown person
             -Vietnam negotiations
                                                -13-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                           Conversation No. 160-13 (cont’d)

                  -Le Duc Tho
                  -Issues
            -European security conference
                  -Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction [MBFR]
                  -Kissinger’s view
            -Vietnam negotiations
                  -People’s Republic of China [PRC] and Soviet Union
                  -Kissinger’s view
                        -Chou En-lai
                        -Unification of Vietnam
                        -Influence of Soviet Union
                  -Le Duc Tho
                        -Public statements in Paris
                  -Possible changes in agreement
                  -The President’s view
                        -Negotiations
                  -Instructions for Kissinger

Also recorded on January 6, 1973

160-012 2:50 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:50 pm and 2:54 pm.
240-002 2:50 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:50 pm and 2:54 pm.
240-003 2:54 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 2:54 pm to 2:59 pm.
160-014 2:59 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:59 pm and 3:39 pm.
240-004 2:59 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:59 pm and 3:39 pm.
240-005 2:59 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:59 pm and 3:39 pm.
160-015 3:39 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone at Camp David from 3:39 pm to 3:44 pm.
240-006 3:39 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 3:39 pm to 3:44 pm.

All 37 conversations from January 6, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 160-013, January 6, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/160-013 (accessed October 11, 2026).