President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discussed the scheduling and public presentation of an upcoming summit with the Soviet Union, aiming to leverage the announcement to dominate the news cycle. They addressed U.S. strategy at the United Nations regarding the Taiwan representation issue, specifically the importance of passing an 'important question' resolution to prevent Taiwan's expulsion from the Security Council. Additionally, they reviewed Vietnam policy, including the political implications of South Vietnamese elections, the impact of severe flooding in North Vietnam on infiltration, and potential avenues for peace negotiations.
On September 7, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:30 pm to 12:55 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 275-008 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 275-008
Date: September 7, 1971
Time: 12:30 pm - 12:55 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
Soviet Union [USSR]
-Announcement of summit meeting
-Timing
-October 12, 1971
-Soviets
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Call to Kissinger
-Time span between calls
-State Department
-Michael J. Mansfield
-Communique
-Agreement
-Place of meeting
-Moscow
-Visit
-Progress in relations
-Andrei A. Gromyko
-Press conference
-Summit
-Berlin agreement
-People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Announcement
-Announcement of communique
-Timing
-United States [US]
-Soviet Union [USSR]
-Questions
-Press
-Kissinger's staff
-Preparation of questions and answers
-Compared with People's Republic of China [PRC] announcement
-The President's actions
-Other news
Kissinger's schedule
-People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Kissinger's postponement
-Attendance at Japanese dinner
-Japan
-William P. Rogers, U. Alexis Johnson
-Takeo Fukuda
-Proposed meeting with the President
-Kissinger’s attendance
-Relations with the President
Forthcoming United Nations [UN] vote on Taiwan, Republic of China [PRC]
-George H.W. Bush
-Security Council
-Expulsion
-United States [US] actions at the United Nations [UN]
-Albanian resolution
-People's Republic of China [PRC] admission
-Retention of Taiwan
-Guatemala
-Costa Rica
-Great Britain
-Position
-Background
-Bush
-Voting analysis
-Important questions
-Issue of Security Council seat
-Taiwan
-Expulsion
The President's opponents
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[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 08/10/2018.]
[Unintelligible]
[275-008-w001]
[Duration: 48s]
The President’s opponents
-Wallace
-Spiro T. Agnew
-6 (b/m)illion tax deduction
-Ted Kennedy
-Income Tax?
-Pressed for time
-Kissinger’s opinion
-Gain Momentum
******************************************************************************
Howard Stein
-Dinner
-Eugene J. McCarthy
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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 08/10/2017.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[275-008-w002]
[Duration: 1m46s]
Kissinger’s actions
-Movie actors
-Democrats
-Left, center, right wings
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-George McGovern, McCarthy
-Support for McCarthy
-Edmund S. Muskie
-New York City
-California
Conversation with Nelson Rockefeller
-Kissinger’s conversation
-The President's conversation
-1960, 1968
-Nelson Rockefeller
-Organization
-McCarthy
Kissinger’s schedule
-Talk with Howard Stein
-McCarthy
******************************************************************************
South Vietnam Presidential elections
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Referendum effect of unopposed election
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Administration's opponents
-American public
-Paul N. (“Pete”) McCloskey, Jr.
-[Forename unknown] Simon
-Dinner
-John B. Connally
-Strategy
-Timing
-Berlin
United States [US] foreign relations
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Dobrynin
-United States [US]-People’s Republic of China [PRC] relationships
-Southeast Asia
-United States [US]-Soviet relations
-Meeting
-Possible summit
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Possible actions
-Vietnam peace settlement
Vietnam
-Peace negotiations
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Forthcoming elections in South Vietnam
-Thieu
-Effect on negotiations
-Compromise
-Temporary government
-Duration
-Thieu
-Press handling of issue
-Editorial
-Warning against involvement in South Vietnamese elections
-North Vietnamese
-Compared with South Vietnamese military forces
-Casualties
-North Vietnam
-Floods
-Effect
-Supplies
-Infiltration
Soviet Union [USSR]
-Signing of Accidental War, Hotline Agreements
-Date
-Ceremony
-Gromyko
-Signing
-Public [press?] opinion
-US position
-Democrats
-W[illiam] Averell Harriman
H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman's conversation with the President
-Willy Brandt letter
Kissinger's schedule
-Lunch
-Connally
-Soviet Union developments
-Rogers
-Kissinger's conversation with Rogers
Rogers
-Information about negotiations
-Summit Meeting
-Dobrynin
-Relations with Kissinger
Kissinger left at 12:55 pm.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.