Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 321 › Conversation 321-029

Nixon & Kissinger on Taiwan and Renunciation of force

Wednesday, March 8, 1972 · 4:56 PM–5:01 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation321-029 on Tape 321 (tape position 02:56:46–03:00:55)StartWednesday, March 8, 1972 at 4:56 PMEndWednesday, March 8, 1972 at 5:01 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 321-029 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger coordinate their strategy for addressing potential media or diplomatic inquiries regarding the "renunciation of force" concerning Taiwan. They decide to deflect specific questions by framing their stance within the context of a peaceful settlement, intentionally avoiding a definitive commitment. Nixon affirms his full confidence in Kissinger's handling of the negotiations as they prepare for upcoming high-stakes discussions.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 51% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.

Hello.

I suppose you're with your friend right now, huh?

Well, let me figure it out.

I was wondering about the, you know, they remember the question about, was there a renunciation of force?

If I could find even, put it this way, I do not expect the use of force on either side of the island space.

No, I don't want to say anything.

I just wouldn't answer it correctly.

I don't anticipate it would be important.

Well, the better thing, then, is to just say, I don't want to, I just, that question might come.

I think you might say that we've stayed in a position where...

Now, let's see.

I think that's a very clever way to handle it, to say the prospect, with the prospect of a peaceful settlement in mind, that it was carefully chosen, and I won't go beyond that.

I don't want to lose you, but I have my approval.

Okay.

Just say that I don't have my approval, but that's my order.

I'm not going to screw around any more.

Well, you'll do a hell of a job, and you have my confidence.

And, uh... Yeah, I'll find a way to do the same.

Uh, this, uh...

I know there's one thing we did not include.

I was taking out the pages, you know, that they had given.

I know it's one thing he did not include, but they had in his draft.

Well, I meant, that's a long line to what he's raising.

But I don't think I ever heard that raised.

OK. All right.

Thank you.

NARA Description

On March 8, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:56 pm to 5:01 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 321-029 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 321-29

Date: March 8, 1972
Time: 4:56 pm - 5:01 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

Henry A. Kissinger talked with the President

[See Conversation No. 21-24]

Also recorded on March 8, 1972

321-025 4:35 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:35 pm and 4:40 pm.
321-026 4:35 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:35 pm and 4:40 pm.
021-023 4:40 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 4:40 pm to 4:43 pm.
321-027 4:40 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:40 pm to 4:43 pm.
321-028 4:43 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:43 pm and 4:56 pm.
021-024 4:56 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 4:56 pm to 5:01 pm.
321-030 5:01 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:01 pm and 5:03 pm.
321-031 5:03 PM · 40 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:03 pm to 5:50 pm.

All 36 conversations from March 8, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 321-029, March 8, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/321-029 (accessed October 2, 2026).