President Nixon, H. R. Haldeman, and Henry Kissinger met to coordinate the President's upcoming schedule, focusing on balancing his public appearances at various receptions with the need to protect his time. They discussed logistics for the President's Alaska trip, including interactions with newspaper publishers and potential appearances alongside Bill Rogers. Kissinger subsequently joined the meeting to brief the President on mounting evidence of domestic instability within the People's Republic of China, specifically citing the unexplained cancellation of civil aviation flights and the potential death or removal of Mao Zedong, which threatened the status of upcoming diplomatic initiatives.
On September 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:04 pm to 4:23 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 449-017 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 449-17
Date: September 21, 1971
Time: 4:04 pm - 4:23 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
International Monetary Fund [IMF]
-Reception
Thelma C. (“Pat’) Nixon
-Reception for IMF wives
-Number of guests
-Date
-Tour reception
-The President's appearance
Department of the Treasury
-Smithsonian Institution reception for the IMF
-Guests
-White House
-IMF wives
The President's northwestern trip
-Alaska
-Newspaper group
-Number
-Walter J. Hickel
-Reception
-Press reception
-The President's appearance
-William P. Rogers
-Rogers C. B. Morton
-John A. Scali
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Herbert G. Klein
-The President's appearance
-Hickel
-Reception
-Number of guests
-The President's schedule
-Speaking appearance
-Receiving
-Reception
-Rogers
-Attendance
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Southern California
-Media briefing
-Rogers
-Press reception
-Alaska
-The President's schedule
-Hickel's reception
-Rogers's appearance at press reception
The President's previous trips
-Scheduling
-Receptions
-Dinners
The President's schedule
-Appearances
-Cancellation
-Scheduling the President's time
-Receptions
-Dinner
-The President's appearance
-Guests
-Foreign visitors
-Background
-Diplomatic Credentials Ceremony
-Importance to diplomats
-Emil (“Bus’) Mosbacher, Jr.
-Staff
-State Department
-Receiving foreign visitors
-Meeting the President
-Background
-Country of origin
-Foreign post
-Foreign service
-Presentation of credentials to the President
-Photo opportunity
-Impact
-Presentation of diplomatic credentials
-The President's performance
-Meetings in the Cabinet Room
-The President's performance
-Haldeman's conversation with Virginia N. Knauer
-Reaction of guests
-Knauer
-Weekly meetings
-Length
-Congressmen
-Different groups
-Views of different groups
-The President's attendance
-Impact
-Cabinet Room
-Number attending
-Length of meeting
-Subject
-The President's attendance at Business Council meetings
Kissinger entered at 4:16 pm.
People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Domestic situation
-Civil aviation airports
-Parade for national holiday
-Status
-Mao Tse-tung
-Pictures
-Health
-Domestic situation
-Commercial aviation
-Cancellation of flights
-Date
-Resumption of flights
-Date
-Cancellation
-Flights to and from Peking
-Diplomatic communications between the US and PRC
-Government leaders
-Public appearances
-Cultural revolution group
-Possible actions
-Red Guard
-Purges
-Mao Tse-tung
-Position
-1960
-"Great Leap Forward"
-Liu Shao-ch'i
-Cultural revolution
-Chou En-lai
-Health
-Cancellation of parade
-Chou En-lai
-US initiative
-Cultural revolution
-Relations with Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Incident with the Soviet Ambassador
-Domestic situation
-Factions
-Mao
-Organization
-Trip to the PRC
-Dates
-Kissinger's October 1971 trip, the President's 1972 Summit
trip
-Communications between the US and PRC
-Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters, Jr.
-The President's proposal for PRC trip
-Dates
-The PRC's response
-Cancellation of civil aviation flights
-Peking
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 2m 3s ]
PRC
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
**********************************************************************
-Press reports
-Ronald L. Ziegler
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National Security]
[Duration: 1m 23s ]
SAUDI ARABIA
KISSINGER LEFT AT 4:23 PM.
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
**********************************************************************
Haldeman left at 4:23 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.