Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 481 › Conversation 481-004
Nixon, Shultz & Peterson on International Trade and Personnel Appointments
Saturday, April 17, 1971 · 9:15 AM–9:34 AM ET · Oval Office · 18 min
AI Summary
President Nixon met with George Shultz and Peter Peterson to discuss personnel appointments and pressing foreign economic policy, specifically regarding trade negotiations with Japan and Southeast Asia. The group deliberated on the roles of various cabinet members, including David Kennedy and William Rogers, in coordinating trade strategy and managing the State Department's economic responsibilities. They also explored broader themes of U.S. economic competitiveness, the People's Republic of China initiative, and the necessity of preventing American isolationism in the post-Vietnam War era.
- International Trade
- Personnel Appointments
- Economic Policy
- Foreign Relations
- Textile Negotiations
- U.S. Competitiveness
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On April 17, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, and Peter G. Peterson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:15 am to 9:34 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 481-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 481-004
Date: April 17 1971
Time: 9:15 am - 9:34 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with George P. Shultz
Dr. James R. Schlesinger
-Departure [from Office of Management and Budget]
-Department of Interior
Kenneth W. Dam
-Placement
-Evaluation
-William P. Rogers
-Talent
-Finish in law school class [University of Chicago]
Elliot L. Richardson
-Qualifications
-Harvard Law School
Welsh
-University of Chicago
-Abilities
-Writings
-”The Pricing of North Sea Gas in Britain”
-Anti-trust
-Common Market problem
-Languages
-Abilities
-Placement
-Peter G. Peterson
-International economics
-Schlesinger
-Possible role
-Abilities
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-Age
-Shultz's schedule
Peterson entered at 9:20 am
Upcoming meeting
-Agenda
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
US relations with Taiwan
**********************************************************************
[Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number
LPRN-T-MDR-2014-023. Segment declassified on 04/24/2019. Archivist: MAS]
[National Security]
[481-004-w001]
[Duration: 58s]
Oil
-Canadian negotiations
-Pipeline
-Lack of progress
-US position and a more forceful negotiating approach
-Department of State [DOS]
-U. Alexis Johnson
**********************************************************************
Oil
-People's Republic of China [PRC] initiative
-US relations with Taiwan
Textile Negotiations
-Forthcoming meeting prior to David M. Kennedy’s trip
-Objectives
-Strategy
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-State Department
-Shultz
-Textile industry
-Negotiations
-Evaluation
-US position
-Trade
-Strategy
-Southeast Asia
-Negotiating problems
-Kennedy
-Need for instructions
-Effect on negotiations
-Peterson's meeting with General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Negotiating strategy
-Trade inducements
-Instructions for Kennedy
-Trade inducements
-Kennedy's schedule
-Trip to Asia
-Philippines
-Discussions of inducements
-Attendees
-John B. Connally
-U. Alexis Johnson
-Peter M. Flanigan
-Maurice H. Stans
-Haig
-Melvin R. Laird
-Haig
-Defense Department
-Stans
-Kennedy
-Message to State Department
-Role
-Trip to Asia
-Schedule
-Attitude toward assignment
-Peterson's conversation with Johnson
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Attendees
-Kissinger
-Haig
-Kissinger
-Defense Department
-Laird
-Location
-Oval Office
-Cabinet Room
-Schedule
-President's conversation with Kissinger
US economic leadership in post-Vietnam War era
-”Peaceful competition” theme
-PRC
-Competitiveness
-Leadership
-Consequences
-Purposes
-US position
-American spirit
-Competition
-Supersonic Transport [SST]
-Steel
-Exports
-Share of market
-Compared with 1940-1950
-Japan
-Possible consequences of failure
-Isolationism
-Protectionism
-Leadership
-Foreign policy
-National defense
-Economics
State Department
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-Organization of foreign economic policy
-Possible effect on negotiations
-Possible White house involvement
-Responsibilities
-Shultz
-Need to build strength
-Negotiations
-Canada
-Japan
-Commercial attaches
-Stans
-Spirit
-Rogers
-Responsibilities
-State Department effectiveness in economic field
-Oil negotiations
-Possible conversation with Peterson and Shultz
The President, Peterson and Shultz left at 9:34 amAlso recorded on April 17, 1971
- 001-121 8:54 AM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:54 am and 8:56 am.
- 481-001 8:54 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:54 am and 8:56 am.
- 001-122 8:56 AM · 42 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and William M. Lukash talked on the telephone from 8:56 am to 8:57 am.
- 481-002 8:56 AM · 41 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and William M. Lukash met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:56 am to 8:57 am.
- 481-003 8:56 AM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:56 am to 9:13 am.
- 053-002 9:34 AM · 1 hr 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Peter G. Peterson, George P. Shultz, John B. Connally, Maurice H. Stans, David M. Kennedy, Henry A. Kissinger, Peter M. Flanigan, and U. Alexis Johnson met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 9:34 am and 10:45 am.
- 481-009 9:34 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:34 am to 3:30 pm.
- 001-123 10:45 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, White House operator, J. Edgar Hoover, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 10:45 am to 10:52 am.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 481-004, April 17, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/481-004 (accessed October 12, 2026).