Conversation No. 484-5

Date: April 21, 1971
Time: 11:35 am - 12:27 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger, Ronald L. Ziegler, Graham B. Steenhoven, and John
A. Scali; the White House photographer and members of the press were present at the beginning
of the meeting

     Greetings
          -Steenhoven's photograph in newspaper
                -Trip to People’s Republic of China [PRC]
          -Seat offered
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                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
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Introductions
      -Scali
      -Kissinger

Photo session
     -Press
     -[Machine noise]

General conversation

Table tennis
     -Experience
     -National association [?]

President's meeting with Muscular Dystrophy Association of America, April 15, 1971
     -Presentation of awards
     -[Richard and Robert Santin]
     -Nebraska

Steenhoven's family

President's unknown meeting with Republican governors/wives
     -Two unknown sisters
            -Ages

Chrysler Corporation
     -Steenhoven’s father
          -Pride
     -Loyalty
     -Press
     -Steenhoven's conversation with Lynn A. Townsend, April 20, 1971
     -Publicity
     -Steenhoven's career
          -Tenure at Chrysler
          -Birthplace

US table tennis team
     -Background of members
     -Selection of team
           -Criteria
           -Japan
           -Money
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                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 9/08)



              -Japan/PRC
          -Members
              -Fifteen-year-old girl [Judy Bochenski]
              -Hungarian-born girl [Olga Soltasz]
              -Housewife [Connie Sweeris]
                    -Grand Rapids, Michigan
              -Rufford Harrison
                    -Great Britain                              Conv. No. 484-5 (cont.)
              -Black player [George Brathwaite]
                    -Guyana
              -Errol Resek
                    -Dominican Republic
              -Frank Allen
                    -California

An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 11:35 am

     Refreshment

The unknown man left at an unknown time before 12:26 pm

     US table tennis team
          -Members
          -Visit to PRC
                -John Tannehill
                      -Middletown, Ohio
                      -Health
                      -Interview with reporters
                      -Steenhoven's visit to hospital
                      -Request
                            -Wish to stay in PRC
                      -Responsibilities
                      -Health
          -Hotels
                -Foreign Guests
          -Airport
                -Private lane on runway
                -Guards
          -Table tennis
                -Paddles
                Use of team “ping-pong”
                -Vice President Agnew
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               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
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            -Ping-pong
      -Grip on paddle
      -Athletes
      -Control
      -Grip on paddle
            -Comparison with golf
      -Control
      -Chinese players                              Conv. No. 484-5 (cont.)
-Steenhoven's schedule
      -Visit to Tokyo
      -Contract
      -Visit to PRC
      -Camera
      -Photographs
-Gift of television film and script
      -Copies
      -Chrysler
      -State Department
      -English script
      -Sound
      -Description
      -Chinese writing
      -Commentary
-Chou En-lai
      -Appearance
      -Intellect
      -George Yeh
      -Meeting with US players
            -Orientation
                  -Other teams
      -Canadian team
            -Marge Baldwin
      -Knowledge of English language
      -Interpreter
      -Knowledge of each group
      -Memory
      -Solicitation of criticism
      -Comments to Steenhoven
      -Luncheon
-Chinese chefs
      -Menu
      -Food
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               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
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-Cities
      -Steenhoven’s travels
-Polytechnic College
      -Trucks assembled by students
           -Gasoline
           -Description
           -Chrome
           -Chrysler                                     Conv. No. 484-5 (cont.)
           -Welding
           -Chrome
           -Professors
                 -Comments on students
                      -Peasants
                      -Workers
                      -Soldiers
           -Unknown professor's comments
                 -Mao Tse-tung
                 -Carbon Steel
-Shanghai
-Chinese people
      -Steenhoven’s view
-Wire service report
      -Thomas J. Riley
-Chinese Language
-Clothing
      -Women
           -Pants
-People
      -Steenhoven’s view
      -Health
      -Curiosity
      -Children
      -Babies
      -Mothers
      -Adults
-Shanghai
      -Crowd
      -Steenhoven's US Table Tennis Association [USTTA] Pin
      -Unknown young man
-Gifts
-Buildings
-Streets
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                 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                             Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. 9/08)



     -Cleanliness
     -Animals
     -Trees
-People
     -Work
     -Sleeping in streets
-Shanghai
     -Population                                      Conv. No. 484-5 (cont.)
     -Automobiles
           -Plymouths
     -Railroad station
     -Subway entrance
           -Pictures
           -Importance
           -Underground Shelter
     -Steenhoven's schedule
           -Trip to Canton
           -Gift for Wife
     -Exchange
           -US dollars
           -Money
           -Rate
     -Gifts
           -Loans
           -Press
           -Canadians
                 -Money
           -US team
-Steenhoven's leadership
     -Dick Miles
-Shanghai
     -Shopping
           -Tailors, interpreters, and officials
           -Dresses
           -Payment
           -Cost of material
           -Bill
           -Gifts for tailors
-Cunningham [Forename unknown]
     -Pins for Gifts
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                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
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Return Visit by PRC Table Tennis Team
     -Timing
     -US position
     -Importance
     -Young people
     -Swimming team
     -Basketball team
     -Planning                                                  Conv. No. 484-5 (cont.)
     -Acceptance of Steenhoven’s invitation
     -Announcement
          -Timing of acceptance of Steenhoven’s invitation to PRC
          -Steenhoven's arrival in US
          -Chou En-lai
     -Other teams

President's Meeting with American Society of Newspaper Editors [ASNE] , April 16, 1971
     -PRC
            -Chou En-lai
                 -Number of phone calls by US editors

Return Visit of PRC table tennis team
     -Travel
     -Visit of US table tennis team
     -Possible visit to US by PRC ping-pong team
     -Chinese
           -Reciprocation
     -Visit of US table tennis team
     -Return visit of PRC table tennis team
     -Visits
     -Return visit of PRC team
           -Importance
     -Chinese
     -US response
     -US press
           -Scali
     -Pressure
     -Trip to Japan
           -Demonstrations
           -South Koreans
     -Demonstrations
     -Photographers
     -President's visits to communist countries
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               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

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      -Lack of demonstrations
      -Warsaw
-Planning
-Chrysler Corporation
      -William T. Gossett
-Gossett's role
-Funding
-Significance                                              Conv. No. 484-5 (cont.)
      -Kissinger
-Visit to PRC of US table tennis team
-Steenhoven's initiatives
-Date
-Steenhoven's forthcoming letter to unknown Chinese person
-Possible itinerary
-Visit of US team to PRC
      -Itinerary
            -School
            -Commune
            -Great Wall of China
            -Chou En-lai
-Press coverage
      -Nikita Khrushchev's visit to US
-Treatment
-Visit of US team to PRC
      -Treatment
-Possible visit to Detroit
      -Bloomfield Hills
      -Hotel
      -Isolation
-Visit of US team to PRC
      -Hotels
      -Stores
      -Opera
      -Ballet
-Guidance
-Gossett's role
-US Government participation
-Press coverage
-Gossett
-Administration's position regarding foreign visits to US
      -Cooperation
      -Experience
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                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 9/08)



           -Invitation
           -Publicity
           -Scali and Gossett
           -Press
                 -Gossett

     Media
         -Forthcoming "Issues & Answers" program                 Conv. No. 484-5 (cont.)
              -Steenhoven's possible participation
              -Fay Weeden [?]
              -Steenhoven's possible participation

     Chrysler Corporation

     Presentation of gifts by the President
          -Mrs. Steenhoven
          -USTTA
          -Presidential seal
          -Cuff links
          -Presidential pen
          -Press
          -President's table tennis game
          -Golf balls

     Chrysler Corporation
          -Townsend

     The President's forthcoming conversation with Kissinger

     Farewells

Ziegler, Steenhoven, and Scali left at 12:26 pm.

     Steenhoven
          -Praised
          -Integrity
          -Press conference

     Kissinger's schedule
          -Meeting with John N. Mitchell

     The President's schedule
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                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



           -Events
           -Meeting with Kissinger

Kissinger left at 12:27 pm



                                                                  Conv. No. 484-5 (cont.)