President Nixon and senior staff, including H.R. Haldeman and Ron Ziegler, held extensive discussions regarding the strategic planning of the President’s upcoming trips to the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the USSR. The conversation covered the coordination of public announcements, the management of press coverage—specifically regarding New York Times interviews with Chou En-lai—and the integration of these diplomatic maneuvers into the 1972 re-election campaign. Furthermore, the participants reviewed domestic political concerns, including school busing, potential changes to the presidential ticket, and the implementation of a new national economic program involving wage and price controls.
United States Secret Service agents and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 1:43 am on August 11, 1971 and 8:43 am on August 12, 1971. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 561-014 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidUS-People’s Republic of China [PRC] relations
Interview with Chou En-lai
-Taiwan
-Possible People’s Republic of China [PRC] reaction
-President’s opinion
-Australia [?]
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US-People’s Republic of China [PRC] relations
-New York Times access to White House staff
-Edward L. Dale, Jr.
-Religious editor
-Interview with Chou En-lai
-Possible public response
-Press coverage
-Possible administration response
-Letter to New York Times
-William P. Rogers
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Rogers
-David Rockefeller
-Floyd [Surname unknown]
-Possible administration response
-Letter
-Buchanan
-President
-Vietnam
-New York Times
-Possible effect in PRC
-Chou En-lai’s opposition
-UN
-Possible administration response
-President's forthcoming trip
-New York Times
-Letter
-Member of Congress
-Rogers
-Kissinger's conversations
-Australian ambassador
-Charles E. (“Chip”) Bohlen
-USSR
-Press coverage
-Readership
-Possible administration response
-New York Times
-Ziegler, Herbert G. Klein, John A. Scali
-Pentagon Papers
-Washington Post
-Access to White House staff
-Social events
-New York Times editorial
-Buchanan
-Motive
-PRC trip
-PRC trip
-George Meany
-Comments
-Speechwriter
-Compared to Administration’s
-Shepard
-Reston interview
-Impact on PRC
-President’s opposition
-Dominick's statements
-Carl T. Curtis
-President's forthcoming trip
-Chou En-lai's interview with Reston
-Diplomatic relations
US-USSR relations
-Kissinger's conversation with Haldeman
-President's possible summit
-Secrecy
-John D. Ehrlichman, Peter G. Peterson, Scali, Ziegler, John N. Mitchell,
John B. Connally, Spiro T. Agnew
-Kissinger's forthcoming meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Timing
-Timing
-1972 campaign
-California primary
-President’s forthcoming trip to PRC
President's forthcoming trip to PRC
-Timing
-1972 campaign
-Primaries
-New Hampshire, Florida, Wisconsin
-Democrats
-Jackson
-Convention
Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 9:15 am and 10:50 am.
President’s schedule
-Florida, California, Wisconsin
[Conversation No. 561-4A]
-Reston interview with Chou En-lai
-Joseph C. Kraft
-Kissinger's schedule
-New York Times
-Interview with Chou En-lai
-Possible White House response
-Letter
-Richard A. Moore
-C. Douglas Dillon
-Robert D. Murphy
-Robert S. McNamara
-Murphy
-John J. McCloy
-Rockefeller
-Senate
President's schedule
-Forthcoming Trips to PRC and USSR
-Timing of announcements
-Kissinger’s forthcoming trip to Peking
-Duration
-Scheduling
-Translation problems
-Kissinger's conversation with Chou En-lai
-Berlin
-Timing
-Announcement
-Emperor of Japan
-Japan
India-Pakistan
-Kissinger's conversation with Harvard Professor, August 11, 1971
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Self-determination
-East Pakistan
-PRC
-Taiwan
-Tibet
-Relief aid
-Rogers’ offer
-UN
-U Thant
-PRC
-Volunteer organization
-Kissinger's forthcoming conversation with PRC ambassador
-Kennedy
-Hubert H. Humphrey, Edmund S. Muskie
President's schedule
-Forthcoming trip to PRC
-Stopovers
-Wake Island
-San Clemente
-Guam
-Wake Island
-Manila
-Anchorage
-Hong Kong
-Taiwan
-Okinawa
-San Clemente
-Forthcoming trip to USSR
-Timing
-1972 campaign
-Primaries
-New Hampshire, Florida
-Kissinger's forthcoming conversation with PRC official
-Paul N. McCloskey, Jr.
-New Hampshire
-Ziegler’s possible press briefing
-News coverage
-News Stories
-Little Jim
-Reston
-Television
-Analogy to moonshot
-Forthcoming trip to USSR
-Timing
-Press coverage
-Television
-PRC trip
-Stopover
-Ireland
-John A. (“Jack”) Mulcahy
-Britain
-Shannon
-Mulcahy’s home
-Preparation for summit
-Possible meeting with allies
-Timing
-Announcement
-1972 campaign
-Politics
-Tour
-Israel, Africa, Ireland
-Possible meeting with allies
-Location
-Camp David
-Possible press conference
-International monetary situation
-Announcements
-Kissinger’s forthcoming trip to PRC
-USSR
-Kissinger's conversation with Chou En-lai
-Trip to PRC
-Kissinger's forthcoming conversation with PRC ambassador in Paris
-Kissinger's forthcoming conversation with Dobrynin
-Press
-Bernard Gwertzman's Story
-Associated Press [AP]
-New York Times
-USSR note to President
-Announcement of President's forthcoming trip to PRC
-Note
-John Foster Dulles
-Llewellyn E. (“Tommy”) Thompson, Jr.
-State Department
-Timing of announcement
-Vietnam
Vietnam
-Negotiations
President's schedule
-Kissinger’s PRC trip
-Timing of announcement
-[Emperor of Japan] Hirohito visit
-Advance Party
-Secret Service
-Ehrlichman
-Timing of announcement
-Berlin
-Vietnam
-Josip Broz Tito's forthcoming visit to US
-Trip to USSR
-Announcement
-State visit
-Camp David
-Dinner at Yugoslav Embassy
-Travel
-South Korea
-USSR
-French
-Camp David
-Emilio Garrastazu Médici
-Indira Gandhi
-Yakubu Gowon
-Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan
-Forthcoming meeting
-Talking points
-Possible war
-US involvement
-Cambodia and Laos
News stories concerning PRC
-New York Times
-Gwertzman
President’s schedule
-Forthcoming trip to USSR
-Kissinger's forthcoming conversation with Dobrynin
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number LPRN-T-MDR-
2014-031. Segment exempt per Executive Order 13526, 3.3(b)(1) on 05/08/2019. Archivist:
MAS]
[National Security]
[561-004-w007]
[Duration: 16s]
USSR
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
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The President’s schedule
-Forthcoming trip to Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Announcement
-Confidentiality
-President’s schedule
-Dobrynin
-Contact with State Department
-Rogers
-Credit
-President's forthcoming trip to PRC
-Rogers
-Reports
-Richard V. (“Dick”) Allen
Rogers
-Melvin R. Laird
-National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-PRC
-UN representation
-Vietnam
Foreign policy
-Vision
-PRC compared to USSR
-Gen. Charles A.J.M. De Gaulle
-British statesmen
-Winston Churchill
-Connally’s view
PRC
-State Department
-Rogers
-UN representation
-Impact on Taiwan
-Conversation with Scali
-Ping-pong diplomacy
-Role
-Messages
-Warsaw talks
-President’s instructions to Walter J. Stoessel, Jr.
-PRC ambassador to Warsaw
-Chou En-lai’s comment to Kissinger
State Department
-Role in policy formulation
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Cambodia and Laos
-Jordan
-Possible press stories
-Liberals
-PRC
President's forthcoming trip to USSR
-Kissinger's possible backgrounder
-President’s backgrounder
-Andrei A. Gromyko
-Possible backgrounder
-Announcement
-President's forthcoming trip to PRC
-Possible impact
-Compared to PRC trip
President's foreign policy
-Critics
-Accuracy
-Anti-ballistic missiles [ABM]
-SALT
-PRC trip
-USSR
-Jordan
-1972 campaign
-Vietnam
The President left at an unknown time before 10:50 pm.
Vietnam
-USSR
-Election
-Congress' schedule
Kissinger’s schedule
-PRC
-Press
Kissinger left and the President entered at 10:50 am.
US foreign policy
-President’s forthcoming trip to USSR
-Compared to PRC trip
-Kissinger's advice
-State Department
-Rogers
-Strategic thinking
-PRC
-USSR
-Rogers's conversation with Haldeman
-SALT
-Invitation to Brezhnev
-President's possible visit to European Economic Community [EEC]
-Public opinion
-Europe, Latin America, Africa
-Israel
-India-Pakistan
-Biafra
-Compared to Pakistan
-Strategic thinking
-Rogers
-State Department
-Kissinger and the President
-NSC meetings
-State Department
-PRC
-USSR
-Great Britain
-Rogers
President's forthcoming trip to USSR
-Secrecy
-Kissinger
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Winston Lord
-Dobrynin meeting
-Helicopter
-Mt. Vernon
-Boat
-Importance
Ziegler entered at 10:58 am.
Ziegler's forthcoming press briefing
-Ziegler's conversation with John N. Mitchell
-Forthcoming announcement
-Press conference
-Ziegler’s possible comments
-John V. Lindsay
-Ziegler's forthcoming call to Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Vietnam
-George C. Wallace
-Statement on August 11, 1971 concerning busing
-President’s cabinet
-Busing
-President’s position
-Supreme Court's ruling
-Dual school system
-Compulsion
-Congress
-Use of federal funds
-President's orders
-Elliot L. Richardson, Mitchell
-Violation
-Consequences
-George Meany
-President’s forthcoming trip to PRC
-President's forthcoming visit to PRC
-Reston's interview with Chou En-Lai
-Chou En-lai's conversation with Kissinger
-President's objective
-White House facilities
-Usage
-Public perception
Press
-New York Times, Washington Post
-Access to White House staff
-Edward Dale
-Possible calls
-handling
-[Pentagon Papers]
-Klein
-Scali
Ziegler's forthcoming press briefing
-1972 campaign
-President’s recent trip
-Mudd report
-McIntyre
-[Forename unknown] Gergis [sp?]
The President talked with Harmon Killebrew between 11:10 am and 11:15 am.
[Conversation No. 561-4B]
[See Conversation No. 7-87]
-Schedule
-Minnesota Twins
-Washington [Senators] fans
-Comments by Tricia Nixon Cox and Julie Nixon Eisenhower
Bob Allison
-Activities
-Commentary
-Senators
Killebrew
-Recreation
-Gift from President
-Golf ball
[End of telephone conversation]
Ziegler left at 11:16 am.
Gift for Killebrew
Killebrew’s home run
-White House notification
President's schedule
-Bowlers
-Auto racers
President's forthcoming trip to USSR
-Kissinger's reaction
-Buchanan
-PRC
-Foreign policy
-Importance
National economy
-Popular opinion
-President's forthcoming conversation with George P. Shultz
Polls
-Louis Harris
-Possible questions
-Budget allocations
-Defense
-USSR
-Compared to housing, education, environment
-Taxes
-Domestic Council
-Edwin L. Harper
-Popular view concerning federal spending
-Federal spending
-Taxes
-Prices
-Programs
National economy
-Unemployment
-Date of release of government statistics
Speechwriting
-Shepard
-Writer
President's forthcoming speeches
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Knights of Columbus
-President’s meeting with Shultz
-John K. Andrews, Jr.
-Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW]
-Price
-Radio talks
President's schedule
-Ehrlichman
**********************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 03/04/2020.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[561-004-w010]
[Duration: 1m 10s]
1972 campaign
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s possible efforts
-John B. Connally [?]
-Efforts similar to those done by Charles W. Colson
-Set up operations in critical states
-Need to react to press stories
-White House reaction
-Reaction of campaign’s state chairmen
-Importance of television news stories
-Compared to newspaper stories
**********************************************************************
Religion in US
-Graham’s recent visit
-Implications
-President's conversation with Graham, August 10, 1971
-Shepard’s comment
-Public mail
President's speechwriters
-Price's view
-Shepard
-Leader class
Graham
-Audience
Leader class
-Education
-Impact on religious views
-Views concerning emotion
-Pragmatism
-Cowardice
-Mulcahy
-Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis
-Peter G. Peterson
-Meetings
-Ministers
-College presidents
-Kent State University
-Softness
-Environment
-Consumers
-Blacks
-Flanigan
-Ehrlichman
-Business
-Consumers
-Environment
-Environment
-Environment
-Whitaker
-Russell E. Train
George H.W. Bush
-Performance
-Possible actions
-Public speaking
-President as world leader
-Bohemian Grove
Graham
-View
-Connally
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 03/04/2020.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[561-004-w011]
[Duration: 2m 53s]
Spiro T. Agnew
-President’s conversation with William F. (“Billy”) Graham, August 10, 1971
-Bryce N. Harlow’s views
-Korea
-John N. Mitchell’s views
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s opinion
-Fear of John B. Connally
-John B. Connally’s relationship with administration
-Political support
-Recent Republican National Committee [RNC] meeting
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s opinion
-Republican’s support for Spiro T. Agnew
-Advantages and disadvantages
-Continuance in office
-Replacement on ticket
-John B. Connally
-Ronald W. Reagan
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-John B. Connally
**********************************************************************
National economy
-President's forthcoming program
-Impact
-Connally's role
-Wage price freeze
-Foreign monetary policy
-President's possible role
-Connally’s possible speech
-Timing
-Prime time compared to new time
-Hobart Rowen's article, August 11, 1971
-Devaluation
-International Monetary Fund [IMF]
-Dollar’s possible behavior
-Effect on domestic economy
-Devaluation
-International monetary situation
-Connally
-Psychological effect
-Henry S. Reuss committee report
-Shultz's conversation with his son
-Popular opinion
-Rowen's article
-Canada, West Germany
-Action
-President's forthcoming program
-Connally
-Politics
President's schedule
-Ehrlichman
Haldeman left at 11:40 am.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.