Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 580 › Conversation 580-016
Nixon & Haldeman on PRC-US relations and Foreign policy
Wednesday, September 29, 1971 · 1:15 PM–1:35 PM ET · Oval Office
AI Summary
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman met to discuss logistical preparations and publicity strategies for upcoming international trips, specifically focusing on Henry Kissinger’s mission to the People’s Republic of China and the President’s own travel to the USSR. The conversation addressed the selection of accompanying personnel, the management of press coverage, and the development of briefing materials to ensure effective decision-making during summit meetings. Additionally, the two discussed administrative protocols for an upcoming International Monetary Fund (IMF) reception, including the ranking of attendees like Arthur F. Burns and John B. Connally.
Audio
Download MP3 (part 1) · 168.6 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 168.1 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 6.0 MB ·Download MP3 (part 4) · 71.7 MB
This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 02:27:49 into the tape and ends around 02:50:41.
Transcript (AI-generated)
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On September 29, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:15 pm to 1:35 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 580-016 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 580-16
Date: September 29, 1971
Time: 1:15 pm - 1:35 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
The President's schedule
-Haldeman's conversation with John B. Connally
-Meeting with the President
-Position papers
-Timing
-Arthur F. Burns
-Date
-Time
-Papers from Herbert Stein, Burns
-Political considerations
-[Phase II]
-Presentation
-Florida trip
-Advance notice
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-George P. Shultz
-Working period
-Review of papers by the President
-Connally
-Location during the President's trip
-Florida
-Shultz
-Residence during visit
-Season
-Key Biscayne
US foreign policies
-William P. Rogers
-Forthcoming People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip
-Agenda
-Preparation
-Meetings
-The President's approach compared to others
-Focus of meetings
-Discussion and decisionmaking
-Questions and answers
-Rogers
Henry A. Kissinger’s forthcoming PRC trip
-Dwight L. Chapin
-Advance work for trip
-Relationship with Kissinger
-Qualifications
-Rogers
-UN debate on China seat
-Press coverage
-Rogers
-Chapin
-John A. Scali
-Press coverage
-Control of press
-Kissinger's experience from previous trips
-Number of press men
-Reaction by the PRC
-Publicity
-Robert H. Finch, Donald H. Rumsfeld
-Rogers
Latin America trip
-Rogers
-Finch
-Latin American reaction to US economic policy
-Party with Latin American Ambassadors
-State Department
-Comparison to Nelson A. Rockefeller trip
The President’s forthcoming trips
-Herbert G. Klein
-Trip to the PRC
-Handling press
-Previous Soviet trip
-Scali, Ziegler
-Trip to the USSR
-Trip to the PRC
-Visitors from the US
-Cabinet members
-Senators
-Labor leaders
-Youth leaders
-Blacks
-Doctors
-Scientists
-Businessmen
-College presidents
-The President's previous trip to the USSR, 1959
-Hyman G. Rickover, Milton S. Eisenhower
-Trip to the PRC
-Rogers
-Kissinger
-The President
Kissinger’s forthcoming PRC trip
-Role
-Trip to the PRC to arrange the presidential summit
-Discussion with Chou En-lai
-Options
-State Department
-Rogers
-Handling of the President's other trips
-Foreign policy negotiations
Connally
-The President's meeting with Pierre-Paul Schweitzer
-Burns
-Handling of International Monetary Fund [IMF] and international
banking officials
Burns
-Call to Haldeman
-Protocol at IMF dinner
-Cabinet rank
-State Department
-Federal Reserve Board [FRB] chairman
-Burns and ranking status
-Connally's views
-Reception line for IMF reception
-Possible conversation between Connally and Haldeman
IMF reception
-The President's attendance
-Connally's attendance
-Rogers's attendance
-Attendance
-Connally
-Rogers in receiving line
-Burns
-Protocol
Burns
-Protocol concerns
-Approach
-Kissinger
-Attitude of some people
The President's schedule
-PRC and USSR trip
-Klein
-Ziegler
-Press
-Journalists accompanying the President on the PRC and USSR trips
-Trip to the USSR
-Klein
-USSR
-Press coverage
-Television coverage
-Networks
-Number of people
Kissinger and the National Security Council [NSC] staff
-Briefing papers
-Preparation of materials for the President's meetings
-Peter G. Peterson
-John D. Ehrlichman's staff
-Kissinger's staff
-Kissinger's background
-Type of information
The President's presentation to Manlio Brosio
-Press coverage
-Brosio's comments about the President
-The President as world Statesman
Book by Edith Efron [The News Twisters]
-Promotional sales
-Roscoe Drummond's column
-Network coverage
-Luncheon
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Hugh Scott's comments to the President
-Drummond's column
-Network coverage
-American Broadcasting Corporation [ABC]
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Congressional
-Federal Trade Commission [FTC]
-Federal Communications Commission [FCC]
-Reactions
-Congressional action
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] affiliates
PRC trip
-Attendance on trip
-Rogers
-Press coverage
-Planning of meetings on trip
-Logistics of trip
-Rogers
-Chapin
-Marshall Green
The President and Haldeman left at 1:35 pm.Also recorded on September 29, 1971
- 010-028 11:58 AM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 11:58 am.
- 010-029 11:58 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone from 11:58 am to 12:00 pm.
- 010-031 11:58 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:58 am and 7:19 pm.
- 010-030 12:00 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, unknown person(s), and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:00 pm and 7:19 pm.
- 580-014 1:08 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:08 pm and 1:15 pm.
- 580-015 1:08 PM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:08 pm and 1:15 pm.
- 283-001 1:35 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:35 pm and 2:45 pm.
- 580-017 1:35 PM · 2 min — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:35 pm and 2:55 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 580-016, September 29, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/580-016 (accessed October 12, 2026).