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Conversation 664-016

TapeTape 664StartWednesday, February 2, 1972 at 10:05 AMEndWednesday, February 2, 1972 at 12:16 PMTape start time01:08:56Tape end time01:09:58ParticipantsUnited States Secret Service agentsRecording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon articulates his foreign policy perspective on India to a group of Secret Service agents, framing the nation as a critical democratic experiment that must succeed in competition with communist China. Despite acknowledging a lack of formal alliances or treaties, Nixon emphasizes his historical commitment to respecting India's non-alignment and providing aid without political conditions. He characterizes his diplomatic stance as a strategic effort to prevent regional instability rather than a sign of preferential favoritism toward the Indian government.

IndiaForeign PolicyUnited States-India relationsChinaDemocracyNon-alignment
AudioNARA Description

On February 2, 1972, United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:05 am and 12:16 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 664-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 664-16

Date: February 2, 1972
Time: Unknown between 10:05 am and 12:16 pm
Location: Oval Office

Unknown people [Secret Service agents] met.

     The President’s location
          -Cabinet Room

The agents left at an unknown time before 12:16 pm.
Transcript (AI-Generated)

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 Do not cite this transcript as authoritative.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.

I have taken the line that India is the largest free world country, must have an opportunity.
to prove that it can compete with China in the largest totalitarian country.
And that the United States is a great state and India is an experiment in democracy.
This is my view.
It hasn't been my view in the past.
It's my view at the present time.
This is despite the fact we have no treaty with India.
We have no alliance with India.
We respect their non-alignment.
When India's kicked us around the United Nations in Russia, I defended them in Q&A during the campaign in 1968 and said, we respect the right of countries to disagree and that our aid goes without strings.
I take that speech more on than anybody else.
Now, having said all that,
I mean, it comes with the old race, where, and it's not the Indians to say that Nixon is out just for them.
Hell, we're not out for them.
I'm just trying to, basically, what we're really trying to do is to keep the Indians, what we did at the end of the day, from God and from the neighbor.
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