Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 674 › Conversation 674-011

Nixon & Kissinger on People's Republic of China and Zhou En-lai

Thursday, February 17, 1972 · 9:11 AM–9:16 AM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation674-011 on Tape 674 (tape position 00:58:21–01:03:58)StartThursday, February 17, 1972 at 9:11 AMEndThursday, February 17, 1972 at 9:16 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 674-011 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discussed communication strategies and talking points for the President’s upcoming trip to the People's Republic of China, specifically focusing on the tone for addressing Zhou En-lai and handling press inquiries during a planned stop in Hawaii. The pair also coordinated logistical and thematic plans for an upcoming meeting with Congressional leadership, including the potential role of Secretary of State William P. Rogers. Additionally, they reviewed strategies for managing the PRC's complex concerns regarding the Soviet Union and the Vietnam conflict.

Audio

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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 00:58:21 into the tape and ends around 01:03:58.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.

58:36And I would pick up my telephone without going to come back.

58:52No, Mrs. Longer is pretty tough to obey, but she knows us.

58:53It's unbelievable.

58:54And I even noticed the post this morning said, why are we doing this?

58:55That's the joint resolution.

58:56And the post was very loose.

58:56And then you have all the random things.

58:57I've just seen it, yeah.

58:58It's better on the post.

58:58But it's...

58:58Here's the last sign it was looking for.

59:21Oh, and I'm really wondering whether you should do a press conference in Hawaii.

59:23I just don't see what you can explain.

59:25I'm not going to ask.

59:25I'm not going to say it entirely.

59:26I'm just going to make a statement.

59:28I don't want to.

59:28I decided not to answer any questions.

59:30I'm just making a statement with regard to technical matters.

59:31I don't want to.

59:31I was going to ask you, was Freeman close to you made public?

59:33No.

59:53I think you can get through to him.

59:54Could I refer?

59:54Well, the only part I want to refer to is I believe in amen.

59:56Oh, no, Dad, I don't know.

59:56All I was going to say is, Mr. Peter, Joe said welcome God because we will be king in heaven.

1:00:21That's what I would say.

1:00:21Then I'd say tell us about coming up to Kirsten Street at the weekend.

1:00:23Yeah, that's what I meant.

1:00:23Yeah, I think that's fine.

1:00:24I think it would be a nice idea.

1:00:24No, that is not, that is why I'm sitting in my direction.

1:00:26If I recall the end of that, that would be a good idea.

1:00:27That would be a good idea.

1:00:54I should not have asked for finding common ground, but I'm so innocuous that I didn't understand.

1:01:03That's quite a good one.

1:01:04I don't need to like that.

1:01:08In fact, that's it.

1:01:08That's exactly what I'm telling you, sir.

1:01:11I thought of it that time on the planet.

1:01:12What you mentioned to me yesterday about the... how to handle Vietnam is right.

1:01:16I wouldn't plead with them.

1:01:17I would say we know you.

1:01:18Well, I was doing very...

1:01:24It's like, I noticed they are very, very shrewd, and when we expect them to remember the subject, go on and like it.

1:01:26Like I had, for example, their subject's greatest concern is the Soviet Union.

1:01:28Okay.

1:01:28And the answer is that they don't care about it at all.

1:01:29We'll do the same thing with the amount.

1:01:30When you say, well, I'm sorry, we'll take care of that.

1:01:31We're not worried about that.

1:01:31Let's just...

1:01:32I hope that across, not take me, understand me.

1:01:32You don't want to be involved.

1:01:33We hope that we understand this, Jeff.

1:01:58That would be, I thought about it.

1:02:00They have been so compulsive in their communications to us, which are very ambiguous because on the one hand they say they don't want to be involved, on the other they're not threatening us, which in effect says, get it off our plate.

1:02:14They can't do much because 85% of the aid comes from the Soviet Union.

1:02:44I thought this morning could be a nice touch.

1:02:45I had to say, I'm trying to fill it up.

1:02:45I don't want to have questions.

1:02:46Wait a minute here.

1:02:46I thought I had talked for a little while, and I had said, I think I'll let Bill Rogers say a word.

1:02:49You think that would be a good idea?

1:02:49What would you talk?

1:02:50Can you say something you might say?

1:02:51Well, you could take off something.

1:02:51Something philosophical.

NARA Description

On February 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:11 am to 9:16 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 674-011 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 674-11

Date: February 17, 1972
Time: 9:11 am - 9:16 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

     Greetings

     Kissinger’s well-being

Nelson Rockefeller
     -President’s return call

Alice Roosevelt Longworth
     -Call

Washington Post
    -Joint resolution
    -George H. Gallup poll

People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip
     -Tricia Nixon Cox
           -Network specials
     -Networks
     -Hawaii
           -Press conference
                -President’s statement
                      -Technical remarks
     -Chou En-lai’s remarks in toast
           -Welcome of Kissinger to Peking, October 1971
                -Publicity
                -President’s possible statements
                      -Chou En-lai
                      -Desired tone
     -Vietnam
           -Gen. Nguyen Van Thieu
           -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
                -PRC’s concern
           -Communications
                -Ambiguity
                -USSR
                      -Aid
                           -Percentage

******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 21s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

******************************************************************************

     Congressional leadership meeting
         -Planning
               -President’s filibuster
                     -Questions
                     -The President’s comments
                     -William P. Rogers
                     -Kissinger
                           -Philosophical comments
                           -Message for Rogers
               -Seating arrangements

Kissinger left at 9:16 am.

Also recorded on February 17, 1972

020-103 8:28 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Nelson A. Rockefeller talked on the telephone from 8:28 am to 8:31 am.
674-007 8:28 AM · 27 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Nelson A. Rockefeller met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:28 am to 8:31 am.
674-008 9:00 AM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:00 am to 9:06 am.
674-009 9:06 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:06 am and 9:11 am.
674-010 9:06 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:06 am and 9:11 am.
674-012 9:17 AM · 46 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 9:17 am.
674-013 9:17 AM · 5 min — Stephen B. Bull and United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:17 am and 10:00 am.
091-001 9:22 AM · 43 min — President Richard M. Nixon and bipartisan Congressional leaders, including Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, William P. Rogers, Michael J. ("Mike") Mansfield, Robert C. Byrd, J. William Fulbright, John C. Stennis, Gale W. McGee, Hugh Scott, Robert P. Griffin, Margaret Chase Smith, George D. Aiken, Milton R. Young, Barry M. Goldwater, Carl B. Albert, [Thomas] Hale Boggs, F. Edward Hébert; Dr. Thomas E. ("Doc") Morgan, George H. Mahon, Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends, William S. Mailliard, Henry A. Kissinger, William E. Timmons, Richard K. Cook, Thomas C. Korologos, John A. Scali, Ronald L. Ziegler, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., John D. Ehrlichman, the White House photographer, and members of the press, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 9:22 am to 10:00 am.

All 24 conversations from February 17, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 674-011, February 17, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/674-011 (accessed October 12, 2026).