Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 860 › Conversation 860-004

Nixon & Stennis on U.S.-China relations and Laos ceasefire

Wednesday, February 21, 1973 · 3:12 PM–3:15 PM ET · Oval Office · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Stennis, John C.Conversation860-004 on Tape 860StartWednesday, February 21, 1973 at 3:12 PMEndWednesday, February 21, 1973 at 3:15 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 860-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon briefed Senator John C. Stennis on recent developments in U.S.-China relations and the shifting status of the conflict in Southeast Asia. Nixon discussed the implementation of a ceasefire in Laos, the planned establishment of reciprocal liaison offices with China, and commitments from the Chinese government regarding the release of American prisoners. These discussions aimed to keep the Senator informed on foreign policy initiatives intended to stabilize the region and strategically manage relations with both China and the Soviet Union.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
I'm just checking in to see how you're feeling this week.
Yeah.
Yeah, yes.
Well, it's coming along all right, isn't it?
Right.
Right.
Good.
Good.
Good.
You're good.
Well, we were glad to see that lot of ceasefire.
That's okay.
It's okay.
All these things are very fragile because these comments can't be trusted, but
At least the Laos needs fire like the Vietnam one.
It means we will be able to discontinue our air attacks there, which is good.
And I'm getting quite lost.
Well, another thing, too, it'll save us a little money that we'll probably have to use for other purposes.
Right.
Yeah.
Yeah, we thought we'd get it a little sooner, but they're about a week late, but they are fighting an argument.
We're going to have interest, what we call sort of an office, let them have an office here simply.
for discussion, and we'll have one in the game.
Now, that will not in any way differentiate upon the Taiwanese.
It's not recognition, but you know there are countries where you do not have relations, where you have sort of a...
The purpose of this will be to trade matters and that sort of thing.
So that'll be announced tomorrow.
But more important than that, we got very good assurance of cooperation from them on Southeast Asia.
How they will, what they will do, we don't know.
We have reasons that they'll help.
He won't say too much about that publicly, but privately, the assurances are very good.
A couple other things he asked that he will announce tomorrow.
They have two flyers, you know, in China.
Now they will be released in the next three weeks.
And then they also have this thought of now.
and they say the last half of this year they're going to examine his sentence.
That's all we'll announce.
It's also another defense plan, you know, to keep the Russians a little loose, too.
You know?
Yeah.
Well, well, well, I appreciate it for this.
Thank you for coming along.
Okay, bye.

NARA Description

On February 21, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and John C. Stennis met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:12 pm to 3:15 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 860-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 860-4

Date: February 21, 1973
Time: Between 3:12 pm and 3:15 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with Sen. John C. Stennis.

[See Conversation No. 43-152]
                                             -4-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Also recorded on February 21, 1973

  • 043-152 3:12 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John C. Stennis talked on the telephone from 3:12 pm to 3:15 pm.
  • 043-153 3:15 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:26 pm.
  • 043-154 3:15 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:26 pm.
  • 860-005 3:15 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:23 pm.
  • 860-006 3:15 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:23 pm.
  • 860-007 3:15 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:23 pm.
  • 860-008 3:15 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:23 pm.
  • 860-009 3:23 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:23 pm to 3:26 pm.

All 88 conversations from February 21, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 860-004, February 21, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/860-004 (accessed October 11, 2026).