Encyclopedia of Anti-Revisionism On-Line

Nixon Goes to China on His Hands and Knees


First Published: Red Worker, Vol. 1, No. 1, October 1971.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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Nixon’s proposed trip to China signals big setbacks for the US imperialists’ policy of armed aggression and exploitation around the world and increasing success for the war of national liberation waged by the heroic Indochinese people of Vietnam, v Cambodia and Laos. It marks the defeat of two decades of US attempts isolate China from the rest of the world. Socialist China’s policy of proletarian internationalism and peaceful coexistence has successfully isolated US imperialism and exposed its true nature.

Revolutionary Struggles Make Big Gains

As Mao Tsetung, Chairman of the Communist Party of China has said, “Revolution is the main trend in the world today.” The revolutionary people of the world, by waging people’s war, have driven US imperialism back on its knees. For thirty hears the Vietnamese have been fighting – first the French colonialists and now the US imperialists. Indochina has become the revolutionary storm center of the world. The Vietnamese have demonstrated the overall strength of the masses when they wage protracted people’s war. The weakness of the imperialists has been exposed – the truth of Mao’s statement, “US imperialism and all reactionaries are paper tigers,” has been proved. The dual nature of imperialism – the fact that in the long run it is doomed to defeat and failure, but in the short run it is vicious and must be taken seriously – has been laid bare. The Indochinese people, by practicing self-reliance and applying the strategy and tactics of people’s war, have dealt death blows to US imperialism. Over the long course of struggle, they have seriously weakened US imperialism. Over the long course of struggle they have seriously weakened US imperialism and have hastened its day of doom.

China’s Revolutionary Foreign Policy

All of the US attempts to isolate China have failed. In fact, it is now the US imperialists who stand exposed and isolated. One by one neighbors and allies alike have refused to be intimidated by US threats and have opened communications and relations with the People’s Republic of China. One by one neutral countries and allies alike have abandoned US imperialism. How and why has this happened?

The Chinese foreign policy consists of two main aspects. 1) proletarian internationalism and support for world revolution, and 2) peaceful coexistence. This stands in direct contrast to US policy of armed aggression.

Proletarian internationalism – the principle of the international ties of class solidarity of the working class – has always been the cornerstone of Chinese foreign policy. In this respect, China has always had the closest possible ties of friendship between herself and fraternal Socialist countries and fraternal Communist parties. They have consistently supported the revolutionary struggles of the colonial countries and the struggles of the masses in the capitalist countries. The rich revolutionary experience of the Chinese people stands at the disposal of the working class of every country. Le Duan, First Secretary of the Vietnam Worker’s Party, said on his recent visit to China, “The battlefield of our Vietnam is not just a battlefield of Vietnam and the battlefield of Indochina is not just a battlefield of Indochina because we have your mighty people as our backing and your vast land as our great rear area.” This sums up the feelings of the revolutionary peoples of the world towards the People’s Republic of China. This is the main aspect of China’s foreign policy.

The Chinese have also set up relations with other countries of differing social systems (eg., capitalist and feudal) based on the Five Principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-aggression, non-interference in each others’ internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.

China recognized the contradictions between the capitalist nations. The United Front Against Imperialism is a tactic designed to isolate the worst of the enemy and pick them off one by one. By winning over the middle and smaller nations – victims of US imperialism – China intends to isolate the US. This is exactly what is happening. Have the Chinese sold out the revolution in these capitalist and feudal countries by dealing with their reactionary governments? Not by any means. China knows that revolutions cannot be exported. The workers and peasants of each country must organize independently to make revolution and China supports this wholeheartedly. But as long as the capitalists hold state power this is who the Chinese must deal with to normalize state relations.

The imperialists have suffered setbacks at the hands of the revolutionary peoples of the world. This fact. This fact combined with China’s correct policy has forced the imperialists to change their tactics. Even though Nixon and all the imperialists hate Socialist China, the Chinese policy of uniting the many to defeat the main enemy, supporting world revolution, and taking advantage of the splits in the enemy camp, has forced them to recognize her place in the world community.

If all of this is true, what does Nixon hope to get by going to China? The imperialists now know that lead bullets cannot bully the Chinese so now they will try sugar-coated bullets. President Nixon will try to wrest concessions from the Chinese by flattery and bribes. However, the Chinese mean to stand firm. In order to normalize relations, Nixon must now treat China as an equal, agree to respect China’s territorial integrity, and cease interfering in China’s internal affairs. This means, among other things, withdrawing the Seventh Fleet from Taiwan Strait and withdrawing military support from Chiang Kai-Shek’s government on China’s territory of Taiwan.

So, Chou En-Lai will talk with President Nixon when he goes to Peking. But if anything is to result from the talks, Nixon must be prepared to deal with China on the basis of the five principles of peaceful coexistence. Is Nixon willing to meet such terms? If he is not, he will be exposed and the struggle will be raised to a new level. If he is, then China and the world proletariat will win important concessions.