The Road to Reengagement and Beyond

The Shanghai Communiqué, a pathbreaking accord signed by U.S. President Richard Nixon and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai on February 28, 1972, marks a defining moment in the history of both the United States and the People’s Republic of China; 50 years on, its significance endures.

Both nations are much changed and the world has grown very small in the interim. In 1972, from the American perspective, China was a virtual unknown outside a small group of Americans with true first-hand knowledge of its people, history and culture—just like now.

In 1972, the U.S. found itself embroiled