Introduction
President Nixon and Kissinger are prominent figures in the design and advancement of US foreign policy due to the implications of their actions on American relations with other nations, particularly the Middle East and China. Although Nixon and Kissinger were focused on reducing American entanglement in foreign affairs, they also aimed at preserving the nation’s credibility and its powers. As a result, US foreign policy during Nixon’s and Kissinger’s time was designed to ease the tension between the US, China, and the Middle East. Despite facing significant hurdles due to the Watergate scandal and limited support from Congress, the leaders succeeded in normalizing international relations with China and encouraging strong ties with Middle Eastern countries.
Key Elements of U.S. Diplomacy to China and the Middle East
After the Chinese Civil War, the US did not recognize the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the ruling government and instead favored the Republic of China (ROC), which at the time controlled Taiwan. However, Nixon’s government saw an opportunity in the Chinese markets and spearheaded cohesion, which played a role in improving the weak US economy (Herring, 2008). During the Cold War, Nixon’s and Kissinger’s diplomacy sought to take advantage of strategic opportunism. The leaders perceived that ties with China would put them in a better position to push the USSR toward limiting weapons (Garrett, 2019). As a result, President Nixon made a trip to the PRC to hold talks with communist leader Mao Zedong. The visit was streamed in the US and honored by respectable politicians, thus exposing China to the world (Newmann, 2022). Subsequently, the government engaged in several initiatives to strengthen its bonds with the Chinese and advocate for peaceful conflict resolutions in struggling countries like Vietnam.
President Nixon’s government also adopted various strategies in its relations with the Middle Eastern countries but they aimed to establish peace and democracy. The 1973 war left Israel in conflict with Egypt and Syria. Therefore, Nixon’s government saw benefits in intervening and peacefully resolving the issues (Garrett, 2019). As a result, the government provided several incentives in the form of land, aid, military supplies, and financial assistance in exchange for peace. Although the US government sought to end a war that was harming the region’s development, it also hoped to get rid of the oil embargo placed on it to assist Israel in the war (Herring, 2008). As a result, Kissinger facilitated the negotiations of the first Israeli-Egyptian disengagement in January 1974 and the Israeli-Syrian disengagement later in May, thus allowing peace to prevail between the nations.
The Implications of the Actions taken by the US government
President Nixon and Kissinger were successful in their approaches to US foreign policy because they allowed the government to achieve its development goals. After the Second World War, the global economy deteriorated due to diminished industrial production, limited trade, and occasional regional conflicts in China and the Middle East (Herring, 2008). However, the steps taken by the US played a major role in improving its economy through more trade relations and more access to oil in the Arab Gulf. Moreover, the US succeeded in suppressing the adverse implications of the Cold War with Russia and the looming security threats (Larson, 2019). Although Nixon and Kissinger met some opposition from Congress members still inclined to isolationism, Americans’ opinion favored good relationships and partial involvement in international relations. Therefore, the leaders took the opportunity to US interests abroad.
The Lasting Impact of Nixon’s Diplomacy
Richard Nixon was the president of the US for six years. However, he left a legacy that has influenced USFPs for decades. When Nixon came into power, US foreign policy was inclined toward using military intervention since the Republicans dominated US politics. Nevertheless, Nixon’s government altered USFP approaches toward offering aid, providing financial assistance, enhancing security in its allied nations, and advocating for the peaceful resolution of conflicts (Larson, 2019). As a result, these initiatives enabled the US to become more stable and position itself as a global power. In addition, Nixon’s government encouraged the US to actively engage with other nations and establish strongholds worldwide (Garrett, 2019). Therefore, these initiatives altered US approaches to foreign policy and encouraged more peaceful and democratic interventions. To date, the US foreign policy towards the Middle East and China is focused on establishing peaceful co-existence and positive development (Newmann, 2022). Particularly, the US is fighting to prevent the advancement of weapons of mass destruction in China and Iran. Moreover, it occasionally intervenes in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to prevent escalations. Thus, the current USFP mirrors the approaches adopted by Nixon and Kissinger’s government.
Conclusion
After the Second World War, the US opted for isolation as a remedy to focus on internal affairs and advance the poorly performing economy. However, Nixon’s administration saw the need to include other nations in development and establish ties through democratic appeals. As a result, Nixon’s visit to China ushered in a new era of cooperation and reconciliation, thus encouraging several deals and partnerships over the past decades. In addition, the US was successful in resolving the conflict between Syria, Israel, and Egypt following the war in 1973. Therefore, they allowed the regions to enhance their economic development, ensure social justice, achieve democratic status, and sustain political stability. Hence, their approaches have served as a pillar to guide policy-makers on reliable solutions to encourage international cooperation and boost US interest overseas.
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References
Garrett, B. Ν. (2019). The Strategic Basic of Learning in US Policy Toward China, 1949–1988. In Learning in US and Soviet Foreign Policy (pp. 208-263). Routledge.
Larson, D. W. (2019). Learning in US—Soviet Relations: The Nixon-Kissinger Structure of Peace. In Learning in US and Soviet Foreign Policy (pp. 350-399). Routledge.
Newmann, W. W. (2022). Isolation and Engagement: Presidential Decision Making on China from Kennedy to Nixon. University of Michigan Press.
Herring, G. C. (2008). From colony to superpower: US foreign relations since 1776. Oxford University Press.
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