China’s first premier under the Mao Zedong Communist regime, Zhou Enlai, greeted Richard Nixon (pictured) when he stunned his critics — and the world — by opening up diplomacy with the Red Nation in 1972.
Donald Trump, ten presidential terms removed from Nixon, announced Friday that he is planning a trip to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) early in 2026.
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The 37th president’s announcement in July 1971 that he was going to China brought gasps nationwide. Nixon, as vice president, had previously gone toe to toe in an infamous confrontation with Soviet Premier Nikita Krushchev in Moscow. Going on a friendly mission to another major communist nation broke every stereotype attached to Richard Nixon.
The event was so revolutionary and mold-breaking that the phrase “Nixon goes to China” became a synonym for doing something totally unexpected. The phrase was even used by Dr. Spock in a scene in a “Star Trek” movie.
When Trump makes his journey, it’s hardly going to be another “Nixon goes to China” unless President Xi Jinping throws in the towel and says: “Okay, you win. What do you want from us?”
Ain’t gonna happen. More likely, the trip will be reminiscent of Trump and his summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Once again — and I hate to say this — but Trump will no doubt walk away empty-handed while proclaiming how great everything was, including a trade deal that the PRC will never honor.
