April 10 to April 17, 1971
The United States table tennis team traveled to China as the first US sports delegation to visit since New China's founding in 1949. The event heralded a thaw in Sino-US relations, which had remained frozen for 22 years. This "ping-pong diplomacy" paved the way for US President Richard Nixon's monumental visit to Beijing.
Feb 21 to Feb 28, 1972
Nixon paid an official visit to China, during which the two sides issued the Sino-US Joint Communique, also called the Shanghai Communique after the city in which it was signed.
Dec 1 to Dec 5, 1975
US President Gerald Ford visited China.
Jan 1, 1979
China and the US established diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level, and the US on the same day announced the end of its official ties with Taiwan. The US withdrew all of its troops stationed on the island before the year's end and abrogated the Mutual Defense Treaty it had signed with Taiwan.
Go to Forum >>0 Comments