Nixon cautious about visit

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32678, 6 August 1971, Page 9

Nixon cautious about visit

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, August 5. President Nixon has set modest goals for his journey to Peking, saying that he expects it to bring some progress in improving ChineseAmerican relations, but giving warnings against hopes for an instant detente.

The President summed up his feelings about the coming historic trip in press conference remarks yesterday that apparently were designed as much to protect his domestic political flanks as they were to restrain exuberance which could boomerang on the diplomatic 'front if the China summit meeting fell flat. Political observers viewed President Nixon’s caution as a sign that he knew that he was expected to produce results and that he would be attacked on all sides—from anti-Peking conservatives in his own Republican Party as

well as opposition Democrats —if he failed. Mr Nixon appeared to acknowledge the built-in political and diplomatic risks by saying that his trip to Peking violated his own rule that summit meetings should not be held and in fact could be a disaster, unless there was a virtual guarantee that they would succeed. He said the China trip would be carefully prepared but conceded that neither he nor the Chinese leaders had any illusions about their serious differences over Vietnam, Taiwan and other issues. But while he frankly outlined the risk, the President said that he was abandoning his views about summitry in this case because the important thing was for the United States to open communication with a country that was potentially the most powerful on earth. The President refused to

speculate on what effect his visit to Peking might have on the Vietnam war, thus refusing to join in the optimism

; in some Congressional circles that the invitation by the Prime Minister (Mr Chou En- ’ lai) to him was a sign that China was ready to use its ’ influence on Hanoi on behalf of a political settlement. But his remark that “we expect to make some progress” in the talks with Mr Chou and Chairman Mao Tsetung was taken to mean that the Chinese leaders intimated to Dr Henry Kissinger in Peking last month that they were ready to reach some accommodations which at least will encourage the thaw. The President was not asked about Peking’s harsh attack yesterday on his new “two China” policy of abandoning United States opposition to tile Communists’ entry into the United Nations while fighting against the expulsion of Taiwan, nor did he volunteer any com'ment on it.