Nixon’s Triangular Diplomacy: Is It Applicable in the Age of Putin, Xi and Trump?

From the beginning of his presidency, Nixon was determined to end the Vietnam War with honor. He hoped that the Chinese would help push the North Vietnamese towards a solution in Vietnam. Nixon’s symbolic visit to China in 1972 changed the balance of power between the United States, the Soviet Union, and China. With America now moving closer to China, the Soviet Union was anxious and eager to improve relations with the United States. Thus, Nixon’s “triangular diplomacy” had three components - normalizing relations with China, detente with the Soviet Union, and maintaining a strategic balance of power globally. The main goal of the present article is to analyze Nixon’s policy towards Communist China (PRC) and his triangular diplomacy as a tool of American foreign policy in historical context. An attempt has also been made here to examine whether triangular diplomacy is applicable as a foreign policy tool in the current era of world politics. Nixon’s new China policy and his famous triangular diplomacy were launched shortly after taking office as president, during the height of the Sino-Soviet split and the Vietnam War. Therefore, it may not be inappropriate here to briefly discuss the background information and relevant national and international political situations of Nixon’s presidency in the context of the Cold War era. The research work is mainly conducted through a review of relevant online and offline materials such as published books and journals, including archival documents from the US State Department, which are now available and very essential for any researcher. Moreover, some evidential information has been drawn from Nixon’s memoir “the Memoirs of Richard Nixon” as a primary source.