Chinese Diplomats and Nixon

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=zhou+enlai+nixon&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1366&bih=618&tbm=isch&tbnid=cyfAYi1vThDROM:&imgrefurl=http://blogsmithconsulting.blogspot.com/2011/01/chinese-pianist-plays-propaganda-anti.html&docid=Ui-u_91KkcqxUM&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyC2Li8HSqdeMMJQXZx5MGympP2dbwJ48C_c9SywqV2EV8y7G4ldDrSq_6Aa_erUdWBx5XsAdb2hhyphenhyphenLiwlPvE2K_fPVWM3w_JmHeHf_fAIxJFaAzglqR3M2GIu0J65Olpo23jYogcSHEQ/s400/NixonChina.jpg&w=300&h=394&ei=T5mbTvdlqcqxAsWw3NME&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=388&sig=114780064646646981049&page=1&tbnh=133&tbnw=101&start=0&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0&tx=33&ty=69

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=mao+zedong+nixon&um=1&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=618&tbm=isch&tbnid=iJ0AoSJbHfy2mM:&imgrefurl=http://newdiplomacy2010d.blogspot.com/2010/03/v-behaviorurldefaultvml-o.html&docid=Kt8E08fcLSjF-M&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4hoLdRjCDlNvyMRaFB43g1ywvBAq3OZbFL0sdGSYcCAbrkVG6bvLTvKYcL25hIYyrRI_JnyUnAp4adAe6bUzoMRiXMKx3GcUgjNYKCHBmwrsoJOEFyNKVHCSFX6KwTe0at54m6NBeIce/s320/1972-Mao%252Band%252BNixon.jpg&w=300&h=232&ei=RZibTu7GLqr4sQKao-SvBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=197&vpy=151&dur=534&hovh=125&hovw=178&tx=128&ty=57&sig=114780064646646981049&page=3&tbnh=125&tbnw=178&start=40&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:40

(sorry blogger didn't want to post my photos)

January of 1972, when President Nixon visited China for the first time in presidential history, is much more culturally involved than a white man visiting Chinese politicians. From the moment he stepped of board the plane, the interactions he had with important Chinese men were largely influenced by culture. Coming from a Chinese background, both the Premier Zhou Enlai (top) and Chairman Mao Zedong (bottom) were important advocates of communism, an evil in American eyes, and both very manipulative men, a tradition of Chinese politicians. So, when the American president comes to visit Chinese soil to bury the hatchet, these Chinese patriots should consider themselves superior to the American president, and in greeting, allow him to fully extend the hand for a handshake. Looking at the photos above, this is hardly the case.

So, what is it then? Are these cultural assumptions not true? Looking at the backgrounds of Zhou Enlai and Mao Zedong, they aren’t necessarily false. Zhou Enlai was a diplomat who wanted peace with the west, so it seems like he should be open and extending towards Nixon, but the photo shows the opposite. Even in his face you can see he doesn’t want to be with Nixon. On the other hand, Mao Zedong was a very manipulative and controversial leader who liked his way. So it seems like HE should be the one making Nixon extend his hand. But of course, it is once again, opposite. According to Henry Kissinger, who worked with both of them, “Mao dominated any gathering; Zhou suffused it. Mao's passion strove to overwhelm opposition; Zhou's intellect would seek to persuade or outmaneuver it. Mao was sardonic; Zhou penetrating. Mao thought of himself as a philosopher; Zhou saw his role as an administrator or a negotiator. Mao was eager to accelerate history; Zhou was content to exploit its currents.” From this description, the handshakes make perfect sense.

But what does this have to do with culture? Zhou Enlai and Mao Zedong are both very diplomats. But, if you look at it, they both have the same general principles and just go about it in very different ways. They take the Chinese diplomatic ideas and apply their own body practices, with effects such as these very different handshakes. As an observer viewing this from an American lens, I make these assumptions about Chinese diplomats by the way I have seen them portrayed in society, and they made assumptions about Nixon by the way they had heard about Americans and American presidents.