Conversation No. 670-23/671-1

Date:  February 14, 1972
Time:  4:09 pm - 6:19 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Andre Malraux, Sophia K. Porson and Henry A. Kissinger.
[This is a continuation of Conversation No. 670-23; an unknown portion of this meeting was not recorded while the tape was being changed.]

Vietnam
-Withdrawal
-Relevance
-Chinese power
-October Revolution

People’s Republic of China [PRC] and Japan
-Foreign policy
	-Importance
-Germany
-US policy towards PRC
-Time limit
-Vietnam
	-PRC activity

Foreign policy
-Japan
-Chinese
-Soviets
-US withdrawal
-Pacific
-Japan
-Economic
	-Potential status
-History
	-Sense of destiny

-Psyche
-Nuclear commitment
-West Germany
-Defense
-Nuclear commitment by US
	-Terms of peace
-PRC
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
	-Japanese concern
-Withdrawal
-Pacific
-US
-Bases
-Japan
-USSR
	-Possible threat
-World peace
-European alliance
-Withdrawal of forces
-Germans
-USSR
	-Influence with East Germany
-Options
-“Balance of Power”
-Future
-Strength
-Europe
-Market
-US
-Japan
-US nuclear defense
-PRC
-Potential for safer world
-US
-Critics
-Domestic and abroad
-World role
-President’s view
	-PRC
	-Chou En-lai
	-Mao Tse-tung
	-Non-expansionist power
	-World role
	-US
	-Malraux
	-Anti-Memoirs
	-World power
	-War
	-Peace
	-US
	-Responsibility
	-Withdrawal
	-Japan
	-Germany
	-Assistance and possible guarantees
	-Stable world
-Withdrawal
-Pacific
-President’s view
-Critics
-Abroad
-Isolationist theorists in the US
-Advice
-Europe
-PRC
	-Policy comparison
-US role
-Circumstances
-Pacific
-Japan
-Europe
-North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
	-Possible consequences
-Malraux
-US
-Withdrawal
-World’s people
	-Opinion
		-Skepticism
-Pacific
-Europe
-Malraux’s view
-US
-Withdrawal
-NATO
-Bilateral Agreement
-Isolationists
-Gaullism
	-United Europe
	-Great Britain
	-Similarity to the Balkans
		-Possible difficulties for US
	-Economics
	-Politics
	-Defense
	-Gen. Charles A.J.M de Gaulle
-Britain
-Japan
	-Lack of atomic capabilities
		-West Germany
-West Germany
-World War II
-Japan
-West Germany and Japan
-Self-defense
-Nuclear
-Sense of destiny
-Protection by another power
-World peace
-Asia
-US withdrawal
	-Prospects
		-Press
-Mao Tse-tung
	-US world policy
		-John Foster Dulles
-Japan
-Withdrawal
-Hesitation
-Asia
-US
-World responsibility
-Importance to USSR

The President’s schedule
-Malraux
-Dinner
-Location
-William P. Rogers
-Kissinger
-PRC leaders
-Appreciation for meeting
-Dinner
-Past meetings
-1969
-PRC

Foreign policy
-De Gaulle
-The President’s meeting in 1963
-Prescience
-US
-Policy at that time
-USSR
-PRC
-Relations with USSR and PRC
	-Importance
	-De Gaulle’s perspective
-Kissinger’s meeting in 1959

Malraux and Porson left at 5:28 pm.

The President’s forthcoming trip to the PRC
-PRC leaders’ expectations
-The President
-View of history
-Malraux
-Health
	-Forthcoming dinner
-Mao Tse-tung
	-The President’s age
-World leadership
	-Age
-John F. Kennedy
-Mao Tse-tung’s possible opinion
-De Gaulle
-Historical figures
	-Bluntness

Foreign policy
-Chinese
-US understanding
-International situation
	-Unimportantance of tactical details
-Chou En-lai
	-Mao Tse-tung
	-General discussion
-Vietnam
	-Malraux’s views
-US
-Withdrawal
-Japan
-Europe
-US world role
-Domestic critics
-Lack of understanding
-PRC
-Withdrawal

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[Duration:  53s  ]

	PRC

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

**************************************************************************

-Malraux
-Kissinger
	-Agreement
-Chinese
-Compared to Soviets
-History
-Confucius
-Philosophy
-Differences
-Principles
-World domination
-Malraux
-Soviets
-Future Presidents
-USSR compared to PRC
-Relations with US
-Balance of power
-USSR
	-PRC
-Vietnam
	-Conduct of war
	-Consequences
-Choices
-Malraux
-De Gaulle
-Meeting with the President
	-Statement
-PRC
-PRC
-Ambivalence toward US
		-India-Pakistan War
			-US stance
		-Asia
			-US relevance
-Vietnam
-Kissinger’s view
	-Withdrawal
	-History
	-De Gaulle
	-Algeria
-North Vietnamese
-Meetings with Kissinger
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Impact on domestic opponents
-Sense of urgency
-Importance
	-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Secret meetings
-Cambodia
-Laos
-Public opinion
-Points in agreement
-South Vietnamese
-Structure
-Non-Communist
-PRC
-Malraux’s view
	-Southeast Asia
	-Domination
		-Numbers
		-Means
			-Subversion culture
	-Communism
-Japan
-Standard of living
	-Communism
-PRC
-Competition
-Vietnam
-Withdrawal
-PRC
-Southeast Asia
-PRC
	-Malraux’s statement about foreign policy
		-Posture
	-Reception for President of Somalia
	-Kissinger’s concern
-Counterweight to USSR
-Subcontinent
-Global policy
-Domination
-USSR and PRC
-Japan
-US relations
	-Importance of maintaining alliance
-Malraux
-Experience and age
-Cambodia
-Prison
-US invitation
	-President’s questions to Malraux
-Chou En-lai
-The President’s forthcoming questions
	-Tone
-US
-World role
-Withdrawal
-Formosa [Taiwan, Republic of China]
-PRC
-Communiqué
-PRS
	-John B. Connally and Rogers
		-Lack of experience with leaders
	-Connally
		-Talk with Kissinger

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at an unknown time after 5:28 pm.

Location of a briefing book

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 6:00 pm.

**************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National Security]
[Duration:  44s  ]

	PRC

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

**************************************************************************

-Communiqué
-Language
-Agreement
-Formosa
	-Possible criticisms
		-James L. Buckley
		-William F. Buckley, Jr.
-South Korea and Japan
-Treaty commitments
-Formosa
	-Separate section
-Formosa
-Treaty
-Rogers
-Connally
	-Involvement
-Rogers
-Connally
	-Europeans
		-Chinese
	-Kissinger’s view
	-Foreign relations
-Desire to maintain a peaceful settlement
-Language
-Rogers
	-Kissinger
		-Formosa
			-Re-write
-Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
	-First draft
-PRC commitment
-Force in lieu of a settlement
-Formosa
-Treaty
-US Commitment
	-Difficulties
-Mao Tse-tung
-Talk with Kissinger
-State Department
-Language
-South Korea
-State Department
-The President’s meetings
-Construction of communiqué
	-Difficulties
-Chou En-lai
-Mao Tse-tung
-Chou En-lai
-Message from Kissinger
-Meeting
-Plenary session
	-Workout strategy
-Chou En-lai
-Chou En-lai
	-President’s upcoming meeting
-Mao Tse-tung
-Rogers
	-Kissinger’s possible explanation
-Bermuda
-Sir Burke Trend
-Kissinger
-Rogers
-France
-Germans
-Established practices
-Trip
-Need for success
	-Communiqué
-News magazines
-Foreign policy
-Renunciation of forces
-Establishment of common principles
-Conduct
-Opposition to hegemony in Pacific
-Possible interpretation
	-Danger
-Sino-US alliance
-USSR
-Japan
-Rogers
	-Kissinger’s view

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 5:28 pm.

Refreshments

The President left at an unknown time before 6:00 pm.

Sanchez
-The President
-PRC trip
	-Attendance
-Schedule
	-Key Biscayne

**************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Privacy]
[Duration:  26s  ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

**************************************************************************

The President entered at an unknown time before 6:00 pm.

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 6:00 pm.

PRC
-Communiqué
-Changes
-Indian section
-Language
	-Use of “revolution”
-Taiwan
	-Possible acceptance
-Kissinger
-Talk with Chou En-lai
-Mao Tse-tung
-Talk with the President
	-US domestic debate
		-Bureaucracy
		-Rogers
-Chou En-lai
-Promises by Kissinger
-Suggested response
	-Language
-Trade

Malraux
-Stature in France
-Gaullism
-Europe
-Balkanization
-Neutral
-Finland

PRC
-Plenary session
-Kissinger
-Draft
-Opening statement

John N. Mitchell
-Resignation
	-Timing
-Involvement

Connally
-Praise from Kissinger

Rose Mary Woods entered at 6:00 pm.

Letter
-Mitchell
	-The President’s reply
		-Copy
		-Delivery
			Timing

Woods left at 6:01 pm.

Butterfield entered at an unknown time after 6:01 pm.

Porson
-Translation skills
-Malraux dinner
-Possible invitation
	-Unknown male translator
	-Porson compared to Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters
-Understanding
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-The President’s preference for male translators
	-Walters
-The President’s appreciation for efforts
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 6:19 pm.

PRC
-Trip
	-Importance
	-Need to avoid irritations to the President
	-Rigors of agenda
-Chinese
-Qualities
-Soviets
	-Comparisons
-Possible posture by the President

	Vietnamese negotiations
-Paris trip by Kissinger
-Knowledge
	-Haldeman
-Haig
-State Department
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Le Duc Tho
		-Press
-Departure
-Andrews Air Force Base
-The President
-Florida
-Walker’s Key
-Strategy
	-Helicopter flight from Key Biscayne
-Strategy
-Return flight to Andrews AFB
-Camp David
	-Helicopter to base
	-Departure with the President
-Timing
-Peace proposal
-Reaction by Edmund S. Muskie
-Reaction by North Vietnam
-Le Duc Tho
-Meeting with Kissinger
	-Lunch
-Answer to invitation
	-Timing
-Text
-Walters
-Lunch
	-Date
		-Walters
-North Vietnamese
-Meal
	-Significance
-Communists
	-Negotiations
		-Korean War
		-The President’s actions
			-Vietnam as national issue
			-Troop withdrawals
-North Vietnamese
-Offensive
-PRC trip
-Effect
	-Public opinion
-Tet
-1968
	-Differences
-PRC trip
-Publicity
-Moscow trip
-North Vietnamese
-Pressure on the President 
	-Possible offensive
	-Timing
	-Moscow
-US position
-Force
-Pacific Ocean
-India-Pakistan War
	-Carriers
		-Bay of Bengal
-USSR
-PRC
-East Pakistan
-West Pakistan
-PRC policy
-Soviets
-Leonid I. Brezhnev
-The President’s letter
-Chou En-lai
-The President’s letter
-Bombing
-Movement of forces
-Policy
-North Vietnamese
-Offers
-US options
-Communists
-Maoists
-Peace conference
-Versailles
-Chinese
	-Encouragement prior to trip
-Peking
-Chinese
-Paris trip by Kissinger
	-Chou En-lai
	-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
		-Kissinger’s forthcoming talk 
			-Moscow
-Peking
-War
-North Vietnamese casualties
-Italian journalists
-Number
	-Compared to US population
-North Vietnamese
-Cambodia
-Laos
	-Number of forces
-US withdrawal
	-Possible date
-Possible North Vietnamese offensive
-October 1972
-US public reaction
-Withdrawal of troops
-Weather
-South Vietnamese
	-Strength

Butterfield entered at an unknown time after 6:01 pm.

Delivery of briefing book

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 6:19 pm.

	Vietnam
-US plans

Malraux
-Dinner
-Talking
-Guest list
-Toast
-Kissinger
-The President
-Speech
-Length

Kissinger left at 6:19 pm.

Conversation No. 671-2

Date:  February 14, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 6:19 pm and 6:30 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

	The President’s schedule
		-Request for a delivery

[George H. Gallup] poll
-Timing
-Results
	-Compared to Administration [Opinion Research Corporation [ORC]] poll
		-Vietnam
-Donald H. Rumsfeld
	-Telephone call to Gallup

Conversation No. 671-3

Date:  February 14, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 6:19 pm and 6:30 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

The President’s schedule
-Manolo Sanchez
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

Bull left at 6:30 pm.

Conversation No. 671-4

Date:  February 14, 1972
Time:  6:30 pm - 7:08 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Manolo Sanchez and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

Briefcase

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 6:33 pm.

Donald H. Rumsfeld
-Talk with George H. Gallup
-Poll
-Release
-People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip
-Timing
	-Outcome
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Tricia Nixon Cox
-Eugene V. Risher

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 6:30 pm.

Henry A. Kissinger
-Summons to the Oval Office

Bull left at an unknown time before 6:33 pm.

Risher
-Speech
-Harvard Lincoln’s Inn Club
-Edward R.F. Cox
	-Conservative views
-Tricia Nixon Cox

-Press
-Bias concerning the President
-Ziegler
-Columns
	-Backing off statements
-Frank Cormier
-Helen Thomas

Kissinger entered at 6:33 pm.

PRC
-Haldeman
-Rumsfeld
-Gallup
-School
-Weekly poll on February 4-6, 1972
-Presidential approval
-Percentage
-Release
-Previous polls
-Timing
-PRC trip
	-Positive percentage
-Louis R. Harris
-War
-Poll
-Percentage
	-Improvement
-Release
-Timing
-Polls
-North Vietnamese
-Chinese
	-Poll watching
-Trip
-July 1971
-North Vietnamese
-Effect
-Gallup’s view
-Democrats
	-Release

	Vietnam
-The President’s Vietnam peace proposal speech, January 25, 1972
	-Effect
	-Administration [Opinion Research Corporation [ORC]] polls
		-Compared to Gallup polls
			-Telephone
		-Percentages
			-Effect
		-Haldeman’s Today Show interview, February 7, 1972
	-Haldeman
		-Letters
		-Wires
		-Letters
		-“Silent Majority”
			-Comments from citizens
-John Birch Society
-Charles S. Rhyne
	-Comments
		-Defense against libel, slander
		-President’s position
			-Distortion
-North Vietnamese
-The President’s speech
-Haldeman
-The President’s press conference, February 10, 1972
	-Effect
	-William P. Rogers
		-The press
			-Defense
	-Gen. Nguyen Van Thieu
-Military
-US public support
-Congress
-Media
-Cabinet

	PRC trip
-Rogers
-Meetings
	-Rogers’ assistance
		-Communiqué
-History
-Mao Tse-tung
-Rogers
-Formosa [Taiwan, Republic of China]
-Cultural
-Trade
-State Department
-Possible public impressions
-Chou En-lai
-Mao Tse-tung
-Kissinger
	-Prior trip
-Rogers
	-Cultural agreement
	-Hugh S. Sidey
		-Story on Kissinger in Life
			-The President’s actions
				-Technical arrangements
				-Perusal of statements
				-Kissinger
					-Previous visit to PRC
						-Meetings with the President
				-Vietnam
				-PRC
					-President’s meetings with Kissinger
-Press
	-The President’s knowledge of events
		-Dwight D. Eisenhower
		 Relationship with staff, Cabinet
			-Compared to Eisenhower and John Foster Dulles
			-State Department
-State Department
	-Foreign policy
		-Claims
			-Credibility
		-India- Pakistan War
-China policy
	-Chinese
		-Need for US support
		-Andre Malraux
			-Economic aid
		-Economics
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
	-President’s analysis to the Chinese
-Agenda
	-Kissinger talking paper
		-USSR
			-PRC
				-Chou En-lai
					-Meeting with President
-World situation
	-Quick review
-Taiwan
	-5 Points
-Vietnam
-Communiqué
	-Treaty commitments
-World situation
	-USSR
	-India
	-Southeast Asia
-US position
	-Self interest
-Kissinger
		-Protocol
-Translator
	-Length of comments
		-Recommended length
	-Mao Tse-tung
-Opening plenary statement
	-Reading by the President
		-Importance
		-Chou En-lai
			-Notes
			-Analysis
-Kissinger’s meeting with North Vietnamese
	-Reparation
-Speaking
	-Formality
	-Order
-Plenary session
	-Topics
		-List
			-Kissinger setup
				-Previous visit
				-Kissinger’s opinion
-Polls
-Rumsfeld
-Gallup
-Return call
-Release
-National interest
-Trip to USSR
-World history
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Impact of PRC trip
	-1971
	-Press coverage
-Haldeman’s trip to Doubleday book store
-Books on PRC
-Gallup
	-Timing
-Haldeman interview
-Press conference

	Vietnam
		-Polls
			-South Vietnam
				-Bombing
					-Possible public opinion
		-North Vietnam
			-Bombing
				-Press
					-Escalation of war
						-Perception
-South Vietnam
-North Vietnam
-Offensive
	-Expectation of public and press
	-Bombing
	-Timing
		-Kissinger’s reply to note
-PRC trip
	-US arrival
		-Impact
	-North Vietnam targets
		-Pleiku, Kontum
		-Forbidden City
			-Television
		-Chinese
			-Chou En-lai

	PRC trip
-Interpreters
	-Record
	-Possible number
-State Department
-Rogers
-Record
-Summaries
-Previous meetings
-Translator
-Chinese
-State Department
	-President’s request
-Official record
	-English
-US note taker
-Winston Lord
-Prior experience
-American translator
-Kissinger’s staff
-John H. Holdridge
-Knowledge of Chinese language
-Check on Chinese translation
-Lord
-Holdridge
	-Skills
-Chinese
-Six translators
-US
-Four translators
-Holdridge
-Knowledge of Chinese
-Previous meetings
-State Department
-Plenary session
-Rogers
-Holdridge
-Listening
-Notes
-Nikita S. Khrushchev
-Misinterpretation
	-Language
	-State Department
-Holdridge
-Reliability
-Lord
-Notes
-Holdridge
	-Role
		-Nuances
-Lord
	-Concentration on words
-Rogers
-Record
-Memoranda of conversations
	-“Big picture”
-Holdridge
-Chinese
-Previous meetings
-Chinese
-Success
-India-Pakistan War
-Reception
-Cameras
-Square
-Motorcade
	-PRC procedure
-Formal reception
-Crowds
-Kissinger’s view
-The President
-Shanghai and Hangchow
-Communiqué
-Chou En-lai
-Timing
-Peking
-Shanghai
-Communications ground station
-Coverage
	-Film
-Communiqué
-Peking
		-Tour
-Longest visit to foreign country by President on official visit
	-[Thomas] Woodrow Wilson
		-Paris
			-Conference [Treaty of Versailles]
-Talks
-Trip
-Toast
-The President
-Reading
	-Importance
-Khrushchev
-Television
-Chou En-lai
	-Possible lighting problem
-Khrushchev
-1959
-Length
-Khrushchev
-Tone
	-Chou En-lai
-Advance text
-Kissinger previous visit
	-Chou En-lai
-Timing
-The President’s view
	-Television audience
-Length
-Chou En-lai’s toast to Kissinger

The President, Haldeman, and Kissinger left at 7:08 pm.

Conversation No. 671-5

Date:  February 14, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 7:09 pm and 11: 59 pm
Location:  Oval Office

Unknown people [Secret Service agents] met.

	The President’s location
		-Residence

An unknown agent talked with an unknown person at an unknown time after 7:08 pm.

[Conversation No. 671-5A]

	[Unintelligible]

The conversation was cut off at an unknown time before 11:59 pm.