Henry Alfred Kissinger

“ For countries not to produce enough and to look to the United States is not the right solution.
Secretary Kissinger: That is exactly right. And the debate that went on at the Rome Food Conference -- whether the United States should give a million tons more or less -- is irrelevant to the problem. The deficit can be closed only if the countries with a deficit produce more food. The United States alone can't close the deficit. ”

“ So it is always our hope that relations between the United States and Europe and Japan will be in a position of partnership based on equality. It is only on the basis of equality that you can establish real partnership. ”

“ Because now the Soviet Union is determined to seek hegemony in the world, if they wish to launch a world war and don't get Europe first, they won't succeed in achieving hegemony in other parts of the world, because Europe is so important politically, economically and militarily. ”

“ They are entirely figureheads for the independence of their own country and nation. Actually why does the United States have to get itself involved in this issue? Because from the beginning it was their own problem. Let them solve their own problem. ”

“ We live in a period of great change and a period that is characterized by much upheaval. We believe that this change must lead to a new and better order for all of the peoples of the world, and it is to this goal that American foreign policy is dedicated.
We consider the exchanges on these subjects as well as others with the leaders of the People's Republic of China of the greatest consequence. ”

“ The United States has nothing to gain in Cambodia. Having withdrawn from Vietnam, we can have no interest in a long-term presence in Cambodia. On the other hand, as a question of principle, we do not simply abandon people with whom we have worked. But this is not the key issue right now. The key issue right now is, according to our conception, the best solution of the Indochinese peninsula is one in which each country can realize its national aspirations. ”

“ The idea of setting up an embassy here in Peking and a liaison office in Taiwan is a variation on "one China-one Taiwan," which we cannot accept.
The second principle is that the solution of the Taiwan question is an internal issue of the Chinese people, and it can only be left to the Chinese people themselves to solve. As to what means we will use to finally solve the Taiwan question -- whether peaceful methods or non-peaceful methods -- it is a matter, an internal affair, which should be left to the Chinese people to decide. ”

“ In my opinion, what exists between us is not merely a misunderstanding. What really exists is that the United States side insists on its demand to create some side issues. That is to say, the US side does not stick to the spirit of the understanding reached in February of 1973 to find a package settlement. That is why I think it is a matter of principle. ”

“ But in our view, it is not right to underestimate the strength of our Arab people.
Secretary Kissinger: We don't underestimate it. We have one particular problem. If we propose grandiose schemes, we will be enmeshed in an endless domestic debate. We have to move a step at a time. As long as we move a step at a time, a solution is inevitable. ”

“ The Arabs cannot win a war in the next 5 years. Historically they may be stronger, but in the short term they are certainly not the stronger. Therefore, any political progress has to come through the United States. There is no other way. The only interest we have in the political process is that it appear that our decisions are made at our own free will. If we are pressed [by the Arabs] we will resist long enough to demonstrate that pressure cannot possibly succeed. And if we are pressed by the Soviet Union, we will simply do nothing and we will tell the Soviet Union to produce progress. ”

“ We have done nothing new along the borders, and frankly we don't fear that India will attack our borders. We don't think they have the capability of attacking our borders. There was some very queer talk, some said that the reason why the Chinese Government issued that statement about Sikkim was that the Chinese were afraid after Sikkim that India would complete the encirclement of China. Well, in the first place, we never feel things like isolation or encirclement can ever matter very much with us. And particularly with India, it is not possible that India can do any encirclement of China. ”

“ Ch'iao Kuan-hua: But "frank" also is an atmosphere. Only friends can talk very frankly.
Kissinger: In that case, let's drop "frank." [Laughter]
Ch'iao Kuan-hua: But if we are ready to talk about atmosphere, it might be more accurate to characterize these talks as being frank and unconstrained.
Kissinger: Why don't we say frank, unconstrained, wide-ranging and mutually beneficial? [Laughter]
Rumsfeld: And add "constructive."
Kissinger: Let's leave out the word "atmosphere."
Ch'iao Kuan-hua: Shall we conclude an agreement that we will never talk about atmosphere in the future? ”

“ With respect to our general views on normalization, and this is one of the topics we can discuss with greater precision when we meet in smaller groups, I simply wanted to say that we are prepared to discuss seriously and in an attempt to meet the time limit we previously discussed in my past meetings with the Prime Minister [Chou En-lai] .
The second category of problems is our usual detailed review of the international situation. The press always asks me before I come here whether I am coming to reassure the Chinese. They also always tell me that our relationship has deteriorated. ”

“ We want to avoid a situation where the United States signs a document which leads to a military solution shortly after normalization. But we do not want a commitment which maintains the separation. What we have in mind -- we may not know the formula, but what we have in mind seems compatible with what Chairman Mao says in terms of the process.
Vice Premier Teng: We have just now checked on what Chairman Mao exactly said when he talked with Doctor, and we understand what he said is, "I don't think the normalization of relations between China and the United States will take one hundred years." ”

“ I welcome the Doctor on his seventh visit to China.
Kissinger: It is always a pleasure to be here.
Teng: This is the second visit we have met.
Kissinger: Yes, April this year was the first time.
Teng: Our Foreign Minister [Ch'iao Kuan-hua] is an old friend.
Kissinger: Yes, we spent a week together -- every night -- when we drafted the Shanghai Communique.
Teng: People are saying in the world that now relations between our two nations are chilling a bit. This is the seventh visit of the Doctor and this can be taken as the third exchange of views between our nations this year. ”

“ We will not permit a strategic gain for Soviet power. We will attempt to reduce Soviet power where we can. We do not, however.... At the same time we go through many stages which create either diplomatic obstacles to the extension of Soviet power or which psychological and political obstacles against Soviet military action. We do not intend to create a condominium with the Soviet Union, because such a policy -- by removing all obstacles to Soviet expansion -- would eventually, with certainty, turn against us. ”

“ I replied that while we understood China's ideological support of the third world, at some point this ran up against China's real concerns about security. (I meant this as a general point, given China's policy of hitting us in international forums on behalf of the third world, while simultaneously dealing with us as a counter-weight to the Soviet Union.) If the oil prices demoralized Europe and Japan and weakened their defenses, this would surely not be in China's interest. Nor should these countries be dependent on forces outside their control. ”

“ The entire world is amidst intense turbulence and unrest. This reflects the sharpening of various contradictions and is something independent of man's will. The history of mankind always moves forward amidst turmoil. In our view, such turmoil is a good thing, and not a bad thing.
The Chinese and American peoples have always been friendly to each other. After more than two decades of estrangement, the door was opened for exchanges between the two countries, and the friendly relations between the two peoples have developed. ”

“ For the United States to take strong actions in crises, it is necessary to do so from a position of having demonstrated to our people that we have exhausted every avenue for peace. I think Chairman Mao, last year, said the United States plays complicated games, and China too plays complicated games, but more energetically. ”

“ Lin Ping said he had a few comments on what Habib had said. Regarding qualitative as well as numerical reciprocity, the exchanges are of course mutual. In general there should be reciprocity of quality, but this is not an absolute certainty in any one year. Some times one side can send one type of delegation and the other side cannot reciprocate in the same year. Instead it might be able to do so the following year or a year after that and in some fields we cannot reach qualitative reciprocity. For example, there is no way the Chinese can reciprocate Congressional visits. ”

“ You know we have made no effort with any country to keep them from establishing relations with you and breaking them with Taiwan.
The problem we have is the impact internationally of a sudden total reversal of an American position on other friendly countries, and even perhaps on countries that are not friendly to either of us.
Vice Premier Teng: But on the other hand, if we agree to your formula we will also be creating an impact internationally that we have agreed to the formula of one China - one Taiwan. ”

“ We believe that, hopefully conditions are favorable to show some advance in our relationship. We think this is, would be, a fulfillment of the principles of the Shanghai Communique as well as some of the discussions we had when we made our first visits to China. We think it is desirable in terms of the overall international situation, so that there is no misunderstanding about the evolution of our relationship in the eyes of other countries.
So we are prepared. On the other hand, we won't press you, and you let us know at what speed you want to proceed on these technical bilateral issues. ”

“ Absolutely unreliable. When you analyze our foreign policy you have to understand we have to do certain things and say certain things designed to paralyze not only our Left but the European Left as well. ”

“ What we would like to achieve is the disassociation from Taiwan in steps, in the manner we have done until now. There is no doubt that the status of Taiwan has been undermined by the process which we have followed. And this process would be rapidly accelerated by the ideas which we have advanced.
Vice Premier Teng: And the other question is the way method to solve the Taiwan problem. As for solving the Taiwan question, suppose you have broken diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Then the Taiwan question should be left with us Chinese to solve among ourselves. ”

“ But I think for leaders who were on the Long March, they will not believe that conversation in the abstract will solve problems. Before the consumers talk to the producers, we think it is important for the consumers to know what they want and to adopt a comparable position. So we're attempting to organize the consumers precisely so they can have a dialogue in which they can speak with something like a common voice.
We believe it is also important that Japan and Europe should not be left in positions where they feel their future is in the hands of forces totally outside their control. ”

“ I spend considerable time stressing our military strength and the advantages of the agreement you made in Vladivostok. That meeting, by the way, has clearly gotten the Chinese attention and I believe is helping us enormously on this visit. The Chinese also emphasized the need for Europe to keep up its guard at which point I emphasized that the demoralization of Europe through the oil crisis is not in the Chinese interest. We could go it alone on economic grounds, but we were cooperating with our friends in order to shore up Western unity and defenses. ”

“ And if they are going to attack China, as the Chairman has discussed [with you] , it will be impossible to take over China with just one million troops. They will have to increase their troops by one million, and even that would not be sufficient because if they are going to make up their minds to fight with China, they will have to make up their minds to fight for 20 years. The Chinese have no great virtue, but they do have [the virtue of] patience. ”

“ On this issue you would know we support Samdech Norodom Sihanouk and the resistance forces within the country and we support their position. And to put it frankly, we think if the United States is to place its hopes on Lon Nol or on any force you think would replace Lon Nol, that is not reliable.
Kissinger: We think it is possible to produce a negotiation, at the end of which Sihanouk could quite possibly emerge as the controlling factor. We think it is in his own interest to be totally dependent on one force. He should have many forces, factors to play with. ”

“ I pointed out that it was inconsistent for the Chinese to want us to have an active foreign policy in order to counter Moscow, while at the same time China attacked us publicly in such areas as the Middle East, where we are trying to erode Soviet influence, and the energy situation, whose weakening of the West could not be in China's interest. ”

“ But from what we have read, it seems Western Europe is a little worried that the agreements you reached in Vladivostok might lead to a reduction of American troops in Western Europe.
Secretary Kissinger: I haven't seen these accounts, but they are ridiculous. We discussed this this morning: as nuclear war becomes more complex, we have to increase conventional forces, not weaken them. There is no understanding about reduction of American forces in Europe. We paid no price for this agreement in Vladivostok, of any kind, in any area. ”

“ China and the United States have different social systems, and there are differences between us on a series of matters of principle. But this does not hinder us from finding common ground on certain matters. It is always beneficial for the two sides to have candid exchanges of views and increase mutual understanding. On the whole, Sino-American relations have in these years been moving ahead. ”