A Word Edgewise

Boston—Ever since President Nixon discovered the Great Wall of China was “great,” our relationship with the Chinese Communist government (PRC) has been pegged to a logical absurdity. Peking’s capo di tutti capi Deng Xiaoping has demanded that we prove our merits as a reliable ally by betraying the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan.

The origins of this policy lay in some cryptic phrases written by Henry Kissinger and Chou En-lai on a menu in Shanghai, and it was sufficiently ambiguous—this “Shanghai Communique”—to permit Chou to tell his troops it was a noble victory while we could tell the ROC authorities in Taipei it was pure cosmetics.

JR

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John P. Roche

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Boston—Ever since President Nixon discovered the Great Wall of China was “great,” our relationship with the Chinese Communist government (PRC) has been pegged to a logical absurdity. Peking’s capo di tutti capi Deng Xiaoping has demanded that we prove our merits as a reliable ally by betraying the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan.

The origins of this policy lay in some cryptic phrases written by Henry Kissinger and Chou En-lai on a menu in Shanghai, and it was sufficiently ambiguous—this “Shanghai Communique”—to permit Chou to tell his troops it was a noble victory while we could tell the ROC authorities in Taipei it was pure cosmetics.