What Is a ‘Reverse Nixon,’ and Can Trump Pull It Off?

13 comments

1. Michael Schuman: “In the early 1970s, President Richard Nixon made history by drawing Communist China closer to the United States, giving Washington an advantage in its Cold War contest with the Soviet Union. Half a century later, President Donald Trump seems to be eyeing a similar diplomatic maneuver, but in reverse: drawing Russia closer to the United States in order to give Washington an advantage in its geopolitical competition with Communist China.

   “If Trump were to pull this off, he, too, would change the course of history—isolating China, guaranteeing European security, and solidifying American global primacy. But the plan—known as a ‘reverse Nixon’ in foreign-policy circles—could easily backfire.

   “On the face of it, trying to peel Russia off from China has a certain logic. The two countries have forged a partnership in recent years that could pose a serious threat to U.S. interests—Beijing’s support for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine exemplifies this. ‘The one thing you never want to happen is you never want Russia and China uniting,’ Trump said in an October interview, citing one of his college professors. ‘I’m going to have to un-unite them, and I think I can do that.’ This imperative could help explain why the Trump administration has sought rapprochement with Russia. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has suggested that Russia may otherwise become subservient to China.

   “… Publicly, Chinese officials have dismissed the possibility of losing Russia to Trump. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called the reverse-Nixon idea ‘the obsolete Cold War mindset’ and insisted that ties between Beijing and Moscow were ‘as solid and unshakable as mountains.’ Yet the fact that he felt the need to address the possibility may betray a degree of insecurity. Less than two weeks after Trump and Vladimir Putin spoke by phone in February, China’s leader, Xi Jinping, had his own conversation with the Russian president and made sure to stress that ‘our two countries are true friends’ whose partnership had ‘unique strategic value,’ according to the summary of his comments issued by the Chinese foreign ministry.

   “Nixon’s task in the ’70s was in some ways easier than the reverse Nixon promises to be today. The Chinese leaders Nixon wooed had already split with the Soviets and perceived them as a threat. Now China and Russia are closer than they have been in decades, and Putin has not evinced much inclination to change that.”

   Read more: [https://theatln.tc/Phhr36SJ](https://theatln.tc/Phhr36SJ) 

2. Putting aside that this doesn’t serve Putin’s goals, Trump is in no way capable of pulling off such manoeuvrings.

3. This is ridiculous mental gymnastics that attempt to justify Trump’s pro Russia stances and the likelihood that Trump himself is a Russian Asset.

   Calling Trumps loyalty to Putin a ‘reverse Nixon’ implies there is an overarching principle behind his actions relating to American interests. No such principle exists as Trump works against American interests in Ukraine.

4. Trump has zero interest in American interests… he’s for Trump’s interests.

5. No. Nixon was smart. Trump is suffering from early-onset dementia.

6. Trump is an appeaser.

   He was trying to appease North Korea yesterday, he is trying to appease Russia today and he will try to appease China tomorrow.

7. Even if he wanted this, taco.

8. It means when Trump is caught committing crimes – Nixon resigned instead of facing his crimes – Trump will stay in office and commit more crimes.

9. “Leave Ukraine or we signal to China we don’t care if they invade the Far East to reconquer their lost territories”

   War would be over in 72 hours, but everyone is still living in post-ww2-kumbaya world where countries hold hands and sing

   Whats the point of an empire if your people suffer and you can’t influence world events?

   Either that or sell your entire military apparatus to the EU, they at least knew how to rule the world.

10. Russia doesn’t want peace. They had a revolution against the Tsars not because of freedom, but because they hated the Tsars and wanted to replace them. Now they have; Putin rules supreme and life couldn’t be better. Part of his lifeline is his friendship with China and he doesn’t trust the West. Russia wants respect above all and I think their alliance with China will only break when the Chinese turn on them in 30 years.

11. No, no, no. This article fundamentally misunderstands why the rapprochement with China was such a success.

    In the 1960s and 1970s, China-Russia relations were at an all-time low. Border disputes nearly caused a hot war between the two powers in the early ’60s. This gave China and the US a common enemy. China was then the junior partner, but a strategically important one. The US helped to advance the PRC’s goals by giving it international recognition as the ‘real’ China, but they did not recognize their geopolitical claims, such as on Taiwan. American-Chinese relations focused on trade and other peacetime activities.

    Today, China and Russia’s common enemy IS the USA. Border disputes persist, but China is playing it safe by focusing on their Southern and Pacific claims over those in Siberia. Russia is not a strategically important power, because it has no unrealized gains that it could realize by exchanging trade and technology with the US. And unlike the USSR, today’s China is a not some isolated economic bloc – far from it. The USSR was an autarkic system, it produced only what it needed to consume (and less). China, on the other hand, mostly produces for foreign markets (and more). In conclusion, there’s nothing the US could offer Russia that wouldn’t immediately backfire, and even if it did commit to warming relations with Russia, this wouldn’t do much to hurt the Chinese.

    Russia and China are autocracies. Their primary goal is to secure the stability of their regimes, no matter the cost. Mao saw the Soviets as the more immediate threat. Putin sees the Central and Eastern European states as his most immediate threat.

    Yes Virginia, there *is* an important third player in the battle for hegemony. But it’s not Russia. It’s the European states, whose relationships with the USA have reached historic lows. If the NATO members can be convinced that the alliance isn’t worth it, suddenly the math is looking very different. Many Europeans feel apathetic, resentful, or even sorry for their geopolitical ambitions. If those feelings prevail, Europe is easy pickings. If not, they might make a difference.

12. Trump cannot get Putin to give up on Ukraine and decouple Russia from China. Just the fact that Putin controls what Trump wants gives Putin ALL of the cards. Russia can yank Trump along by the balls endlessly.

13. People still think Nixon’s grand reconciliation with China was a success ? Like if this was 10 years ago I’d understand but now?

    China is only what it is now because Nixon restored relations and allowed it to become the ‘ world’s factory.’ For short term political gains and corporate profit, Nixon just created America’s next geopolitical rival to replace the USSR

    As for Trump…… yeah no. To think that’s what’s happening is to fundamentally misunderstand the relationship between Trump and the Russians

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