George Bush, As Head of China Mission, Thinks Sec of State Kissinger’s Visit there Was Successful

George H.W. Bush went to China in October 1974 as the first head of the United States Liaison Office in Beijing since the Communist takeover in 1949, and he promoted U.S./China relations. Just a month after Bush, on November 25 Secretary of State Henry Kissinger arrived in China for talks with Chou En-lai, Deng Xiaoping and Foreign Minister Qiao Guanhua on normalization of U.S.-China relations. He left for home on November 29. His visit overlapped with one of Pennsylvania Governor Milton Shapp, in China to promote trade with his state.

Typed Letter Signed, Peking Liaison letterhead, December 3, 1974, to Shapp, expressing his satisfaction with how well Kissinger’s visit had gone. “…First, I want to thank you for including Barbara and me at that lovely banquet…It was the most sumptuous feast I’ve ever seen….I hope our paths cross soon again in the future. Bar flew off with Secretary Kissinger to spend Christmas with the kids and she’ll be back early in January. If you are in Washington, give her a ring. I will be here since I didn’t feel I should leave this soon after just arriving. It wouldn’t be fair to the others at USLO…I think the Kissinger visit went very well. The Chinese seemed pleased and the tone of the meetings was excellent…” He adds in holograph, referring to a small gift from Shapp, “My Milton S. pen is in my pocket!” Obtained directly from the Shapp family. Included is a retained copy of Shapp’s letter to response to Bush’s, along with an article on Christianity in China he sent along with it.

Kissinger’s meetings helped pave the way for President Ford’s visit the following year, as relations between the two nations continued to warm.