Inside the Kissinger Tapes: How Nixon Framed the China Opening as Leverage on Moscow
An interview with Dr. Tom Wells argues that the Kissinger phone transcripts portray China-U.S. rapprochement as a calculated instrument in triangular diplomacy aimed at influencing Soviet behavior while easing domestic pressure from Vietnam. The account highlights risk management around Taiwan, sensitivity to Beijing’s perceptions, and the disruptive potential of opaque Chinese internal politics ahead of the 1972 summit.