CHANCERIESTHE DIPLOMATIC ATLAS

Pakistan Enables Kissinger’s Secret Visit to China

1971-07-09

After Pakistan's 1970 election, the army and existing government blocked the East Pakistani party that had won overwhelming support in the eastern wing. Military repression drove large numbers of refugees into India. [3]

Henry Kissinger left Pakistan for Beijing in secret on 9 July 1971, using his visit to Pakistan as cover for talks that would prepare Richard Nixon’s journey to China the following year. President Yahya Khan’s government had carried messages between the Americans and Chinese and helped arrange the flight. [6] [7]

The planning depended on a very small circle. In May, Kissinger and Ambassador Joseph Farland discussed how to organise communications and transport without attracting attention. Pakistan had access to both governments at a time when Washington and Beijing had no normal diplomatic relationship. [4]

In East Pakistan, the army was meanwhile carrying out a violent crackdown. American officers in Dacca sent a dissent telegram on 6 April condemning Washington’s failure to denounce atrocities and its support for the military government; Consul General Archer Blood endorsed their dissent in a separate comment. Washington pursued its opening to China despite the protests of its diplomats, who believed their government was abandoning the people under attack. [5]

Related Diplomats

  1. Henry Alfred Kissinger [1] [2]
  2. Agha Hilaly [8] [9] [10]

Sources

  1. Zhou Enlai's message to Nixon, transmitted through Pakistan

    FRUS 1969–1976, volume XVII, document 130, invitation, Yahya's appended arrangements, and note 1

  2. Editorial note on Kissinger's July 1971 talks with Zhou Enlai

    FRUS 1969–1976, volume XI, document 99, complete note

  3. The South Asia Crisis and the Founding of Bangladesh, 1971

    Partition into two wings, 1970 election, army repression, refugees, China channel and December war

  4. Kissinger–Farland meeting — FRUS, document 124

    Memorandum of 7 May meeting: secret communications and travel

  5. Dacca dissent telegram — FRUS, document 19

    Officers’ dissent and Blood’s separate endorsement

  6. Prelude to China–U.S. Relations — Chinese Foreign Ministry

    Flight from Pakistan, 9 July 1971

  7. Nixon Library almanac, 8 July 1971

    Haldeman diary and records of secret China trip

  8. FRUS 1969–1976, volume XVII, document 118

    Zhou Enlai message; editorial footnote on April 27 delivery

  9. FRUS 1969–1976, volume XI, document 104

    Conversation with Kissinger and Saunders

  10. Agha Hilaly

    Biographical entry and portrait records

Related Reading

Cite This Article

Pakistan Enables Kissinger’s Secret Visit to China. Chanceries Diplopedia. Record ef51198664d53840f268. https://chanceries.org/research/history/china-3056e0a58b/

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