Empowering China: Half a Century Since Nixon’s Opening to China

It underlines that when Nixon first visited China, in February 1972, he and Kissinger already understood that China would become a great power in a few decades and the ensuing risk "to be confronted, if our relations turn sour, with the most formidable enemy that has ever existed". The anticipated risk was taken to achieve short term benefits. Assessing the wisdom of this decision is the thrust of the book. Eight reasons are listed which might have given Nixon and Kissinger second thoughts when they decided to engage China.