CHINA: The Uses of Charm and Chill

When they opened the door to more realistic relations with the U.S., China's leaders undertook a trying and delicate task. They had to talk tough enough to persuade their militant allies that they were not going soft on their longtime archenemies, yet not so tough as to sour the impending visit by Richard Nixon. The act requires some intricate diplomatic fugues, but so far Peking appears to be equal to the challenge.

In its press, over banquet tables and in chancelleries the world over, China is making a prodigious effort to reassure its...

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