The trip is as rich in irony as Richard Nixon's momentous journey to China in 1972, which opened the door to diplomatic ties after 25 years of mutual loathing. If anything, Ronald Reagan's reputation as a stout foe of Communism exceeds Nixon's. The President's sympathy for Taiwan during the first two years of his term caused the American-Chinese relationship to sink to its lowest level in a decade. Yet when Reagan steps off Air Force One in Peking this week, it will not only mark the first time that he has ever set foot on Communist soil. The visit will highlight one of the Administration's rare foreign policy successes. Said White House Aide Michael Deaver: "This is Ronald Reagan's most important foreign trip."
Though the voyage promises more symbol than substance, neither side is down-playing the value of that symbolism. For Reagan, the trip underscores his commitment to the Pacific Basin and polishes his image as statesman while his Democratic presidential opponents prepare to slug it out in the Texas caucuses. For Deng Xiaoping, China's de facto leader although he holds no top government or party title, the journey will reaffirm China's determination to broaden its ties with the West. It will also allow millions of Americans following Reagan's trip on television to get an unusually close look at a nation that has undergone a major facelift 'in the nine years since Gerald Ford, the last U.S. President to visit China, landed in Peking.
Both guest and host have diligently prepared for the occasion. In the month before his departure, Reagan sat through six 90-minute briefing sessions, instead of the usual three for a foreign swing. He watched a movie filmed by a White House advance team of the sites he would visit and perused a National Geographic book entitled Journey into China along with the usual policy papers. "I don't know why I didn't know enough about China to be as aware as I am now of the great scenic beauty of the land," Reagan confessed to a group of Chinese journalists in Washington last week.
Peking's welcome began even before the President left Washington for the first leg of his 14-day, 20,000-mile journey last Thursday (he was to spend Easter weekend at his California ranch). After insisting initially that the presidential entourage, including the press, be limited to 200, Chinese officials graciously upped the number to 560. Reagan will also be allowed to fly aboard Air Force One within China and to take along his own limousine and helicopter, privileges that were not accorded Nixon or Ford.
The President is scheduled to hold seven hours of talks with Deng, Premier Zhao Ziyang and General Secretary Hu Yaobang. Reagan and Zhao will sign at least two documents, both relatively minor: a treaty that would eliminate double taxation on U.S. companies in China, and a two-year extension of a cultural exchange agreement reached in 1979. If last-minute negotiations pay off, the two leaders will endorse a deal allowing U.S. companies to build nuclear power plants in China. The discussion has been snagged over a U.S. requirement that any country receiving American nuclear technology seek U.S. consent before reprocessing spent uranium.