One Small Step - President Nixon's Visit To China

e the screen News Digest is brought to you as a public service by the pepsicola Metropolitan Bottling Company of Michigan [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] the People's Republic of China 1972 history in the making recorded and reported exclusively in Sight and Sound by the screen News Digest President Nixon's plane Christen the Spirit of 76 taxies to a stop on the runway of the Ping airport and Premier joean Li moves forward to greet the first American President to set foot on Chinese [Applause] soil East Meets West as a hand Shake Bridges 16,000 M and 22 years of hostility there are no welcoming speeches no formal ceremonies just a receiving line made up of Communist Party officials and the military band playing The Star Spangled Banner [Music] [Applause] the ceremonies brief but diplomatically correct are quickly over and the president and Premier are soon on their way driving through a Long Avenue of popler trees planted exactly 15 ft apart the bamboo curtain is opened to reveal a city where the average worker earns $33 a month but if wages are low so too are living costs a two room apartment rents for less than $13 a year and the ordinary citizen spends only $4 a month on food streets are clean crime is rare and marriage forbidden under 20 years of age for President Nixon a sudden change in schedule a surprise meeting with Mong an honor last bestowed during the first day of a state visit on former Premier Nikita krof Dr Henry Kissinger sits in on the talks that are animated constructive and Frank at the summit face to face two leaders who direct the destiny of one out of three persons on the earth the gate to Friendly contact says Joe and Li has finally been opened at tonight by means of global television the world is invited to a glittering State banquet in the Great Hall of the people 800 diplomats and dignitaries from the free and communist worlds Feast on Chinese Delicacies and listen to American Music offering a traditional toast President Nixon quotes maong German Mau has written so many Deeds cry out to be done and always urgently the world rolls on time passes 10,000 years are too long sees the day sees the hour this is the hour this is the day peing newspapers which had played down the Nixon visit now give it front page coverage dealers sell out as readers follow dayby day the president's activities included is an evening at the peing Opera to see a ballet the red Detachment of women that depicts the overthrow of a cruel landlord by female communist partisans [Music] next to President Nixon is Chongqing wife of Mong President Nixon and Premier Joe meet four times for a total of more than 8 hours we cannot close the gulf between us the president tells Joe but we can try to bridge it and continue to talk across it while the formal talks are going on Mrs Nixon makes an informal visit to an elementary school in a peaking commune [Music] [Music] [Applause] the first lady of former teacher here's a student recite his multiplication [Music] tables are hello there how are you I got you next a visit to the kitchen of the peing hotel where some of the world's finest Chinese food is prepared that fascinating the way that each thing is prepared separately boy you cook up quite a storm finally the peing zoo where the giant pandas are the most famous of the 4,000 animals on display say hi there you have any ideas for names in case you got a couple of these from Mr Joe well no I'm sure that they won't be for me they'll be for the American people and somebody else will have a chance to name them maybe they already have names there'll be a big Scramble for the zoo that gets them they're very [Applause] [Music] precious at night The Nixons join Premier Joe and 18,000 Chinese sports fans for a 2-hour spectacle of gymnastics and table [Music] [Applause] [Music] tennis pingpong diplomacy has brought an American president Halfway Around the World on a landmark Journey For Peace te is served as the the performers continue to entertain their American guests with an acrobatic exhibition of strength and [Applause] [Music] [Music] skill The Nixons are caught up in the tradition and spirit of the closing ceremonies [Music] [Applause] [Music] a highlight of the historic Journey a visit to the Great Wall once designed to keep Mongolian Warriors from overrunning the frontiers of ancient China the wall snakes across the countryside for 1684 miles a people that can build a wall like this the President says certainly have a great past to be proud of as we look on this wall Mr Nixon adds we do not want walls of any kind between people snow falls on PING as the president's car on the fifth day travels toward the legendary Forbidden [Music] City in this enigmatic land of strange and contrasting sights still another unique glimpse of life in communist China thousands of men and women with primitive tools and equipment take to the streets to sweep away the snow and scrape away the ice here in the Forbidden City China's Emperors lived for centuries in magnificent Splendor death was the penalty for anyone who entered Uninvited today the president walks among Priceless Treasures from China's Golden Age among them a pair of ear Stoppers used by the emperor to keep from hearing criticism you ster into his ears so that he wouldn't he couldn't hear this the criticism give me a PA when the emperor was pleased and wanted to listen to the ministers then he took them off and when he wouldn't hear them he put it on this is just like me he has gray hair now the snow so I this is just on goodbye I've enjoyed Now search everybody before they leave be sure they didn't take something in their pocket the PE King part of the Chinese journey is ended now on the sixth day it is on to hcha one of the most picturesque cities on the mainland the president and Premier walked through the Parks of West Lake first described for the Western World by Marco Polo in the 13th century There is almost a camaraderie a relaxed mood that finds expression in the president's tribute to the beauties of hcha and his tongue and cheek toast to his Chinese voice now that we have seen the Splendor of this City we realize why it has been said that heaven is above and beneath are HCHO and sucho I propose tonight to toast to my Chinese voice to Mrs CH I listen to her translation she got every word right [Applause] [Music] the final stop on the faithful journey is Shanghai where a joint communic acknowledges basic differences between the two countries but at the same time affirms broad agreement in certain areas these include a promise to work toward the normalization of relations and to seek ways of preventing International War visiting the Shanghai Exposition Hall the president admits his mechanical shortcomings Machinery always impresses me because I know nothing about it crowds surround and press close to Mr Nixon all I could do is change the tire on a car I learned that from my here in China's most modern city are the signs and evidence of a country struggling furiously to build and grow but there are also reminders in Sight and Sound Beauty and Grace of a culture and Heritage that are among the oldest on Earth [Applause] [Music] [Music] And So It Ends the eight days The Landmark Journey that are but one small step in the search for a new and better understanding in Sino American [Music] relations it is the common desire of the Chinese and American people to enhance their Mutual understanding and friendship and promote the normalization of relations between China and the United [Music] States This Magnificent banquet marks the end of our stay in the People's Republic of China we have been here a week this was the week that changed the world oh [Music] the screen News Digest has been brought to you by the pepsicola Metropolitan Bottling Company of Michigan remember you've got a lot to live and Pepsi's got a lot to give for