Presidents Jimmy Carter and Richard Nixon with Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping at a White House state dinner, 1979Presidents Jimmy Carter and Richard Nixon with Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping at a White House state dinner, 1979
Washington, D.C.
White House Photograph by Bill Fitz-Patrick
Courtesy of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, nlc09162.18
Deng Xiaoping and President Carter sign diplomatic agreements, 1979Deng Xiaoping and President Carter sign diplomatic agreements, 1979
Washington, D.C.
White House Photograph by Bill Fitz-Patrick
Courtesy of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, nlc09205.4
On December 15, 1978, the United States and China announced that they would establish diplomatic relations on New Year’s Day. During Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping’s official U.S. trip, he and President Jimmy Carter signed the Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations. Deng’s visit, along with the Joint Communiqué, prompted a series of bilateral agreements and shared research projects in several fields, including science, technology, culture, and trade.