The relationship between China, the Soviet Union, and the United States has been strained, but recently the U.S. and China have been moving forward in diplomacy and communication. Mehnert credits Chinese statesman Chou-en-lai for the emerging diplomacy between the three countries. The speaker highlights President Nixon‘s recent visit to China, as well as the American ping-pong team, as part of the opening of communications between China and the U.S. He notes that the Soviet Union played down these visits and continued its heavy "yellow peril" propaganda among the Russian people during the American trips to China.