Ambassador Nicholas Platt reflects on the early days of U.S.-China relations

In his new memoir, Ambassador Platt recounts his role at the center of the top-level meetings that signaled the resumption of diplomatic ties between the two countries in the 1960s and 70s.

Ambassador Nicholas Platt will reflect on his career and the development of U.S.-China relations from the 1960’s to the present at a Jones Day Lecture Series event on June 23 from 5:30 to 7:00. As part of President Nixon’s traveling party during his landmark trip to China in 1972, Ambassador Platt participated in the top-level meetings that signaled the resumption of diplomatic ties between the two countries. His memoir, China Boys: How U.S. Relations with the PRC Began and Grew, chronicles the preparations and negotiations that surrounded Nixon’s trip; setting up the first diplomatic office in the People’s Republic, in which he served; and some of the first exchanges between Americans and Chinese, several of them run by the National Committee. He also describes his life after he left the diplomatic service.

To register for the program, please email events@ncuscr.org by 5:00 p.m., June 18. The full address will be sent with our confirmation notice. Seating is limited, and priority will be given to National Committee members.

After focusing on Europe as a student (he holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard and a master’s from Johns Hopkins), Nicholas Platt thought that China would be a good career choice for a young foreign service officer, even though Americans could not visit China at the time. He studied Mandarin at the Foreign Service Institute in Washington and then in Taichung (Taiwan) before being posted to Hong Kong in 1964. He capped his distinguished career at the State Department as ambassador to Zambia, the Philippines, and Pakistan. Upon his retirement he took on the presidency of the Asia Society, serving for 12 successful years.