A few hours after the reception, Nixon announced a relaxation of embargo against China. In the latter part of April, China sent a letter, again care of Pakistan, to the United States, saying that China would be willing to receive a special envoy of the American President (e.g Kissinger) or the American Secretary of State, or the President himself. On May 17, Nixon sent through Pakistan his letter of reply, saying that he was ready to receive an invitation to visit Beijing and proposing that preliminary talks be held in secret between Kissinger and Zhou or another appropriate Chinese high-level official. In July Kissinger and Zhou had talks in Beijing from the 9th to the 11th and the two countries publicized a communique simultaneously on the 15th.
From February 21 through 28, 1972, Nixon visited China and met with Mao on the day of his arrival in Beijing. A communique signed in Shanghai was publicized by the two countries on the 27th.
The "Ping Pong diplomacy" led to the restoration of Sino-U.S. relations which had been cut for more than two decades. This triggered off a series of other events, including the restoration of China's legitimate rights in the United Nations by an overwhelming majority vote in October, and the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and other countries.
Of course, Sino-U.S. relations might have been restored sooner or later, even without the "Ping Pong diplomacy." Clearly, though, this diplomacy sped up the process. As Zhou Enlai said, a ball bounced over the net and the whole world was shocked. The big globe was set in motion by a tiny globe -- something inexplicable in physical but not impossible in politics.
(COC)
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