Nixon in China
- noun
- Literature
:
Nixon en China
- President Obama’s decision to restore relations with Cuba was his own version of Nixon in China.
Examples
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President Nixon's visit to China in 1972 is often regarded as a bold example of a Nixon in China moment, as it dramatically shifted U.S.-China relations.
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The CEO's unexpected decision to collaborate with former rivals was seen as a Nixon in China and surprised the entire industry.
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Historians now view the peace agreement as the administration's Nixon in China move.
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The prime minister's decision to meet with her long-time rivals was a real Nixon in China moment.
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When the CEO announced cooperation with a competing firm, staff called it a Nixon in China strategy.
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What a bold Nixon in China moment!
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Her talk about unity and cooperation was a Nixon in China move after years of divisive policies.
How Bold
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a culture-historical allusion to Nixon's 1972 visit to China and the metaphorical meaning (an unexpected, bold conciliatory move) depends on that specific background knowledge rather than composition of the words 'Nixon', 'in', and 'China'. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words but not the historical reference will not be able to derive the idiomatic sense, so the MWE is opaque.
Etymology
Nixon in China comes from President Richard Nixon's surprising 1972 trip to China, when a U.S. leader met a long-time enemy and opened talks. So, calling an action a Nixon in China means the leader made an 'unexpected and bold' move, often to 'make peace' or change a long-held policy.