President Richard Nixon has a plan: He wants to go to China. The only problem? The U.S. and China have had zero contact since the Communist Party took over China two decades before.

In this episode of The Great Wager from NPR and WBUR's Here & Now, host Jane Perlez digs into the beginning of Nixon's improbable diplomatic mission.

Listen to the rest of The Great Wager here.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy