The Political Resonance of Nixon in China

Abstract

Contemporary hopes for China’s peaceful rise, the continuing global reverberations of the end of the Cold War, and, most importantly for an opera crafted in a distinctly American musical idiom, profound questions concerning the systemic power and role of the United States – all help Nixon in China draw an expanding audience. That the opera has entered the canon is partly because the complexity of Nixon’s character suggests the insecurity of global political leadership in our own day. Understanding the context within which it was first created may be useful, but the opera’s broader themes resonate more deeply with the human experience in a rapidly changing world.

Keywords: Richard M. Nixon, globalization, hegemony, political leadership, China, China's Rise, Nixon in China

JEL Classification: N45