Nixon in China
Suggesting the ability of a politician with an unassailable reputation among his or her supporters for representing and defending their values to take actions that would draw their criticism and even opposition if taken by someone without those credentials.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Only a conservative leader could pass this law, a real Nixon in China moment.”
“The environmentalist president surprised everyone by supporting the new oil pipeline, a classic case of Nixon in China.”
“By advocating for a policy he once vehemently opposed, the senator demonstrated a Nixon in China strategy, leveraging his long-standing reputation to shield himself from his party's potential backlash.”
first recorded 20th c.
The phrase refers to the 1972 visit by U.S. President Richard Nixon to the People's Republic of China. Nixon’s established reputation for unyielding opposition to Communism provided the necessary political cover for the establishment of direct diplomatic relations, as his credentials ensured the gesture could not be mistaken for ideological weakness. The idiom persists as a shorthand for an action that can only be performed by a figure whose history suggests they would be the very last person to attempt it.
- 01
all the tea in China
Something very valuable or priceless.
- 02
bull in a china shop
A person who is clumsy, aggressive, without care, concern or self-control.
- 03
China syndrome
A hypothetical kind of catastrophic failure in which a nuclear reactor melts through the floor of its containment system and (if on land) penetrates the Earth's surface, continuing downward as if (from a Western Hemispheric point of view) traveling through the planet toward China.
- 04
made in China
Cheaply manufactured; of poor or low quality, (especially) if made in East Asia.
- 05
price of tea in China
Something that is relevant or important, usually used to emphasize that another, compared thing is irrelevant, unimportant, or non sequitur, or that someone unaware of it is ignorant, etc.
Last updated August 10, 2026