"The banquet was held in a huge dining room which was used in the 1972 summit, with the Army Band playing such songs as God Bless America, Home on the Range and Shenandoah. The Foreign Minister's toast was friendly though not overly so. He referred approvingly to your endorsement of the principles of the Shanghai Communique but he also welcomed the turmoil that has been taking place in the world during the past year. I responded with a toast that included your intention to pursue the development of US-China relations. I also stressed that turmoil would not be an end in itself and had to lead to a new order -- which is the US objective.
"The first plenary meeting is Tuesday at 10:00 a. m. after brief sightseeing in the Forbidden City. Only when we get to the business meetings will we have a chance to guage the Chinese mood and intentions, of course. But tonight they clearly were bent on striking a generally upbeat note as an overture."
SECRET/SENSITIVE
