it took Nixon to go to China

A form of only Nixon could go to China — Only a politician or leader with an impeccable reputation of upholding particular political values could perform an action in seeming defiance of them without jeopardizing his support or credibility.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. alternativeAlternative form of only Nixon could go to China.
Cite this entry
APA

it took Nixon to go to China. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20took%20Nixon%20to%20go%20to%20China

MLA

“it took Nixon to go to China.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20took%20Nixon%20to%20go%20to%20China. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “it took Nixon to go to China,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20took%20Nixon%20to%20go%20to%20China.

Source: it took Nixon to go to China on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.