Nixon Practiced Chopsticks For Months

Before his historic February 1972 visit to the People's Republic of China, US President Richard Nixon spent months learning how to use chopsticks so he would be prepared for official dinner banquets. First Lady Pat Nixon and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger also took lessons, and the group continued practicing on the flight to China. The preparation paid off during a televised banquet in Beijing, where cameras prominently showed Nixon confidently eating with chopsticks.

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