On January 29, 1979, President Jimmy Carter, President Richard Nixon, and Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping commemorated the beginning of a new era in U.S.-China relations, referred to as “normalization,” at an official state dinner here in Washington, D.C. This momentous occasion  ̶  documented in the above photograph  ̶  was a celebration of the endeavors of all three men to put aside political differences, reflect on the nearly 200 years of collective history, and formally renew the friendship that had been equally significant for both countries. Continue