Act I

1st Scene

An airport outside Beijing: on a foggy February morning in 1972, “The Spirit of ‘76” lands on Chinese soil. President Richard Nixon, his wife Pat and his security adviser Henry Kissinger are welcomed by Prime Minister Chou En-lai with a military parade. It is the first state visit of an American president to the People’s Republic. Even during the welcome, Nixon emphasizes the news value of the diplomatic summit meeting which is being broadcast live, filling American television screens at prime time. He is surprised to learn that his meeting with Mao Tse-tung is to take place on the very first evening of their visit.

2nd Scene

In Mao’s study in Beijing, Nixon and Kissinger meet the Chairman, who is accompanied by his three secretaries and Chou En-lai. Attempts by the Americans to steer the conversation towards controversial political questions, such as Vietnam or Taiwan, fail. Mao wishes to be considered a philosopher and rejects all attempts to elicit statements on day-to-day politics. Nixon has obvious difficulties following Mao’s idiosyncratic and occasionally paradox train of thoughts.

3rd Scene

In the evening, a state banquet is held in honour of the American guests in the Great Hall of the People. Cheered by cries of “Gambei” from the assembled company, Chou En-lai evokes the image of a global fraternity, fostered by the freshly forged ties of American-Chinese friendship. In his response, Nixon combines his thanks to the hosts with a paean to satellite communication technology, praising the achievements of the electronically interconnected world. With cries of “Cheers”, the guests toast each other.

Act II

1st Scene

The next morning, Pat Nixon is on a sightseeing tour of Beijing. Accompanied by a group of journalists, she visits a school, a hospital and a pig breeding facility. A miniature elephant manufactured by a factory delights her, the elephant being the symbol of the Republican Party. Her amazement at the foreign impressions is mixed with private memories of her own upbringing. Visiting the Summer Palace, the First Lady indulges in a utopian vision of world-spanning peace and prosperity for all the people in the world.

2nd Scene

In the evening, accompanied by Chou En-lai, the American delegation visits a performance of a model opera of the cultural revolution, “Red Detachment of Women” by Mao’s wife, Chiang Ch’ing. The propaganda piece is about the farmer’s daughter Ching-hua who liberates herself from the clutches of a sadistic landowner and emerges from this struggle as a shining heroine of the cultural revolution. Reality and fiction blur: Henry Kissinger takes on the role of the brutal estate manager, and the Nixons too gradually become part of the action. A violent tropical storm begins. Finally, Chiang Ch’ing steps into the limelight, boasting of her ability to control culture and rule people.

Act III

On the last day of the state visit, the fog of oblivion descends upon those involved. Euphoria has given way to disillusion. The protagonists are lost in private thoughts and memories: Nixon recalls his time as a soldier in the war in the South Pacific, Mao remembers his idealistic youth. Henry Kissinger leaves, pretending to need a restroom. Chou En-lai is pensive: how much of what we did was good?

Translation: Alexa Nieschlag