Although many had previously credited President Nixon and Dr. Kissinger with the key achievements in the U. S. - China rapprochement, this work argues that it was mainly because of the sound policy role played by the U. S. Department of State in dealing with China that allowed the President and Dr. Kissinger to be able to bring about the rapprochement with China. The State Department had been dealing with China diplomatically since at least 1954, through the Warsaw Talks and even had been formulating strategy in dealing diplomatically with Communist China at least since 1949.