Why it’s called a “historic handshake”

The protagonist of the historic handshake: Zhou Enlai and Nixon

At the beginning of 1972, Premier Zhou Enlai had to do a major thing, how to receive US President Richard Nixon, whom China had long regarded as an enemy. It is a very difficult diplomatic activity that neither loses China's dignity nor lacks friendliness. February 21, 1972 was the day of Nixon’s visit to China, which was also a major event for our photojournalists. In order to allow Chinese and foreign reporters to capture this historical moment, the relevant departments set up a large stepped stand next to the airport for the first time, about 20 meters away from the handshake point between the host and the guest. At 11 a.m., Nixon's special plane appeared over the Beijing Airport. The reporters held their breath and waited nervously for the historic handshake between the leaders of China and the United States!