In one sense, this unit explores contrasting events: America's success in staring down the Soviets in Cuba, thereby enforcing the policy of containment; and Nixon's visit to China, reversing 25 years of uncompromising anti-communist foreign policy. 

Perhaps even more curiously, in contrast to Kennedy's use of nuclear-backed quarantine, Nixon prepared the way for his visit to China with ping pong paddles. But as we emphasize here, the two events had far more in common than was acknowledged at the time.