From Washingtonian.com:
When China and the United States finally buried their long grudge and opened diplomatic relations in 1979, the Chinese hung their flag in Washington outside the drab fa√ßade of the former Windsor Park Hotel. And into its 400 cheaply remodeled rooms, where Connecticut Avenue bends before shooting across Rock Creek Park, dozens of Chinese diplomats settled in”spouseless, many in crisp Mao suits”for what turned out to be a long stay.
To American eyes, China in those days was vast, mysterious, faintly menacing, and very far away. Even five years later, Americans were still importing just a few hundred million dollars’ worth of goods from China every month, cheap stuff like umbrellas and radios. China was a nice bulwark against the Soviet Union, maybe a future playground for American multinationals, and a trendy place to visit if you could get a visa and go hike the Great Wall. But that was about it. [Full Text]
