An archived NBC Meet the Press interview from 1987 shows Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang discussing U.S.-China relations during the Reagan administration, according to video records maintained by NBC News. The full episode runs approximately 28 minutes and has been preserved as part of the program's historical archive.
Zhao served as Premier of China from 1980 until 1987, when he transitioned to the position of General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. The Meet the Press interview occurred near the end of his tenure as premier, a period when China's economic reforms and opening to the West were central themes in American foreign policy discussions.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative commentators and Reagan administration officials generally supported improved U.S.-China relations as a strategic counterweight to Soviet influence during the Cold War. The 1987 interview came at a time when many Republicans viewed China as an important geopolitical partner despite ideological differences. National security advisors emphasized the strategic value of Sino-American cooperation in maintaining global stability.
Some conservative critics, however, used Zhao's appearances on American media to argue for continued pressure on Beijing regarding trade practices and technology transfer issues. They maintained that engagement should be paired with firm stances on American economic interests. The Reagan administration's approach balanced diplomatic warmth with commercial realism, a framework reflected in how American journalists covered Chinese officials during this period.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive analysts at the time viewed Zhao's engagement with American media as significant for human rights advocacy efforts. According to contemporaneous reporting from that era, liberal groups saw opportunities in such high-profile interviews to raise awareness about political prisoners and press for democratic reforms. Organizations including Americas Watch and various congressional Democrats used similar diplomatic moments to call attention to China's human rights record.
Some voices on the left argued that direct engagement with Chinese leaders, rather than isolation, offered the best path toward political liberalization. This view held that economic interdependence would eventually create conditions for greater personal freedoms in China. Zhao's willingness to appear on American television was interpreted by some as a sign of Beijing's desire to present a reform-oriented image to Western audiences.
What the Numbers Show
By 1987, U.S.-China trade had grown substantially since the normalization of relations in 1979. According to Commerce Department records from that era, bilateral trade reached approximately $7.7 billion annually by 1986. Zhao's Meet the Press interview came four years before Tiananmen Square in 1989, after which his political career ended abruptly when he was purged for showing sympathy toward student protesters.
The archive video has a runtime of approximately 28 minutes and 25 seconds. NBC News has maintained this recording as part of its historical Meet the Press collection. Zhao served as Chinese Premier from July 1980 to November 1987, making him one of the highest-ranking Chinese officials to appear on American television during that period.
The Bottom Line
The archived interview represents a historical document of U.S.-China diplomatic engagement during a formative period in the countries' relations. Zhao Ziyang would later become a controversial figure following his 1989 purge, and his legacy remains complex in both Chinese and international contexts. Viewers accessing this archive today see both a record of diplomatic history and a reminder of how quickly political fortunes can change on the world stage.
NBC News has preserved this episode as part of its ongoing digitization efforts for historical Meet the Press content. The interview provides primary source material for researchers studying late-1980s American foreign policy toward China.