News Analysis As the anniversary of President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to Beijing reaches the half-century mark, it is time to take stock. China’s state-controlled media unanimously praised the event. The 1972 photograph of Nixon’s deplaning from Air Force One, his wife wearing a symbolically bright red coat, was prominently reproduced in the media. His welcome by Premier Zhou Enlai was described as the “handshake across the Pacific Ocean that symbolized the thawing of relations between the capitalist superpower and the most populous developing country under a Marxist ruling party.” From the Chinese point of view, praise for “the week that changed the world” was justified: the visit was indeed a triumph for the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Things had gone well for them. For the United States, much less so. While few of us would object to the prospect of finally recognizing the legitimacy of the government of …