Nixon and Kissinger decided that the time had come for rapprochement with China for a number of different reasons. Following the drawdown of the U.S.' efforts in Vietnam the US was seeking less aggressive policies towards what it perceived as communist threats. Within this policy the US also sought to isolate and balance power against the Soviet Union by working with China because China and Russia had gone through a period of difficult diplomatic relations prior to rapprochement. Nixon's visit to China led to the establishment of diplomatic relations and the opening of representative offices of each perspective government in the United States and China. Over time this led to strengthening of U.S.-Chinese relations and cooperation on efforts to counter the Soviet Union. Ultimately these policies can be viewed as responsible for the enormous growth in U.S.-Chinese economic relations throughout the 80s, 90s, and 2000s.
