Washington, D.C.— Decades after the 1971 India-Pakistan war that created Bangladesh, newly unsealed Watergate grand jury testimony reveals President Richard Nixon privately assured China that the United States would support a Chinese military attack on India.
The bombshell disclosure from seven pages of Nixon's classified testimony, hidden for nearly 50 years and recently revealed by the New York Times in February 2026, exposes the full extent of Cold War geopolitical calculations that nearly triggered a catastrophic regional conflict.
Key Facts
• Seven pages of Nixon's 1973 grand jury testimony remained classified and sealed for nearly five decades until February 2026, deemed so sensitive that prosecutors were explicitly instructed not to disclose them.
• Nixon personally told Beijing that if India attacked Pakistan and China chose to retaliate, Washington would support China militarily during the active 1971 conflict.
• The war ended on December 16, 1971, with Pakistan's surrender in Dhaka and Bangladesh's independence, though China ultimately did not intervene militarily.
Nixon viewed the 1971 conflict entirely through Cold War lenses rather than recognizing the humanitarian crisis in East Pakistan. After millions of Bengali civilians fled into India following Pakistan's military crackdown, India reluctantly signed a friendship treaty with the Soviet Union in August 1971 to secure strategic cover before military action.
Nixon and his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger saw India as a Soviet client state determined to destroy Pakistan.
Pakistan held extraordinary strategic value for Washington, having served as the secret back channel for Nixon's historic 1972 diplomatic opening to China. The Nixon administration feared that abandoning Pakistan would damage American credibility with Beijing.
In his testimony, Nixon stated the US felt a "great obligation" to Pakistan because of this critical role in establishing US-China relations.
The declassified testimony reveals Nixon's private assurance to China:
Nixon warned prosecutors not to pursue questioning further, telling them not to
about the classified Cold War contingency planning. The testimony was so sensitive it remained hidden from most Watergate prosecutors and the grand jury itself, kept in a separately sealed classification. Declassifying it today has shocked historians and reshaped understanding of US foreign policy during this pivotal moment.
The US also demonstrated its anti-India stance through military action, moving a naval task force into the Bay of Bengal in December 1971, widely interpreted as a signal aimed at India. Despite public claims of neutrality, Nixon's private correspondence and the Nixon Tapes show explicit opposition to Indian military action and unwavering support for Pakistan.
The revelation confirms what critics have long suspected: Nixon and Kissinger prioritized Cold War ideology over humanitarian concerns or regional stability. The administration completely overlooked the ethnic cleansing, mass killings, and millions of refugees fleeing East Pakistan. Declassified State Department documents show US consular officials privately criticized the government's
a moral critique Nixon and Kissinger rejected.
Nixon testified regarding his handling of sensitive classified information, revealing the extent to which he believed national security interests overrode normal legal procedures.
The newly unsealed testimony reshapes how historians understand both Watergate and American Cold War strategy in South Asia. It confirms that Nixon administration officials consciously chose strategic alignment with Pakistan and China over support for India, despite India's democratic system.
This history remains relevant today as policymakers navigate relationships across the Indo-Pacific region.
Do You Know?
Richard Nixon's opening to China required Pakistan's help as the secret intermediary, which is why he felt compelled to support Islamabad despite atrocities in East Pakistan. Without the back channel through Pakistan, Nixon's historic 1972 China visit might never have happened.
Key Terms
• Grand Jury Testimony: A formal statement given under oath by an individual before a grand jury investigating potential crimes; this was sealed for 50 years.
• Watergate: The 1970s political scandal involving President Nixon that ultimately led to his resignation and revealed extensive government abuses.
• Cold War Alignment: The practice of superpowers supporting allies strategically, even when those allies committed human rights violations, based on opposition to the Soviet Union.
• Back Channel Diplomacy: Secret, unofficial communications between governments used to conduct sensitive negotiations away from public view.
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