The Spy Who - The Spy Who Outplayed Nixon | Forked Tongue | 1

Episode Date: March 3, 2026

With Mao Zedong’s communist army about to take China, desperate U.S. officials in Shanghai hire interpreter Larry Wu-Tai Chin. But little do they realise that he’s a spy for Mao and ready to play a long game to give China an edge.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode includes depictions of violence. Please be advised. January 1954. The village of Fu Yu, northeastern China. Tai Tuanji stumbles as armed communist soldiers march him into an open-air theatre. He feels himself forced forward again, this time with the tip of a bayonet fixed to a soldier's gun.

Yet Tai is himself a communist soldier. He fought for China in the Korean War. He was captured by the Americans and spent two years in a US prisoner of war camp. A year ago, he was finally returned to China. He expected to be treated as a hero, but instead, with no explanation, he was put in another internment camp. This time, a Chinese one where food rations were meager and conditions were worse. Tai's broad nose and thick black hair seemed to overwhelm his now gaunt

face and body. All his requests for information or explanations have been stonewalled, but now he and the others from the internment camp have been brought here. He wonders if they are finally to learn their fates. The prisoners line up in the theatre's paved courtyard and watch a communist official walk onto the stage in front of them. Wen Sing Fu. One of the other prisoners steps forward and stamps his worn leather boots together in military fashion.

Yes, sir. For the crime of prison. praising our enemies while a prisoner in Korea, you are dishonorably discharged from the People's Liberation Army. The prisoner looks stunned as soldiers surround him and escort him out of the theatre. Tai feels a stab of dread. How would the communists know what happened inside an American prisoner of war camp? Is that why they have been interred?

He forces his logic to control his fear. The soldier could have had enemies in the Communist Party. In China these days, persecution and Trump, Jumped up accusations are common. Tai Chuanji. Blood pounds in his ears as his name is called. Tai steps forward. Yes, sir.

Soldiers rush to surround him. You are arrested for spying and treachery. You are to be executed. No, no, I've been wronged. Panic kicks in, and Ty tries to fight the soldiers. They stab him with bayonets, push him to the ground and tie his arms behind his back. As the soldiers drag him out of the theatre,

Thai struggles to comprehend how the communists found out he was a spy. It could not have been the Americans. They were the ones who suggested he returned to China to spy for them. He took care to only associate with communists in the prisoner of war camp. He even got pro-communist tattoos all over his body. He hasn't even done any spying yet. There should be no reason for him to be arrested. Then suddenly, a face surfaces in Tai's mind.

the tall, thin, helpful Chinese interpreter who worked with the Americans at the prisoner of war camp, Larry Wu Tai Chin. He was there in the room translating when Thai agreed to spy for America. It's all clear now. Chin is a Chinese communist spy who has somehow won the Americans' trust, and Thai is about to die because of him.

From Audipal Originals, I'm Indravama and this is the spy who. Beneath the veneer of the everyday lurks the realm of the spy. It's a dank, murky world full of dark corners, sinister motives and corrupted morals. A place of paranoia and infiltration, sabotage and manipulation. In this season, we access the file on Larry Wu Tai Chin, one of the longest serving and successful Chinese spies in history that we know of, He penetrated America's intelligence services and remained undetected for decades.

And when he stole President Nixon's secret game plan for Mao Zedong, he would help his communist masters reshape the world's geopolitical order. For ease, we're going to use the name Chin, used in the US throughout his time there, rather than his original name, Jin Wu Dai. We're also going to refer to Beijing by its current name rather than its name at the time of these events, Peking. What you're about to hear are dramatized reconstructions of events based on the information that's been made public. But remember, in the shadow realm of the spy, the full story is rarely clear.

You're listening to The Spy Who Outplayed Nixon. This is episode one. Forked Tongue. 1948. Yenching University, Beijing, China. Wu Tai Chin Paws two cups. of hot green tea from a heavy stoneware teapot and then lights a cigarette, lounging on his bed in his student quarters. Nearby, his roommate Wang reads a newspaper. It is dominated by the

stories of the civil war raging across China. It looks as if the communists will soon control all of Manchuria. Wang puts the paper down, his eyes shining with excitement. This is a great moment in China's history. Chin and Wang have spent many an evening discussing how much much better China would be under communism instead of the current nationalist government. But the excitement Chin felt when the war was hundreds of miles away is ebbing fast now that the conflict is closing in on Beijing. What do you think will become of us if they take Beijing? My family served the imperial dynasty, and I don't suppose my degree will be worth much to the communists. Chin's father worked as a Mandarin bureaucrat in the final years of the Qing dynasty,

and Chin hopes to follow in his footsteps by joining China's civil services. It's why he's studying journalism and economics at a private university known for the high standard of English it demands from students. But since China's last emperor was deposed more than 30 years ago, the country has been ravaged by war. First civil war broke out, then Japan invaded. Now the Japanese are gone and the civil war between the hardline nationalists

and the Soviet-backed communists has resumed with added brutality. Wang lights a cigarette and smiles enigmatically. Change is disruption, but also opportunity. We need everybody to contribute for communism to take hold for all our benefit. I want to contribute, but doing what? Wang sucks on his cigarette and looks at chin through the swirling smoke. You will play a most valuable role in the new China. I will. You are very well.

very good at English. You are by far the most fluent speaker and writer here. Oh, that. That is a most valuable skill. The world will not learn to speak Chinese, but we will need to speak and walk with our enemies. Chin isn't sure he understands. His roommate often speaks in cryptic phrases. Wang pours them both another cup of tea. I will introduce you to a friend. He may offer you important work. Chin feels suddenly breathless. He now wonders if his roommate's interest in communism was always more than just student fervor. A few weeks later, Beijing, Chin follows Wang through the streets. They walk past government soldiers beating a couple and ransacking their house.

The nationalist government has introduced harsh new laws against hoarding. Wang takes a brief angry glance at the altercation. Have you noticed how those. loyal to the Kormin Tang are never raided. Chin tries to conceal his fear from Wang. The nationalists and the communists show no mercy to those who do not support them, and Chin is about to meet a possible official of the Communist Party in a city being reinforced by hundreds of nationalist soldiers every day.

Wang leads them into a bustling Huatong, an alley lined with traditional grey-brick courtyards and houses. He ushers Chin through a red wooden door. Inside the Huatong house, Chin lets his eyes adjust to the gloomy interior. He sees a man dressed in a dark, grey, military tunic. I am pleased to meet you, Mr Chin. Wang smiles reassuringly, then heads for the door. I'll leave you both to talk.

Chin is horrified to be alone with a man he strongly suspects to be part of the Communist Security Service. The officer motions him to sit and asks him about his studies, his family and his activities during the war with Japan. Chin worries each truthful answer risks death, but then so would withholding information that this man may already know. Finally, the security officer smiles. So, Wang tells me you are looking for work, Mr. Chin? Yes, I want to be useful.

And I believe you can be. My job is to monitor American officials. We need to understand how the rest of the world will respond to a Chinese communist government. I could use another set of eyes and ears. Chin hesitates. He seems to have passed the test, but now he knows for certain he is being recruited as a communist spy, a profession that would get him a bullet in the back of the head

if any nationalist found out. But it's already too late. If he refuses, he might be marked as suspicious by the communists. And right now, it looks like the communists will win this war. He takes a small gulp of air and makes his bet. I would be honored to help. What is it you want me to do? I want you to move to Shanghai

and offer yourself as a translator to the American consulate there. And if I get the job, make yourself useful to them. But stay alert. If you see or hear anything that you think might interest me, then tell me when we next meet.

And when will that be? I will find you when I am next in Shanghai. A few days later, Shanghai. Chin feels a spurt of adrenaline as he is nearly run over by a car which honks loudly at him. He takes out a handkerchief and wipes the sweat from his brow and palms. Shanghai is not just hotter than Beijing. It feels like a different country.

Where Beijing has tree-lined streets and peaceful gardens, Shanghai is noisy, chaotic and foreign. Many of the buildings look European. The cinemas play British films and tea shops serve coffee and cake. Chin feels disoriented and anxious. He wonders if it's nerves about his mission or the city transmitting its panic to him. Do you have any work? Any food? No, I'm sorry.

The streets heave with refugees fleeing the civil war. Whole families beg on the streets with desperate eyes and clutching fingers. Chin spots the tall Art Deco skyscraper of the US consulate with relief. But inside, it is even more chaotic. Chin has to force his way in through a frantic crowd demanding. US visas. A harried-looking American official is trying to make himself heard above the crowd. If you have family in the United States of America, you need to join this queue. If you do not have any family in America, you need to go to the counter on the far side.

Chin pushes through the crowd towards the besieged official, who is trying to understand a well-dressed Chinese man firing rapid Mandarin at him. The official scowls as Chin arrives at his side. Sir, sir, there's a cue. I don't want a visa, I want work, as a translator. The official's face turns hopeful. You speak English? Thank God.

Can you please ask this couple if they have family in the United States? Chin obediently does so and listens to the outpouring of relief as the husband clutches his arm in desperation. You will say boudo-word. Chin turns back to the consulate official. Yes, he has a nephew called Qing Liu, who lives on Motte Street in New York City. They are able to stay with him. The consulate official grins broadly and begins filling out the paperwork.

After issuing the visa, he turns to Chin with a smile. You are a real lifesaver. Mr. My name is Chin, Wu Tai Chin. But you can call me Larry. The official grins with relief and holds out his hand. Well, Larry, you have just got yourself a job, starting today. Six months later, April 1949, Shanghai. Chin backs up against a wall as nationalist soldiers and tanks move past him.

Since getting his job with the US consulate, Mao Zedong's communist army has taken both Beijing and Nanjing. Now they're preparing to attack Shanghai, the last stronghold of the nationalists and the economic heart of China. Westerners and nationalist officials climb into taxis and rickshaws surrounded by piles of luggage, all heading to the docks and the ships waiting to evacuate them. Those unable to leave the city roam the streets in huge, frightened crowds, getting in the way of soldiers attempting to prepare for battle.

Chin pushes through the crush until he reaches an area known for prostitution, gambling and opium smuggling. He's surprised his communist spymaster wants to meet here. Even this early in the morning, it has a seedy, ominous atmosphere. Finally, he reaches a tea house where some rickshaw drivers are laughing and arguing over a few mahjong tables up at the front. Chin's spymaster is there waiting. He greets Chin like an old friend and leads him to a table at the back. After they order, the communist spymaster nods towards the noisy mahjong game. Look, wasting the little they earn on gambling.

nods hesitantly. There are many gambling dens in this area, I believe. Run by foreigners and organised crime, but not for much longer. Chin shivers slightly. He wonders if his spymaster has an ulterior motive for meeting here. He decides not to mention that since moving to Shanghai, he's become fond of playing Mar Jong himself. He's relieved when his handler changes the subject. How is the job going? Good. I've been asked to go to Hong Kong with the Americans? Yes, if the communists take Shanghai, they will move the consulate to Hong Kong.

The peninsulas and islands of Hong Kong used to be part of China, but now it's under British control. His spymaster looks thoughtful. Interesting. They do not intend to recognise us as a legitimate government. How do you feel about going with them to Hong Kong? I am happy to go if it is of use to you.

The communist security officer pours them both a second cup of tea. And your new wife? Chin is startled. His courtship and swift marriage to a Chinese nurse working with the US army is more recent than his last meeting with his spymaster. She is also happy to move to Hong Kong. Good. You should go. You are doing well. The fact that they have asked you means they trust you.

Won't it be harder for us to meet in Hong Kong? We will meet no more than once a year. It is more important to build their trust in you. Remember, to help China, you must do your best for your American bosses. As Mao teaches, revolution is, above all, possessed of enormous patience. Two years later, July 1951, Busan, South Korea. Larry Chin walked through a small city of dusty canvas tents surrounded by barbed wire. Thousands of men watch him without hope or purpose.

After the communists took Shanghai, they declared victory over all of China, but were almost immediately drawn into another war in neighboring Korea. Backed by the Soviet Union, communist North Korea attacked South Korea. The U.S. backed by the United Nations went to South Korea's aid. China, fearing an American invasion, sent in troops to help North Korea. Now Chin has been brought in from Hong Kong to help the U.S. army interrogate the Chinese. Chinese soldiers it has captured. Guiding Chin through the prisoner of war camp is a US sergeant who works in military intelligence.

I can't tell you how glad I am to see you here, Mr Chin. We're struggling with a real shortage of translators. I'm not security cleared, I'm afraid. There wasn't time before leaving Hong Kong. We don't have time for that, Rigmarol. There's 135,000 prisoners in this camp alone, and we need to interrogate every one of them. Chin is nervous. He never expected to find himself a spy in a wartime enemy camp.

There was no time to alert his spymasters before he left, and he's unsure of how best to help China in this situation. The sergeant leads Chin into a makeshift wooden hut. Inside, a Chinese prisoner with a broad nose and thick, cropped hair, waits anxiously at a simple wooden table. The sergeant sits opposite the prisoner with chin next to him and opens a thick manila folder. Ask him to confirm his name is Tai Quanji.

As Chin translates, he realizes the sergeant is double-checking the prisoner's answers against the notes from earlier interrogations. Ask him if he's a communist. The prisoner shakes his head vehemently as Chin translates. He says he was a nationalist soldier in the civil war. He feared reprisals when the communists took power, so he joined the army. He did not know he would be sent to war. war against America. Does he want to be repatriated to the People's Republic of China?

Boo. What's that you make a war? No, he doesn't. He wants to go to America or Taiwan. Tell him it's not that easy. We can't take everyone who wants to live in America, but there is a way it could be guaranteed. The sergeant, through Chin, asks Thai if he would be willing to return to China and spy for America. Since the communist took power, China has become a blind spot for US intelligence. Chin translates the prisoner's response. He doesn't want to do that. If he is caught spying, he would be killed. Tell him he only needs to last a year.

If he does that, he'll get his ticket to America. Chin watches Thai wrestle with the decision before agreeing. He will do it. He will do it. Good man. The sergeant consults his dossier again. Larry, can I check? What does this word here mean?

The sergeant shows the notes to Chin, who takes his time so he can read the rest of the details on the page. He quickly memorizes the prisoners, age, height, birthplace, and the location of his family in China. It is a Manchurian slang word. It means outcast. Ah, that makes sense. Thank you.

Chin makes no further move to look at the dossier. His spy masters taught him never. to do anything that might look suspicious. Instead, he tries to commit Tye's broad nose and thick hair to memory, so he can describe it later in detail. He doesn't need instructions to know his spymaster will want to know everything possible about this man. Ten years later, 1961, Hong Kong.

Oh, Chi Ming checks his watch. He is a short man in his 40s wearing a suit. He looks like any other Hong Kong businessman in the thriving city state. In fact, O works for Chinese intelligence, and he's waiting for his agent, Larry Wutai Chin. Chin is late, but O is not concerned. Chin has proved himself a valuable spy. His work to unmasked dozens of traitors and American agents

during the Korean War earned him respect and plaudits. O knows their subsequent executions helped keep him. China's safe. Chin's also won the trust of his American bosses, so much so that they've posted him to a US airbase in Japan, where he now helps the CIA monitor Chinese media. This all reflects well on O, too. Unfortunately, Chin has divorced his wife and is now having an affair with a married Chinese woman who works at the air base in Japan with him. And O is anxious to see how this is affecting his super spy. Chin enters the restaurant. He's no longer a thin and nervous student, but a man who carries his tall frame with quiet assurance.

He slides into the booth opposite O. It is good to see you, Larry, and you, Mr. O. I have exciting news. I have been offered a new job in the United States. O is elated. A spy based in the US who is trusted by its intelligence services is a major coup. This is amazing. They must be very pleased with you.

Well done. Chin looks pleased with you. at Oh's compliments. Oh knows Chin's ego thrives on being a secret hero for China. But he must also address the problem of Chin's affair. Later, as he spoons noodle broth into his bowl, O casually begins to probe. Have you told Kathy the news?

Kathy is the married woman he is having an affair with in Japan. Chin looks unfazed. Yes, she is delighted. I have told her she should get a divorce too, and then she can join me in the United States. United States. Oh is both shocked and troubled, but he is careful not to show any condemnation or judgment. And what about your children? While they are small, they're better off with their mother. When I am more established, I will bring them to America. It will be good for their future prospects.

They will not mind leaving their mother then. O is worried by Chin's casual attitude to family life and his eagerness about moving to America. He wonders if living and working among Westerners for so long is corrupting Chin. That would indeed be useful. But remember, you are going to America for China. Of course. My duty to China is always at the forefront of everything I do. I assure you, Mr. O.

O nods and returns to his noodles. But despite Chin's assurances, he's worried. If his star spy succumbs to the decadence of Western capitalism, then O, as his spymaster, will be held responsible. In communist China, the line between hero and executed traitor, can be thin. Late 1961, Communist Party headquarters, Beijing.

O admires the ornate carvings on the dark wooden pillars around him. He is in a meeting room that was part of the former Imperial Garden Complex. It now houses the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. O bows as Joe N. Lai enters. Joe is one of the most powerful men within the party and oversees China's foreign affairs. And after learning that China was about to get a spy inside the US, he summoned O to learn more.

So, your agent's role has not changed, but he has moved to an office in the United States. Is that right? Yes. He will still be translating mostly public information, but he will have more to do with CIA headquarters. And his transfer to America proves he is trusted and valued. Oh, does not mention his concerns.

about Chin taking his married lover to the US. It might reflect badly on O. This is very good news, but we need to use him carefully. The risk of discovery will be much higher in America. O has the highest respect for Joe. A former spymaster himself, Zhou is known to be the calm hand on the reins of the communist government. To reduce the risk, perhaps he should be a sleeper agent,

only activated if we go to war with the United States. States or at moments of extreme crisis? No, we need as much information as possible on American thinking and intentions now. They are sending troops to Vietnam. Chang Kai Shek is still asking them to invade China and restore his nationalist government. Until we have nuclear capability, we are at risk. This agent must be operational immediately. Oh, bowes indifference to Joe's decision. I will set up a network of couriers to transmit his intelligence. Good. Keep me informed of his progress and send all intelligence directly to me. Ensure he takes no risks. He becomes more valuable the longer he is there. Oh, stands and bows again before leaving. He just hopes Chin will stay true to his communist masters.

Two years later, June 1963, Santa Rosa, Northern California. In a small, weatherboard cottage with a large garden and picket fence, Chin shows his girlfriend Kathy around. Her suitcases are still in the hallway from when she arrived 10 minutes ago. Look, a fridge and freezer. Oh my goodness! And we don't have to share it? No, it's just for us. Kathy is round-eyed as he shows her the television and pantry full of food. Chin has been living in California for the past two years, while his lover secured a divorce from her husband in Japan. He immediately paid for Kathy to join him in Santa Rosa. He watches her fondly as she stares out of the kitchen window at their neighbours.

The garden is so big and everyone has a car. Chin is proud he can give Kathy such luxury. He grabs her by the shoulders and whirls her to face him. Let's get married. Tomorrow. Tomorrow? It's impossible. No, it's not. There's a place in the next state called Reno. They do quick and cheap weddings. You'll love. Love it. It's filled with casinos and movie stars. Marilyn Monroe was there only last year making a film. Really? Kathy loves the movies and American culture. Chin's eager to share his new life with someone who appreciates it. Communist China, with its famines and oppressive sense of danger, feels very far away. Four years later, mid-1967, Beijing, China, the Ministry of Public Security.

At the sound of young voices shouting, Chin's spy master, Oh, Chi Ming, rushes to the window near his desk. In the streets below, hundreds of young people with red armbands are running towards their offices. They are the feared red guards. He and his colleagues rush to escape, but it is too late. The door is slammed open by a teenager, and red guards swarm around them threateningly.

Everyone here is guilty of fraternising with foreigners and conspiring against Chairman Mao. The Red Guard are young people who have been encouraged by Mao to rid China of its old ideas and traditions in what's being called the Cultural Revolution. They have become an uncontrollable mob, denouncing, beating, torturing and humiliating anyone they decide is against the revolution. And today, this includes the Ministry of Public Security's Intelligence Service. Oh's boss tries to remonstrate with them. On what grounds do you claim this? We don't need evidence, old man. Evidence is a tool of counter-revolutionaries.

Seize them. O's boss is viciously beaten. O decides not to resist as they tie his hands behind his back. Resistance is futile. He knows a powerful group of people, led by the wife of chairman Mao Zedong, encourage and protect the Red Guards from any consequences. And those people are using the men. to grab power over moderates such as Joe N. Lye.

Any department he has influence over is being targeted. O frets over what will happen to his agents now. Will anyone replace us? They must read the files. Shut up! O is smacked across the face with a baton. That is not your concern. You will be re-educated. A dunce's cap is put on O's head, and he is dragged out of the building as Red Guards

kick and spit at him. Oh, wonders if he will survive re-education. Forced labor, deep in rural China, with little food and even less protection against the elements. He also wonders if China is about to lose its most valuable asset inside the US. If nobody keeps in contact with Chin, will he take the opportunity to defect to the Americans? January 1968, Santa Rosa. California. In the offices of the Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Chin and his colleagues

gather in a large meeting room. The FBIS is a division of the CIA, which locates and translates publicly available information as requested by intelligence analysts and officers. And Chin's been working here ever since he moved to America. It's not a high security Department, but Chin has learned a surprising amount simply by noting all requests for information. He's also worked hard to become the FBIS's top Chinese translator, someone who is consulted by other translators for his proficiency, and the trust in him is further underpinned by his decision to become a US citizen. But today he is worried. The head of the Santa Rosa office stands, clears his throat and confirms the rumours that have been swirling around the office for months.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm afraid the Santa Rosa office is to be wound down over the next two years and you are all at risk of redundancy. Some of you may be allocated roles in other offices or departments, but chin feels shell-shocked. In just a few years, his charmed life has come crashing down around him. Later that night, at his suburban home, Chin seals up the envelope on his letter to Mr. O. The letter uses seemingly innocent language to ask for instructions. He carefully writes the Hong Kong address on the front and leaves it on his desk. Chin will post the letter in the morning, but he doesn't hold much hope of a reply. He hasn't heard from Mr. O or anyone else from Chinese intelligence for months.

He heads to bed, but sleep is unlikely. He's lost contact with his spymaster and is about to lose the job that made him so valuable to China. That's two incomes disappearing at the worst time. All his children are now living with him, hoping to train as doctors in the US. Chin wonders how he will afford it. January 1970, FBIS headquarters, Roslyn, Virginia.

In a meeting room, senior managers from the FBIS and the CIA's China desk are going through the personnel files of employees from the soon-to-close Santa Rosa office. Chin's file is open in front of them and his current boss is arguing the case for holding onto him. Larry's without doubt our top Chinese translator and a linguist. I think he would be a real asset at headquarters. But anyone working in FBIS headquarters requires top-secret security clearance. The translators there work closely with CIA officers on active operations. The most senior CIA officer in the room grimaces. We know nothing about his background in China. There's no mention of whether he supported the communists or the nationalists during the civil war.

Really? He's been working with us since 1948. If he was a spy, I think we would have discovered it by now. He has never given us any reason to doubt his integrity. The CIA officer raises an eyebrow. Oh? What about his womanising? Our inquiries suggest he's cheated on his new wife several times. Chin's boss looks uncomfortable. I meant professional integrity. The CIA officer sighs. Chin is exactly the kind of personnel decision that worries him. There are a few red flags, but not enough to make it an easy decision. One of his junior CIA colleagues on the China desk leaps through Chin's fire. I know Larry's work. He's good. Easy to read reports and very good on the cultural nuances.

We could do with that at the moment. The senior CIA officer knows he's right. The war in Vietnam is not going well because the Chinese are secretly helping the North Vietnamese. Anticipating China's next move has become a high priority within the CIA. Fine. Let's do as many background checks as we can in Hong Kong and Japan as well as here. Oh, and he'll need to do a polygraph test. Doesn't look like he's taken one yet.

A few weeks later, the White House, Washington, D.C. President Richard Nixon and his national security adviser, Henry Kissinger, are alone in the presidential office. They've asked not to be disturbed as they study a top-secret memorandum sent to Kissinger by a former US diplomat. Nixon reads it with excitement. So this guy is the Dutch envoy to communist China. Yes, and he appears to be trusted by Joe N. Lai to send such a message.

I think this is highly significant, Mr. President. Nixon is thrilled. Last year, Soviet troops attacked China over a disputed border, making it clear the two communist allies are now enemies. So Nixon's taking advantage of the falling out between the two communist powers to extend the hand of friendship to China. His aim is to recruit China as an ally against the Soviets. Kissinger has spent months trying various ways to secretly reach out to the Chinese, but all his attempts went ignored until yesterday. Now, Joe seems to have agreed to a secret meeting with Kissinger, but Kissinger knows it's only the first step. We still need to be careful, sir. This could be Joe N. Lai testing the water,

but he might also be setting a trap to humiliate us. Nixon knows it would be a publicity nightmare if his secret attempts to establish diplomatic relations with communist China were leaked to the press. He is, after all, a famous hardliner on communism, but Nixon is willing to take that risk. Sometimes, Henry, you've got to go with your gut. I think they want us as an ally against the Soviets

just as much as we want them. But getting a win against Soviet Russia is not all Nixon hopes to gain from China. He's realized his only hope of an honorable exit from the messy and unpopular war in Vietnam is a negotiation with the Chinese. Nixon picks up a photo of Joe and Lai and tries to imagine himself in the Chinese Premier's shoes. And this Dutch diplomat? He says Joe has got rid of his enemies and is back in control. Do we have that from any other sources? Kissinger purses his lips. Our intelligence is patchy and nowhere good enough. We know Joe,

has withdrawn his opposition to the cultural revolution, so is no longer being targeted, but I'm not sure we can depend on him having Mao's support in this. Nixon likes the look of Joe, thick black eyebrows above intelligent eyes, and the patient face of someone who knows how to bide his time. Do we know why Joe might be interested in talking? Kissinger hesitates, pushing his thick, rimmed glasses back up his nose, before replying, Taiwan. Nixon grimaces.

Officially, the US still recognises the nationalist government that fled to Taiwan as the rightful leaders of China. It promised the island protection against any communist invasion. It's also why Taiwan still occupies China's seat on the United Nations Security Council. Nixon gets up from his chair and stands looking out of the huge bay window behind. There are plenty within his own party who would never forgive him for sacrificing Taiwan. for an easy exit from Vietnam. He turns to Kissinger. Well, let's cross that bridge when we come to it.

For the time being, let's set up some meetings and see how it goes. Kissinger nods and leaves. Nixon returns to the window, doubts chase around his mind, but also possibilities. This could be the defining moment of his administration. Perhaps he could find a practical solution to the war of ideologies that have defined

the last 50 years of global history. If he can tempt the Chinese with trade, they might be willing to forget about Taiwan, but one misstep, and it could all unravel. He just needs to hold his nerve and negotiate skillfully. And for that to happen, he must keep China guessing about what he's willing to give up to get a deal. You have been listening to The Spy Who, an audible original.

A quick note about our dialogue. We can't know everything that was said or done behind closed doors, particularly far back in history. But our scenes are written using the best available sources. So even if a scene or conversation has been recreated for dramatic effect, it's still based on biographical research. We used many sources in our research for this season, including The Spy Within by Todd Hoffman, The Hijacked War by David Cheng Chang, and My Husband Jin Wu Dai's Death by Catherine. The Spy Who is hosted by me, Indra Varma. Additional voice acting by Winsen Leong.

The producer was Vespucci, with writing and story editing by Yellow Ant. For Yellow Ant, the writer was Judy Cooper, researched by Louise Byrne with thanks to Monty Cooper and Gigi Kour. The managing producer was Jay Priest. For Vespucci, the senior producer was Holly Aquilina. The sound designer was Alex Port Felix. Natalia Rodriguez is the supervising producer. Music supervision by Scott Velasquez for Frisson Sink.

For Vespucci, the executive producers were Johnny Galvin and Daniel Turkin. For Yellow Ant, the executive producer was Tristan Donovan. For Audible, the executive producers were Estelle Doyle and Theodoro Leludis.