Carter, who played an important role in the normalization of U.S.-China relations, said he saw the "great need" to normalize U.S.-China relationship after he became president in 1977.
"So I contacted the Chinese leaders, Deng Xiaoping in particular, and he and I began to negotiate from a distance but very secretly, from inside the White House directly to him," he recalled.
After the two countries formally established diplomatic relations, Carter invited Deng to visit the United States in 1979,opening a new chapter in the history of China-U.S. relations.