Nixon opened up to China in order to further isolate the Soviet Union. On that front he was very successful.
I read Henry Kissinger’s two books on his time serving in the Nixon administration. While a lot of people despise Kissinger he had some pretty insightful thoughts relative to today.
1. Democrat always wanted to negotiate with Communists and give concessions. Communists viewed this as a sign of weakness and pushed for even greater concessions. He said the only way to negotiate with them was from a position of strength. This is still true today.
2. There is an inherent clash between the Department of State and the West Wing. State thinks they are in control regardless of whomever the president is. I think this is also still true today.