The two countries exchanged formal diplomatic recognition on January 1, and later that month Deng Xiaoping (who had just recently won leadership on a reform program at the Third Plenum of the 11th Central Committee in 1978) visited the States.
中華人民共和國和美國於一九七九年元旦正式建交，一月底，甫於七八年十一屆三中全會，以改革開放路線取得政治主導地位的鄧小平訪問美國。