alternatehistory.com

During Mao Zedong's rule he first "leaned to one side" the Soviet side, in the Cold War, while picking geopolitical fights with the USA. Then he started picking ideological fights with the post-Stalin USSR leadership in the late 50s. He also picked a fight with the Indians in the early 60s. Mao's China spent the 60s at odds with both superpowers. In the 70s Mao opened up to the US, either because the conflict with the USSR had gotten too dangerous or Mao had "proved his point" or whatever. Post Mao China continued the rapprochement with the US, but only made amends with the USSR later, during the Gorbachev years.

Given all this fight-picking that seems to have peaked in the 1960s, if Mao had died before then, in '56 for example, would China have had better relations with both the USA and USSR (and maybe also with India) under any likely successor leadership?
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