WI: Nixon fails in China?

Let's say that somehow, that when Nixon visited China in 1972, he makes some sort of diplomatic gaffe that kills the Sino-American entente in the cradle. What would be the effects of such a failure?
 
I won't go so far as to call the scenario ASB, but it is highly implausible at best. Along with George H.W. Bush, Nixon was the most accomplished postwar POTUS' when it came to foreign policy, assisted by one of America's most effective diplomats in Kissinger.
 
It is very difficult because all the '68 candidates (Humphrey, Kennedy, Nixon) advocated relations with the PRC since 1965. At best the Dems would have to wait until 1973 to avoid flak from the hard right which Nixon was immune to. What I had Kennedy do in my TL was isolate China by switching the Kush alliance to India and improving relations with the Soviets instead of China, leaving the PRC completely isolated. Once India was finished, China happened in 1973. Nixon would not do that because he put a very high premium on the relationship with Pakistan, loathed Indira (which was entirely mutual) and puffed up Yahya Khan to an absurd degree.
 
Well, we might not be able to totally kill off Sino-American rapprochement with a gaffe or two during Nixon's trip, but maybe we could still put in a few dents?

For example, what if when Nixon gets to China, he never meets Mao? Mao's health at the time was pretty dicey, and perhaps he takes a turn for the worse in February 1972, and his doctors decide that meeting Nixon could kill him?

So then, Nixon arrives to a very tepid and low-key reception in Beijing (in OTL, the White House and press corps was very surprised and disappointed that Nixon wasn't given the same red carpet treatment that many other foreign leaders were given in China -- no cheering crowds or tickertape parades and such), and then they ferry him around to some tourist sights, have a few banquets, issue the Shanghai Communique, and Nixon goes home, but without that iconic photo of him shaking hands with Mao.

This certainly couldn't kill off rapprochement, and it will still be seen as a diplomatic accomplishment of Nixon's, but still, everyone (and probably Nixon in particular) will likely feel like he had been snubbed by the Chinese, and perhaps a few people might buy into the right-wing's complaint that we rolled over for them and got nothing in return.
 
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