Through Their Eyes:

In the minds of many, U.S. engagement with the Communist Party of China began in the 1970s under President Richard Nixon. But the first official contact between the U.S. and the CCP actually dates back to 1944. That's when a plane carrying a group of U.S. observers touched down in Yan'an, China, the home base of the Communists, led by Mao Zedong.

This U.S. operation came to be known as "The Dixie Mission."