The Chinese leader who met with Nixon was Mao Zedong. Mao Zedong was the Chairman of the Communist Party of China from 1949 until his death in 1976. He was a revolutionary leader and one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. In 1972, he met with President Richard Nixon in Beijing, marking the first time a U.S. president had visited the People's Republic of China. This meeting was seen as a major step forward in improving relations between the two countries.