Naming the Golden Triangle

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Marshall Green coined the term "Golden Triangle" in 1971 during a preview of the historic visit by President Richard Nixon to China. The Nixon Administration was concerned about the rise of heroin addiction in the United States and wanted to stem the flow of opium from China, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. The greatest source of opium was the wild territory where the Mekong and Ruak rivers formed porous borders between Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos—the "golden triangle" drawn by Green on the world map.