▁policy ▁that ▁called ▁upon ▁the ▁U . S . ▁to ▁block ▁Commun ist ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁sort ▁that ▁was ▁taking ▁place ▁in ▁Vietnam , ▁but ▁he ▁lack ed ▁Kennedy ' s ▁knowledge ▁and ▁enthus ias m ▁for ▁foreign ▁policy , ▁and ▁prior it ized ▁domestic ▁re forms ▁over ▁major ▁initi atives ▁in ▁foreign ▁affairs . ▁▁ ▁Though ▁act ively ▁engaged ▁in ▁contain ment ▁in ▁S out heast ▁Asia , ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁and ▁Latin ▁America , ▁Johnson ▁made ▁it ▁a ▁priority ▁to ▁seek ▁arms ▁control ▁de als ▁with ▁Moscow . ▁The ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁also ▁sought ▁closer ▁relations ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁during ▁the ▁mid - to - late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁partly ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁increasing ly ▁worse ▁S ino - S ov iet ▁split . ▁Johnson ▁attempted ▁to ▁reduce ▁t ensions ▁with ▁China ▁by ▁eas ing ▁restrictions ▁on ▁trade , ▁but ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁China ' s ▁Cultural ▁Revolution ▁ended ▁hopes ▁of ▁a ▁greater ▁rapp ro ch ement . ▁Johnson ▁was ▁concerned ▁with ▁aver ting ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁nuclear ▁war , ▁and ▁he ▁sought ▁to ▁reduce ▁t ensions ▁in ▁Europe . ▁The ▁Johnson ▁administration ▁purs ued ▁arms ▁control ▁agre ements ▁with ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁signing ▁the ▁Out er ▁Space ▁Tre aty ▁and ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁on ▁the ▁Non - Pro l ifer ation ▁of ▁N uc lear ▁We ap ons , ▁and ▁laid ▁the ▁foundation ▁for ▁the ▁Str ateg ic ▁Ar ms ▁Lim itation ▁Tal ks . ▁Johnson ▁held ▁a ▁largely ▁am ic able ▁meeting ▁with ▁Soviet