One thing I can say for sure is that the ABM treaty was received rather positively. It would mean the United States wouldn't have to spend money on an expensive and unproven program. SALT I, the treaty that limited the amount of long-range ballistic missiles for the US and USSR was criticized quite a bit. For Example, John M. Ashbrook a conservative from Ohio denounced the treaty, believing that it would allow the Soviet Union to become an uncontested Superpower. I know you didn't ask about this particular program but I think it still relates a lot with the ABM treaty. I'm not sure how conservatives reacted to the the opening of China, good question. Nixon's visits to the PRC in 1972 were more symbolic actions of peace which created a foundation for a more amiable relationship between the two countries. To my understanding the media coverage of the trip was pretty positive overall. Sauce: Jussie M. Hanhimäki, The Rise and Fall of Détente: American Foreign Policy and the Transformation of the Cold War 54-55.