As ambassador to Poland, Wang was the highest level diplomat of the People's Republic to have direct contacts with American diplomats. During the First Taiwan Strait Crisis of 1955 Wang conducted ambassadorial level talks in Warsaw with United States Ambassador Jacob D. Beam. Mao recalled Wang to Beijing for a detailed briefing in a private talk, and Wang left for Warsaw with detailed instructions to find out if Washington would be willing to force Nationalist armies from the islands if offered concessions in return. When Wang revealed to Beam this willingness to concede before extracting concessions in return, Mao attacked him: "even a pig knows to turn around after he hits a wall, and Wang Bingnan does not know how to turn around after he hits a wall." Mao only agreed to keep Wang in Warsaw when Premier Zhou assumed blame.