During John Kerry’s recent visit to China, he did not have a meeting with Xi Jinping. However, Xi did meet and praise an American visitor who has a historical connection with China. Xi described Henry Kissinger as an “old friend” when they met at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. It was in this very same guesthouse where Kissinger had secret talks with Premier Zhou Enlai in 1971, which eventually led to Richard Nixon’s visit to China the following year. Kissinger, who is now 100 years old and was Nixon’s secretary of state, also had meetings with Defense Minister Li Shangfu and Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, during his visit this week.
Xi released a statement through the Chinese Foreign Ministry, saying, “China and the United States are once again at the crossroads of where to go, and the two sides need to make new decisions. Looking into the future, China and the United States can achieve joint success and prosperity.” The Wall Street Journal describes the warm welcome received by Kissinger as part of Beijing’s strategy to repair ties with the US on its own terms, engaging with Americans that it considers trustworthy. Xi expressed his hope that Kissinger and other insightful Americans will continue to play a constructive role in improving US-China relations.
Meanwhile, Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, praised Kissinger for his invaluable contributions in enhancing mutual understanding between the two countries. He stated, “The US policy toward China requires diplomatic wisdom like that of Kissinger and political courage like Nixon’s.” Kissinger and Xi’s meeting had a more cordial setting compared to Xi’s previous meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. They were seated on the same level across a small tea table. The topics of discussion included the war in Ukraine and artificial intelligence. It is worth noting that Kissinger is visiting China as a private citizen, as emphasized by American officials.
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