Chinese President Xi Jinping hails ‘old friend’ Henry Kissinger in Beijing meeting

BEIJING: Chinese leader Xi Jinping hailed former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger as an “old friend” as the two met in Beijing on Thursday, striking an easy tone in their meeting amid efforts by China and the US to mend frayed ties.

Dr Kissinger’s visit to China this week has seen him call for a rapprochement between Washington and Beijing, which remain at loggerheads over a range of issues, from human rights to trade and national security.

The 100-year-old diplomat was central to the United States establishing ties with communist China in the 1970s and has maintained close contact with the country’s leaders over the years.

Noting that Dr Kissinger has just celebrated his 100th birthday and has visited China more than 100 times, Mr Xi said his visit this time is of “special significance.”

“Chinese people value friendship, and we will never forget our old friend and your historic contribution to promoting the development of China-US relations and enhancing the friendship between the Chinese and American peoples,” President Xi told Dr Kissinger on Thursday, according to state media.

“This not only benefited the two countries, but also changed the world,” Mr Xi added.

“The world is currently experiencing changes not seen in a century, and the international order is undergoing enormous change.

“China and the United States are once more at a crossroads, and both sides must once again make a choice.”

Dr Kissinger, in response, thanked Mr Xi for hosting him at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse’s building No. 5 – where he met then Premier Zhou Enlai in 1971.

“The relations between our two countries will be central to the peace in the world and to the progress of our societies,” the former diplomat said.

“Under the current circumstances, it is imperative to maintain the principles established by the Shanghai Communique, appreciate the utmost importance China attaches to the one-China principle, and move the relationship in a positive direction,” Dr Kissinger said in the meeting.

Dr Kissinger’s visit to China comes at a time when the two superpowers are embarking on a course to stop their relations, already at historic lows, from sinking further.

“China is willing to discuss with the US side the right way for the two countries to get along and promote the steady progress of China-US relations,” Mr Xi said.

China and the US can achieve mutual success and prosper together, he added, stressing the key is to follow the principles of “mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation”.

Dr Kissinger is widely respected in China. While he was US national security adviser, he flew secretly to Beijing in July 1971 on a mission to establish relations with communist China.

That trip set the stage for a landmark visit by then-President Richard Nixon, who sought to both shake up the Cold War and enlist help in ending America’s war in Vietnam.

Washington’s overtures to an isolated Beijing contributed to China’s rise to become a manufacturing powerhouse and the world’s largest economy after the US.

Since leaving office, Dr Kissinger, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has grown wealthy advising businesses on China – and has warned against a hawkish turn in US policy.

“Since 1971, Kissinger has visited China more than 100 times,” CCTV said on Wednesday.

“On May 27 this year, the legendary diplomat celebrated his 100th birthday, and this visit is also his first trip to China since turning 100,” it added.

While in Beijing, Dr Kissinger also met China’s top diplomat Wang Yi and Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu in the past few days.

“The US policy towards China needs Kissinger-style diplomatic wisdom and Nixon-style political courage,” Mr Wang said. Washington said it was aware of Dr Kissinger’s trip to China this week, but noted that he was not acting on behalf of the US government. – News Agencies