Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger was praised by Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a “old friend” during their meeting on Thursday in Beijing.
During his visit to China this week, Kissinger called for a reconciliation between Washington and Beijing, which are still at odds over a number of topics, including trade, national security, and human rights.
The 100-year-old diplomat has been in touch with China’s leaders throughout the years and was instrumental in the US establishing relations with communist China in the 1970s.
“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 Kissinger on Thursday, according to state media.
“This not only benefited the two countries, but also changed the world,” Xi added.
“The world is currently experiencing changes not seen in a century, and the international order is undergoing enormous change,” the Chinese leader said.
“China and the United States are once more at a crossroads, and both sides must once again make a choice.”
Kissinger responded by thanking Xi for having him stay at building number five of the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, where he had met then-premier Zhou Enlai in 1971.
The former diplomat declared that “the relations between our two countries will be crucial to the advancement of our societies and the peace in the world.”
