Posted on Dec 1, 2023
Henry Kissinger: China mourns 'a most valued old friend'
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The death of contentious former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has drawn nostalgia and compliments in China at a time when relations between the two countries have nosedived.
"You are forever a friend of Chinese people, rest in peace," a top-liked comment on the country's social media platform Weibo reads.
Hours after news of the death broke, the related hashtag became the most searched trend in China, with millions of views.
"This is the end of an era," a top-liked comment says. "He witnessed decades of ups and downs. What would he think about current China-US relations?" another user asked.
Relations between Washington and Beijing have perhaps hit their lowest point since the two sides began talking officially in 1979 - a culmination of efforts kicked off by Mr Kissinger. While ties were "normalised" under President Jimmy Carter, it was his predecessor Richard Nixon who made that first historic trip to Beijing to meet Mao Zedong in 1972, putting an end to decades of hostility.
"You are forever a friend of Chinese people, rest in peace," a top-liked comment on the country's social media platform Weibo reads.
Hours after news of the death broke, the related hashtag became the most searched trend in China, with millions of views.
"This is the end of an era," a top-liked comment says. "He witnessed decades of ups and downs. What would he think about current China-US relations?" another user asked.
Relations between Washington and Beijing have perhaps hit their lowest point since the two sides began talking officially in 1979 - a culmination of efforts kicked off by Mr Kissinger. While ties were "normalised" under President Jimmy Carter, it was his predecessor Richard Nixon who made that first historic trip to Beijing to meet Mao Zedong in 1972, putting an end to decades of hostility.
Henry Kissinger: China mourns 'a most valued old friend'
Posted from bbc.com
China
Foreign Policy
Diplomacy
Media
Posted 5 mo ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."He visited China more than 100 times, long after he retired - the last visit was this July, where the 99-year-old former diplomat was welcomed by Mr Xi in Beijing despite the chill in relations between China and the US.
Mr Xi said to him China would never forget "our old friends" and China's top diplomat Wang Yi said that the US needed "Kissinger-style diplomatic wisdom" in its China policy.
The meeting took place just weeks after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's high-stakes visit to China to rekindle contacts, and irked the White House. Mr Kissinger appeared to have better access in Beijing than current US government officials.
"China and the US must inherit and carry forward Dr Kissinger's strategic vision, political courage and diplomatic wisdom," foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Thursday after hailing Mr Kissinger as an "old and good friend of the Chinese people".
The Chinese Communist Party has been unabashed in its compliments to Mr Kissinger - a stark contrast to the reactions America usually draws.
"History will remember what the centenarian had contributed to China-US relations," Chinese ambassador to the US Xie Feng said.
State media outlet China News Service described him as someone who had "a sharp vision and could see through the world's affairs".
The view just across the strait - in Taiwan, where fear of Beijing's threats has grown - is less kind.
When the US normalised relations with China in 1979, it switched diplomatic recognition from the self-governed island of Taiwan, agreeing that there was only one China, whose government sat in Beijing.
"From a historical perspective, he is a negative figure," wrote one user on Facebook.
Another top comment reads: "He made Taiwan suffer too much."
..."He visited China more than 100 times, long after he retired - the last visit was this July, where the 99-year-old former diplomat was welcomed by Mr Xi in Beijing despite the chill in relations between China and the US.
Mr Xi said to him China would never forget "our old friends" and China's top diplomat Wang Yi said that the US needed "Kissinger-style diplomatic wisdom" in its China policy.
The meeting took place just weeks after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's high-stakes visit to China to rekindle contacts, and irked the White House. Mr Kissinger appeared to have better access in Beijing than current US government officials.
"China and the US must inherit and carry forward Dr Kissinger's strategic vision, political courage and diplomatic wisdom," foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Thursday after hailing Mr Kissinger as an "old and good friend of the Chinese people".
The Chinese Communist Party has been unabashed in its compliments to Mr Kissinger - a stark contrast to the reactions America usually draws.
"History will remember what the centenarian had contributed to China-US relations," Chinese ambassador to the US Xie Feng said.
State media outlet China News Service described him as someone who had "a sharp vision and could see through the world's affairs".
The view just across the strait - in Taiwan, where fear of Beijing's threats has grown - is less kind.
When the US normalised relations with China in 1979, it switched diplomatic recognition from the self-governed island of Taiwan, agreeing that there was only one China, whose government sat in Beijing.
"From a historical perspective, he is a negative figure," wrote one user on Facebook.
Another top comment reads: "He made Taiwan suffer too much."
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