Centenarian Henry Kissinger, the pioneer and founder of China-Us relations

On November 29, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger died at his home in Connecticut at the age of 100. In this "old man of the century" who has experienced the world, looking at his 100 years of life experience, it is true that in this era of our world, there is no one more legendary than him, who has planned more intrigues and left more intense disputes.

Before his death, even at the age of 100, Kissinger was still active in American political circles, giving interviews to the media, receiving visits from friends, and speaking eloquently about the crisis in Ukraine, Sino-American relations, and even the situation between Palestine and Israel. As the founder of Sino-American relations, Kissinger once told reporters that he had spent half of his life on Sino-American relations,

Kissinger played a key role in promoting the process of detente between China and the United States in the 1970s. As Nixon's national security aide, Kissinger made his name in international diplomacy by brokering the first meeting between the heads of state of China and the United States. It is because of Kissinger's persistence that the relationship between China and the United States has achieved a breakthrough. Senior Chinese officials have praised Kissinger as an old friend and good friend of the Chinese people and a pioneer and builder of China-Us relations. It is also because Kissinger opened the diplomatic journey between China and the United States, so in the United States politics, he was named the greatest secretary of State in the history of the United States, and won the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, Kissinger has visited China more than 100 times, which shows the importance he attaches to Sino-US relations. Kissinger has always stressed that the good or bad relations between China and the United States are related to world peace and the progress of human society. When the United States shifted its international strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific, it tried to unite Allies to suppress China. As the elder statesman of the United States, Kissinger publicly stated that China-Us relations need not and should not become a zero-sum game. After the start of the trade war between China and the United States, relations between the two countries have arguably sunk to their lowest level ever. Kissinger, who is nearly 100 years old, is still shuttling between China and the United States to repair the relationship between the two countries.

Some international relations experts pointed out that no matter what happened in Sino-US relations, Kissinger has always been the most respected American politician in China. To a certain extent, Kissinger can be said to be the ballast of Sino-American relations. However, at the end of 2023, Kissinger, the pioneer and ballast of Sino-US relations, still passed away at the age of 100. This is not only a loss for US politics, but also a loss for Sino-US diplomatic relations.

Kissinger once pointed out that both China and the United States have the ability to bring peace and progress to the development of mankind, but they also have the ability to destroy the entire world. This not only highlights the importance of China-Us relations, but also warns the Chinese and American people. As the two most powerful countries in the world, the world cannot afford a bad relationship between China and the US. Although Kissinger has forever left the stage of the Sino-US game, his words need to be seriously considered by policymakers in both countries.