By Raul Castillo
Nov 30, 2023, 7:08 PM EST
While in the United States the debate about Henry Kissinger has divided part of public opinion, in China the death of the famous former US Secretary of State this Wednesday has been almost unanimously lamented, and they have referred to him as his “old friend”.
China’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday that President Xi Jinping and other senior officials had sent messages of condolence to President Joe Biden. They said the former secretary of state was “an old and dear friend of the Chinese people” and “a pioneer.”
“Both China and the United States should inherit and carry forward the strategic vision, political courage and diplomatic wisdom of Dr. Kissinger,” the ministry said, according to NBC News.
It must be remembered that as security advisor to President Richard Nixon, Kissinger was the architect of the agreement to formalize relations between the United States and China in 1979. The opening allowed China to grow commercially.
Kissinger continued his ties to China later, traveling to that country up to 100 times throughout his life. The last time he was in the capital of the Asian country was a few months ago.
“We will never forget our old friend and his historic contribution to promoting the development of China-U.S. relations,” President Xi said, according to NBC News.
Strategist or ally of the Chinese Communist Party?
Xie Feng, China’s ambassador to the United States, wrote on social media that Kissinger’s death was a “tremendous loss” for both countries and the world.
“History will remember what the centenary contributed to relations between China and the United States, and it will always remain alive in the hearts of the Chinese people as a very valuable old friend,” said the Chinese ambassador on X, formerly called Twitter.
For his part, Wang Huiyao, founder and president of the Center for China and Globalization, said that with the death of Kissinger, the United States and China have lost “a wise leader, a wise politician and a wise observer of China-China relations.” USA”.
However, some pro-democracy groups see the former Secretary of State as a promoter of Chinese communism.
Miles Yu, senior fellow and director of the Hudson Institute’s China Center, said Kissinger became “the greatest representative of the Chinese Communist Party,” according to NBC News.
The US defends its legacy
Despite some criticism (some described him as a “war criminal”), the White House valued the legacy of the former Secretary of State.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby called Kissinger’s death a “great loss.”
“It’s a huge loss… If we agree with him on every issue, there’s no question that he shaped foreign policy decisions for decades and certainly had an impact on America’s role in the world,” he said Thursday. at a press conference.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also praised Kissinger, calling him a “wise and far-sighted statesman.”
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