On November 30th, according to foreign media reports, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger passed away at the age of 100 on November 29th local time.Kissinger is a legendary figure who served as Secretary of State in the 1970s and had a significant impact on US foreign policy. He was hailed by former US President Ford as the "greatest Secretary of State in American history.". He has also made outstanding contributions to China US relations in his political career.Now, this sharp eyed and discerning "old friend of the Chinese people" has completed his legendary life.
Image: Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger attended and delivered a speech at the 25th anniversary awards banquet of the American Hundred in New York. Photo by Ruan Yulin, the head of China News Agency
From academia to politics, rose to fame overnight
Kissinger was born in Germany in 1923 and is of Jewish descent. In 1938, due to the persecution of Jews by the Nazis, his family moved to England and then to the United States. In 1943, he became a citizen of the United States.During World War II, Kissinger served in the United States Army. After the war, he studied political science at Harvard University. In 1952, Kissinger obtained a master's degree in literature and a doctoral degree in philosophy.Before entering politics, Kissinger focused on academia. He held important positions such as Executive Director of the Harvard Defense Research Program, Director of Defense Research Programs, Professor at Harvard University, and Head of the Harvard Center for International Studies, with extensive experience.In his 1957 publication "Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy," Kissinger first proposed the theory of limited war, which made him famous in the academic and foreign policy research fields.In the 1968 presidential election, Kissinger served as Nelson Rockefeller's foreign policy advisor, but later Nixon defeated Rockefeller and ultimately won the election.During the election, Nixon saw Kissinger's diplomatic talent and decided to hire him as the President's National Security Assistant. In January 1969, Kissinger left Harvard campus and took office in Washington, D.C., achieving a transition from academia to politics.
A heavyweight figure influencing US foreign policy
After entering politics, from 1969 to 1974, Kissinger served as President Nixon's Assistant for National Security Affairs and Director of the National Security Council.
Image: Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (left) engages in a dialogue with former Secretary of State James Baker and others on US China relations. Photo by Wang Huan, a member of the China News Agency
During this period, on September 22, 1973, at the age of 50, Kissinger officially assumed the position of Secretary of State of the United States. He became the first Secretary of State to be a non American and the first Secretary of State to concurrently serve as an Assistant for National Security Affairs.During his tenure as President Nixon and Ford, Henry Kissinger held important positions as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State, exerting significant influence on US foreign policy. During his tenure, he implemented "balance of power diplomacy" and implemented a policy of easing tensions with the Soviet Union at that time; And initiate "shuttle diplomacy" on the Middle East issue.During his tenure as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, Kissinger secretly visited China on July 9, 1971, laying a solid foundation for the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. In February 1972, Kissinger accompanied President Nixon on his visit to China.Kissinger was still the main figure on the US side in ending the Vietnam War negotiations. In January 1973, he completed negotiations to end the Vietnam War in Paris.In 1977, Kissinger withdrew from the government. In January of that year, then US President Ford awarded Kissinger the Presidential Medal of Freedom and praised him as the "greatest Secretary of State in American history.".Afterwards, Kissinger also served as a visiting professor at Georgetown University, serving as an advisor to the National Broadcasting Corporation, chairman of the International Advisory Committee of Chase Manhattan Bank, news analyst for ABC, and chairman of the US China Association.
"Old friends of the Chinese people"
Among ordinary Chinese people, when it comes to American politicians, Kissinger is a highly recognized name. This "China expert" who has been dealing with China for over 40 years is known as an "old friend of the Chinese people".On July 9, 1971, as the National Security Affairs Assistant to President Nixon's special envoy, Kissinger first set foot on Chinese soil and conducted a secret visit codenamed "Polo 1".At that time, due to the confidentiality of the entire visit, Kissinger quietly transferred from Islamabad, Pakistan to Beijing. In Beijing, Kissinger, who stayed for less than 48 hours, held talks with then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and others. This secret meeting has laid the foundation for further exchanges and communication between China and the United States.On February 21, 1972, Kissinger accompanied Nixon's visit to China, marking a significant moment in the normalization of Sino US relations.Kissinger once said that after his first visit to China, he has set foot on this land more than 100 times since then, "with new gains every time.".For many years, Kissinger has been paying attention to China, claiming his expertise to be "understanding every generation of Chinese leaders" and having a strong interest in "Chinese ideology and the Chinese people.". It is precisely based on this understanding that he values the positive role of the US China economic and trade relationship.Kissinger, who was familiar with China, published the book "On China" at the age of 88, attempting to understand China from a historical perspective, including the long history of US China economic and trade exchanges.
Data image: Kissinger's work: "On China".
Kissinger has emphasized more than once that cooperation between the United States and China is crucial for world peace and development. He said that he expects both the United States and China to confirm their joint commitment to building a peaceful and prosperous world order, and both sides should make friendship and cooperation their common goals and make unremitting efforts to achieve them.Kissinger occupies an important position in the history of American diplomacy, holds an indelible position, and is a witness to the history of China US relations along the way. Now, this old man has completed nearly a century of ups and downs in his life, and from then on, the diplomatic community has lost another legendary figure. An era also gradually traveled far away with his departure.
