Jakarta, IO – On 20 July Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out that Henry Kissinger had recently celebrated his 100th birthday and had visited the People’s Republic of China more than a hundred times. The combination of these two “hundreds” makes this time’s visit to the People’s Republic of China particularly significant.
Kissinger’s trip to Chinese soil was preceded by the visit of Xie Feng, the new Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the United States of America. The diplomat travelled to Kent, Connecticut, to meet Kissinger and express the congratulations of the People’s Republic of China on his 100th birthday. The two sides exchanged in-depth views on Sino-US relations and international and regional issues of common interest.
Fifty-two years ago, the People’s Republic of China and the United States of America were at a critical turning point. Chairman Mao Zedong, Prime Minister Zhou Enlai, President Richard Nixon and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger made the right choice of Sino-US cooperation with an outstanding strategic vision, and initiated the process of normalising Sino-US relations. That breakthrough changed the two countries and led the world into a state of greater detente, not forgetting that the Helsinki Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, held in the Finnish capital in July-August 1975, saw Henry Kissinger, who became the 56th US Secretary of State, as one of the major grey eminences of that diplomatic event. It was a new Congress of Vienna where the new “Metternich/ Talleyrand” had a big say in the matter behind the scenes.
The Chinese value and appreciate friendship and do not forget their old friend and his historic contribution to promoting the development of mutual relations and strengthening friendship between the Chinese and American peoples. The world is currently undergoing major changes never seen in a century in the international structure. The People’s Republic of China and the United States of America are once again at a crossroads to decide where to go, and both sides are forced to make fundamental choices.
Looking ahead, China and the Unites States can achieve mutual success and common prosperity. The key is to follow the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. It is on this basis that the People’s Republic of China is willing to discuss with the United States how the two countries can get along and promote the steady development of contacts, which is beneficial to both sides and especially to the rest of the world.
In this regard, it is hoped that Kissinger and those with special foreign policy insight in the United States – who are not the faint-hearted figure who pro forma continues to hold the role of Head of State – will continue to play a constructive role in putting the US-China relationship back on the right track it took more than half a century ago.
In his meeting with Xi Jinping, Kissinger expressed his gratitude to the Chinese President for having met him in the same building where Kissinger had secretly seen senior Chinese leaders on 9-11 July during his first visit to the People’s Republic of China.