The Biden White House expressed regret that Henry Kissinger still had better ties in Beijing than the current administration did, after news of his visit to Beijing as a private citizen made headlines, Reuters reported. Kissinger, the former US Secretary of State, who turned 100 in May this year remained the most influential figure in Beijing since his successful ping-pong diplomacy in 1971 pitting Communist China against its ideological mentor the then Soviet Union tilting the Cold War balance of power at that time.
U.S-China ties hit rock bottom with tough anti-China policies perused by both Donald Trump and the current Joe Biden Presidencies with a host of trade and technology bans besides the formation of influential strategic groupings like the Quad, consisting of the US, India, Japan, Australia, and AUKUS comprising Australia, US and UK, which China says are aimed at containing its rise. Kissinger’s current visit to Beijing comes after the trips by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen this month besides Washington’s top climate envoy John Kerry's tour to recalibrate the stalled relations, without much success.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who in stark contrast avoided meeting with the visiting US officials, however, drove to the opulent Diaoyutai state guest house in Beijing to meet Kissinger and sought his help to repair the China-US ties, welcoming an "old friend", Xi said in his meeting with the centenarian who US officials say is on a private trip.
Xi also expressed the hope that Kissinger and other leaders in Washington will continue to play a constructive role in bringing China-US relations back on the right track. This was echoed by the White House which said that it looked forward to hearing the details of Kissinger's visit once the influential former official returned, and of what he saw and heard.
Ahead of Xi’s meeting with Kissinger, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi and Chinese Defence Minister Gen. Li Shangfu, who is barred from visiting the US, also met him. Both have rejected meetings with their current American counterparts and top officials, but were happy to meet the grand old man in Beijing.
Wang said Kissinger’s historic contributions to the ice-breaking development of China-US relations in 1971 played an irreplaceable role in enhancing mutual understanding between the two countries. "China cherishes its friendship with old friends."
When asked about Kissinger’s visit to Beijing on Tuesday, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said he did not represent the US government. He added that Beijing informed Blinken of Kissinger’s plans during his own trip to China last month, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. However, as news of Kissinger's meetings came through, a response was quick. "It's unfortunate that a private citizen can meet with the defense minister and have a communication and the United States can't," added White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby later.
The Chinese foreign ministry in its own reaction to Kissinger’s visit said that although he was not in public office, he cared about US-China ties and supported recent efforts to improve relations.
