Kissinger made a surprise visit to China and met with the Minister of Defense

Henry A. Kissinger, the century-old former secretary of state who pushed for a more conciliatory approach toward China, made a surprise visit to Beijing and met with China’s defense minister.

Mr Kissinger’s previously unannounced visit coincides with a series of trips to China by current US officials. Mr. Kissinger paved the way for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and China more than 50 years ago under President Richard M. Nixons. Attempts to stabilize US-China relations.

On Tuesday, the same day Kissinger met with the defense secretary, John Kerry, President Biden’s special envoy for climate change, also met with officials in the Chinese capital.

But while other U.S. officials have received varying degrees of lukewarmness or scolding from Chinese officials or state media, reflecting geopolitical tensions, Defense Description The meeting with Mr. Kissinger was more heated.

The fact that Kissinger made contact with Defense Secretary Li Shangfu is notable: Last month, China rejected Li Shangfu’s request to meet Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III at a forum in Singapore. (China blames U.S. sanctions on Mr Li for the refusal.)

A State Department spokesman told reporters at a regular briefing on Tuesday that the Biden administration was aware of Kissinger’s plans to travel to China. But spokesman Matthew Miller said Kissinger was acting voluntarily and not on behalf of the US government.

However, Miller noted that Kissinger has briefed U.S. officials on his past interactions with Chinese officials and that similar conversations may follow the trip.

According to the Ministry of National Defense, when meeting with Kissinger, Li Keqiang expressed the hope that the United States and China will work together to promote the healthy and stable development of the relationship between the two countries and the two militaries. statement.

Kissinger also called for greater communication between the two militaries, the statement said.

Blinken, the current secretary of state, visited Beijing last month, the first in a series of recent trips, and Chinese officials again rejected requests to reopen direct military communications channels.

Shortly after Blinken’s visit, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also traveled to Beijing.

When Li Keqiang talked with Kissinger, he also criticized some people in the United States for not meeting China halfway, destroying the atmosphere of friendly communication.

The Ministry of National Defense stated that Kissinger had said that he came as a friend of China, and that the two countries should eliminate misunderstandings, coexist peacefully and avoid confrontation.

It was unclear how long Kissinger would be in Beijing or whether he would meet with other officials, including Chinese leader Xi Jinping. In 2019, President Xi Jinping met with Mr. Kissinger in Beijing. President Xi Jinping told Mr. Kissinger that he hoped that he would be healthier in the years to come and continue to be a promoter and contributor to Sino-US relations. According to Xinhua News AgencyChina National News Agency.

Chinese state media has long lavished Kissinger’s praise, especially as a foil to the tougher stance taken by recent U.S. presidential administrations toward Beijing.

in a Articles for MayOn the 100th anniversary of Mr. Kissinger’s birth, the party-run nationalist tabloid Global Times called Mr. Kissinger a legend who still maintains his great ideas on US-China relations, clearly warning Washington Do not create an adversarial relationship.