President Xi meets with China's 'old friend' Henry Kissinger in Beijing, Washington says visit was not on behalf of US gov't

Reuters
Thu, 20 Jul 2023 08:45 UTC

© Weibo

Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger meets President Xi Jinping during the elder statesman’s visit to China this week. :

China's President Xi Jinping met with veteran U.S. diplomat Henry Kissinger in Beijing, state media reported on Thursday.

He met with Xi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, CCTV reported. No further details on the talks were disclosed.

Kissinger, 100, has also met with China's top diplomat Wang Yi and with Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu in the past few days while in Beijing

Kissinger served as U.S. secretary of state and national security advisor in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, and played a key diplomatic role in normalising ties between Washington and Beijing in the 1970s.

Washington said it was aware of Kissinger's trip to China this week, but noted he was not acting on behalf of the U.S. government.

Kissinger has visited China regularly since leaving office.

Comment: Note that in recent months China has rejected meetings with certain other, official, US reps: Blinken's visit to Vietnam will be a test for Hanoi-Moscow relations, China rejects offer of visit by Secretary of State

Footage of the meeting: