China mourns the “tremendous loss” of “a very valued old friend”
Former Secretary of the United States Department of State Henry Kissinger died this Wednesday night at the age of 100 at his home in Connecticut.
His consulting firm, Kissinger Associates, has reported that the burial will be a “private family service” and has added that “later” there will be a commemoration in New York City, according to a statement reported by CNN.
Kissinger, whose cause of death has not been revealed, is one of the most controversial American figures of the 20th century for being the greatest exponent of North American international policy of the time, in which he combined the normalization of relations with communist countries such as the Soviet Union or China at the same time that it fought leftist movements in Latin America.
The former diplomat served as White House National Security Advisor and Secretary of State during the Nixon Administration and, after his resignation over the Watergate scandal, continued his career with former President Gerald Ford.
During his mandate, he played a fundamental role in improving relations with China, in the negotiations to end the Yom Kippur War in the Middle East, in the United States’ exit from the Vietnam War and in the signing of the agreements on arms control with the Soviets.
The impact of Kissinger’s policies is the reason why he is considered the main architect of the geopolitical scenario after the Second World War with the United States at its head, which is why he has even been consulted by numerous American presidents, both Democrats. as republicans.
In addition to winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973, Kissinger was awarded numerous awards and recognitions such as the United States Army Bronze Star, the Presidential Medal of Freedom or the Medal of Freedom. Last May 27 he celebrated his centenary.
For his part, China’s ambassador to the United States, Xie Feng, has given his condolences to the family of the former diplomat, whose death he has considered a “tremendous loss” for both countries.
“I have been deeply shocked and saddened by the news of Kissinger’s death at the age of 100. My deepest condolences to Nancy (Kissinger, his wife) and his family. It is a tremendous loss for our two countries and for the world,” he published the diplomat on his social network account X, formerly Twitter.
In that sense, he has asserted that “history will remember (…) his contribution to relations between China and the United States,” and has stated that “he will always remain alive in the hearts of the Chinese people as a highly appreciated old friend.”
