“Over the years, Dr Kissinger always took an objective and friendly view of China’s development,” Wang said, adding the veteran diplomat firmly believed the two major powers should and must “coexist peacefully”.
Wang praised Kissinger for being “good at finding common ground and cooperation opportunities from the differences” between the two countries, which he said reflected his foresight as a strategist.
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Henry Kissinger dies at 100, leaves indelible mark on US foreign policy
Henry Kissinger dies at 100, leaves indelible mark on US foreign policy
Kissinger secretly flew to Beijing in July 1971 on a mission to pave the way for the establishment of relations with China, setting the stage for US president Richard Nixon’s historic visit to the country a year later.
Earlier this year, Kissinger warned in interviews about the dangers of worsening China-US ties, saying decoupling would lower living standards in both countries.
In his comments on Tuesday, Wang noted that the summit between Xi and his US counterpart Joe Biden in San Francisco last month was conducive to improving relations in a healthy, stable and sustainable direction.
The top diplomat said the two sides should implement the consensus reached by the two leaders. He added that he hoped the US would do more to improve understanding, strengthen cooperation and “take practical actions” to maintain stability and improve the momentum of bilateral ties.
At the embassy, members of the public, including students, businesspeople and scholars, laid flowers and signed the book of condolences for Kissinger, referring to him as a “good friend” of the Chinese people and “a great man of the age”.
“He is an envoy who opened the way for the improvement of China-US relations, very remarkable,” said a woman who gave her name as Huang. She added that she was concerned about bilateral ties.
“I am a mother of three and one of them has become a US citizen, and I do wish for the easing of tensions between the two countries,” Huang said.
One comment in the condolence book said Kissinger “witnessed more than 40 years of mainland China’s opening up and development”.
“You will be remembered by history,” it added.
Other common messages thanked the late diplomat for his contributions and expressed hopes for friendly relations between the US and China.
How Kissinger’s death marks end of an era for US-China relations
How Kissinger’s death marks end of an era for US-China relations
A photo of Kissinger attending the 1972 talks between chairman Mao Zedong and Nixon in China was placed at the site.
“He is well known in China. When I was a small kid, I learned about him, and my mother also remembered this great man,” said a Beijing resident surnamed Tang who works in the education industry.
“In the long term, I think China-US relations will head for a brighter path, despite the twists and turns sometimes in the short term.”
Qian Feng, a scholar of international relations at Tsinghua University in Beijing, was among the dozens of citizens visiting the embassy on Tuesday afternoon. He said peace and stability were in the shared interests of the two countries, which the “100-year-old man saw clearly”.
