BEIJING: Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, conveyed to former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Wednesday that it is “impossible to contain or encircle” China. During a meeting in Beijing, Wang Yi praises the former US secretary of state for his influential role in opening up relations between Washington and Beijing.
Wang Yi expressed China’s unwavering momentum of development and emphasized the historical inevitability of its progress, as stated in a foreign ministry press release.
Wang highlighted the enduring “friendship established with old friends” and commended Kissinger for his historic contributions to the groundbreaking development of China-US relations. China’s policy towards the United States, Wang stated, maintains a consistent approach based on President Xi Jinping’s proposed guidelines of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation.
US, China Engagements
Emphasizing the significance of these three fundamental and long-term guidelines, Wang underlined that they represent the right way for China and the United States, as two major countries, to engage with each other. He further asserted that the US policy toward China requires the diplomatic wisdom of Kissinger and the political courage exhibited by former US President Richard Nixon, who played a pivotal role in establishing diplomatic ties with Communist-run China.
In a covert trip to Beijing in July 1971, Kissinger, then the US national security advisor, initiated the groundwork for diplomatic relations with China. This visit paved the way for Nixon’s landmark visit, which aimed to redefine the dynamics of the Cold War and garner support in ending the Vietnam War. Washington’s decision to engage with China, previously isolated on the international stage, played a crucial role in its subsequent transformation into a manufacturing powerhouse and the world’s largest economy, second only to the United States.
Following his tenure, Kissinger has amassed wealth by advising businesses on China and has expressed concerns about the hawkish shift in US policy toward the country.
