Henry Kissinger Makes Surprise Visit to ChinaBy Susie Moore
July 19, 2023
I have a somewhat embarrassing confession to make: I did not realize Henry Kissinger was still with us. Indeed, he is, only it turns out, he’s presently in China. In a surprise move, the 100-year-old former Secretary of State traveled to Beijing to meet with Li Shangfu, China’s Defense Minister, on Tuesday.
https://twitter.com/IndoPac_Info/status/1681321561905860610According to the U.S. State Department, Kissinger’s visit is not on behalf of the U.S. government but rather as a private citizen. Still, the timing of the visit, on the heels of recent visits by current Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and concurrent with former Secretary of State and current climate envoy John Kerry, does raise some questions.
So what was the purpose of Kissinger’s visit?
During the surprise visit, Kissinger said he was a friend of China and encouraged both countries to cooperate more closely, according to the statement.
“The United States and China should eliminate misunderstandings, coexist peacefully and avoid confrontation. History and practice have continually proved that neither the United States nor China can afford to treat the other as an adversary,” Kissinger said, according to a Reuters translation.
Without naming names, Li said that “some people in the U.S.” had previously failed to meet China halfway, causing Sino-U.S. relations to fall to their lowest point.
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Source:
https://redstate.com/smoosieq/2023/07/19/henry-kissinger-makes-surprise-visit-to-china-n778712
