China has been receiving high-level officials from the United States, and Henry Kissinger is the latest example. The reception of prominent businessmen and former politicians demonstrates Beijing’s intention to create alternative channels of communication with the U.S
Former U.S. Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, traveled to Beijing on a trip that was not sanctioned by the U.S. government. During his visit to China, he had meetings at the highest level, starting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the director of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission, Wang Yi, and the Minister of Defense, Li Shangfu. The latter, Li Shangfu had previously declined a meeting with his American counterpart, Lloyd Austin, in June.
The resumption of relations between China and the United States is relatively recent. In fact, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s trip to Beijing on June 18 was the first official visit by the Biden administration to China, three years after assuming the presidency of the country in 2021. Shortly thereafter, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen made the same trip to meet her Chinese counterpart on July 6. However, the reception was not particularly warm, with the Chinese government emphasizing that there is still a lot to be done to normalize relations.
This is in contrast to the way Henry Kissinger was received. Despite not being part of the Biden administration, he met with the highest-ranking officials in China, something that the United States itself is finding difficult. The U.S. National Security Council spokesperson stated, “It is regrettable that a private citizen can meet with the Minister of Defense, and the United States cannot.” He also stated that the U.S. government was aware of Kissinger’s trip in advance and is curious to hear what he has to say.
It is worth noting that Kissinger was the Secretary of State under President Richard Nixon. Fifty-two years ago, in July 1971, he made a secret trip to Beijing to normalize U.S.-China relations, which he succeeded in doing. More than half a century later, he is still seen by many in Beijing as a “friend of China.”
In May, the state-run media outlet Global Times even praised Kissinger’s “sharp mind” and his concern about the path that relations between the two powers have taken in recent years.
During the meeting with the former U.S. politician, President Xi referred to him as an “old friend” and emphasized the significance of the episode 52 years ago. Xi said, “We never forget our old friends, nor the historical contribution to promoting the growth of U.S.-China relations and increasing friendship between our people.” Last week, state media outlet Xinhua wrote that “the decision has brought benefits to the two countries and changed the world”. Kissinger, now 100 years old, has also been to China more than 100 times, a fact highlighted by Xi during the meeting. “These two 100s give special significance to this visit,” he said. Given the current geopolitical context, Xi stressed that China and the United States are once again at a crossroads that requires a decision from both sides on how to proceed.
According to the Chinese leader, the key is to follow the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation. Xi stated, “China is ready to explore with the United States the right way for the two countries to get along based on these principles,” and he hopes that Kissinger will be one of the voices in the United States that can help rebuild the relationship.
Kissinger said that it is imperative to maintain the principles established in the Shanghai Communiqué and to respect the importance China places on the One China principle. He emphasized that the relationship between the two countries will be central to world peace and the progress of their societies. Kissinger stressed that despite the difficulties, both parties must treat each other as equals and maintain contact. He believes it is unacceptable to attempt to isolate or separate from each other.
“The United States’ policy towards China requires diplomatic wisdom in the style of Kissinger and political courage in the style of Nixon,” said Wang Yi, the director of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission, after meeting with Kissinger.
As Beijing has not found resonance among Democrats and Republicans in the U.S., it has also been focused on receiving business leaders, and this time, Kissinger. Zhu Feng, a professor of international relations at Nanjing University, stated in an interview with The New York Times that Kissinger’s visit demonstrates that Beijing wants to “persuade American political elites to reduce their strategic repression towards China,” at a time when voices like Kissinger’s “are increasingly rare in Washington.”
“This looks very much like a deliberate Chinese strategy” to court individuals who can help change opinions in Washington, said Dennis Wilder, former China analysis director at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), as quoted by The New York Times. “China is encouraging those who have a special interest in the Chinese economy and global relationship.”
Chinese authorities have been courting not only politicians but also business leaders from the United States, such as Bill Gates and Elon Musk, who have visited China for meetings with high-level representatives. These visits have been seen as an effort to promote China’s reopening after the pandemic and highlight the long-standing relationship and the dangers inherent in an economic war.
“When Musk visited China, he was hailed as an advocate for trade openness between the United States and China . These visits are also an opportunity for China to show foreign companies that they can trust the Chinese market. ‘Musk’s trip demonstrated the firm confidence of American companies in the Chinese market, despite the noises of ‘decoupling’ from some Western politicians,’ wrote the Global Times, a state-run media outlet.”
These efforts are particularly crucial as some American consulting firms, like Bain & Company, have experienced office raids or personnel interrogations by Chinese authorities, which has raised concerns among foreign businesses according to Yun Sun, the director of the China Program at the Stimson Center in Washington. “China, in general, wants to retain foreign investors, and the ones that have been attracted are large high-tech companies that can still see the appeal of the Chinese market,” as quoted by The New York Times. “China wants to demonstrate that cooperation and compliance with Beijing’s rules are rewarding.
Zheng Yongnian, a professor of politics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), believes that if the current trend between the two countries persists, there will be a war “in the next five to 10 years.” In an interview published by Xiakedao, a WeChat account belonging to the People’s Daily, another Chinese state-run media outlet, he stated, “The recent visits by high-level American officials to China are important. But these visits and the issues they addressed do not change the key factor of China-US relations.”
“In the past, the key factor that led the US and the Soviet Union to sit down for real negotiations was nuclear weapons, and mutual nuclear deterrence created an armed peace. Currently, Kissinger believes that the basis for genuine negotiations between China and the US is artificial intelligence technology.” The academic explains that the high-level meetings with Kissinger serve to “send a positive signal that China wants to resume dialogue and contribute to global stability.”
In his opinion, the powers cannot reach the point of no return because “a war would be a disaster not only for China and the United States but also for the entire world.” Therefore, “both sides consider it necessary to keep communication channels open.” However, Beijing warns that it “must have a correct understanding of the US.”
“As the US views China as a competitor, the country’s major think tanks are focusing their research power on China. This leads to many people who do not understand and study China (…), and those who truly understand are labeled as ‘pro-China’ and excluded from key circles.”
For this reason, he advises a “strategic posture” on the part of China, “which should not become like the Soviet Union or the US,” but instead follow a “path of rise with Chinese characteristics.” “The three global initiatives on security, development, and civilization that it has presented are very good and should be followed accordingly.”
