On November 29, local time, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger passed away at his home in Connecticut at the age of 100. Kissinger had a legendary life. He served as the U.S. Secretary of State in the 1970s and had a great influence on U.S. foreign policy. Former U.S. President Ford called him "the greatest Secretary of State in U.S. history." During his political career, he also made outstanding contributions to Sino-US relations.

Today, this "old friend of the Chinese people" who has a sharp vision and a thorough understanding of world affairs has completed his legendary life.

From academia to politics, an instant hit

Kissinger was born in Germany in 1923 and is of Jewish descent. In 1938, because he could not bear the persecution of Jews by the Nazis, his family moved to the United Kingdom. In the same year, he transferred to the United States and became a naturalized American citizen in 1943.

During World War II, Kissinger served in the U.S. Army and studied political science at Harvard University after the war. Kissinger received a Master of Arts in 1952 and a Doctor of Philosophy in 1954.

Before entering politics, Kissinger focused on academics. He served as executive director of the National Defense Studies Program at Harvard University, director of the Defense Studies Program, professor at Harvard University, and director of the Center for International Studies at Harvard University. He has rich experience.

In "Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy" published in 1957, Kissinger first proposed the theory of limited war, making him an instant celebrity in the academic world and the field of foreign policy research.

During the 1968 presidential campaign, Kissinger served as Nelson Rockefeller's foreign policy adviser, but Nixon defeated Rockefeller and ultimately won the election.

During the campaign, Nixon took a fancy to Kissinger's diplomatic talents and decided to hire Kissinger as the president's national security assistant. In this way, in January 1969, Kissinger left Harvard Campus and took office in Washington, realizing the transition from academia to politics.

Important figures influencing U.S. foreign policy

After entering politics, Kissinger served as President Nixon's national security adviser and director of the National Security Council from 1969 to 1974.

During this period, on September 22, 1973, the 50-year-old Kissinger officially took office as the Secretary of State of the United States. He became the first Secretary of State of non-American origin in the history of the United States, and the first Secretary of State to concurrently serve as National Security Assistant.

During the administrations of Presidents Nixon and Ford, Henry Kissinger served as the U.S. National Security Advisor and Secretary of State, exerting significant influence on U.S. foreign policy. During his tenure, he promoted "balance of power diplomacy" and implemented a moderation policy towards the then Soviet Union; and pioneered "shuttle diplomacy" on the Middle East issue.

While serving as the President's Assistant for National Security Affairs, Kissinger secretly visited China on July 9, 1971, laying a good foundation for the establishment of diplomacy between China and the United States. In February 1972, Kissinger accompanied President Nixon on his visit to China.

Kissinger was also a major American figure in the negotiations to end the Vietnam War. In January 1973, he completed negotiations in Paris to end the Vietnam War.

In 1977, Kissinger resigned from the government. In January of that year, then-US President Ford awarded Kissinger the Presidential Medal of Freedom and praised him as "the greatest Secretary of State in American history."

Since then, Kissinger has also served as a visiting professor at Georgetown University, a consultant to the National Broadcasting Corporation, chairman of the International Advisory Committee of Chase Manhattan Bank, an analyst for ABC News, and chairman of the U.S.-China Association.

"Old friend of the Chinese people"

Among ordinary Chinese people, Kissinger is a highly recognized name when it comes to American politicians. This "China expert" who has been dealing with China for more than 40 years is known as "an old friend of the Chinese people."

On July 9, 1971, as the national security assistant of US President Richard Nixon's special envoy, Kissinger set foot on Chinese soil for the first time, carrying out a secret visit code-named "Polo 1".

At that time, because the entire visit was kept secret, Kissinger quietly transferred from Islamabad, Pakistan to Beijing.

In Beijing, Kissinger, who stayed for less than 48 hours, held talks with Zhou Enlai, then Premier of the State Council of China, and others. This secret meeting laid the foundation for further exchanges and communication between China and the United States.

On February 21, 1972, Kissinger accompanied Nixon on his visit to China, marking a landmark moment in the normalization of Sino-US relations.

Kissinger once said that after his first visit to China, he has set foot on this land more than 100 times since then, "every time there will be new gains."

Kissinger has been paying attention to China for many years, claiming that his expertise is "understanding every generation of leaders in China" and that he has "a strong interest in Chinese thought and the Chinese people." It is based on this understanding that he attaches great importance to the positive role of US-China economic and trade relations.

Kissinger, who was familiar with China, published the book "On China" when he was 88 years old, trying to understand China from a historical perspective, including understanding the long history of economic and trade exchanges between the United States and China.

Kissinger emphasized more than once that US-China cooperation is crucial to world peace and development. He said, "We look forward to both the United States and China confirming their joint commitment to building a peaceful and prosperous world order." Both sides should regard friendship and cooperation as their common goals and make unremitting efforts to this end.

Kissinger occupies an important position in the history of American diplomacy and has an indelible status. He is also a historical witness of the development of Sino-US relations. Now, this old man has completed his stormy life of nearly a century. Since then, the diplomatic community has lost another legendary figure. An era has gradually moved away with his departure.