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Obituary | Charming, controversial Henry Kissinger steered establishment of US-China ties
- The former secretary of state is best known for helping then president Richard Nixon establish relations with Beijing
- He also played a controversial role in US foreign policy during the war in Vietnam
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Mark Magnierin New York
Henry Alfred Kissinger, the American diplomat, consultant and politician who served as US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser under the presidential administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, died on Wednesday, aged 100.
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Kissinger – a controversial Nobel Peace Prize winner best known for helping Nixon establish relations with China and for his role in the Vietnam war – left an indelible mark on the latter half of the 20th century, particularly his role in US foreign policy from 1969 to 1977.
He died at his home in Connecticut, according to his geopolitical consultancy firm Kissinger Associates.
When he became White House national security adviser in 1969, Kissinger was initially disinterested in China. But in 1971 at Nixon’s behest, he made two trips to Beijing – the first in secret.
His negotiations with premier Zhou Enlai – over what remains the most fraught issue in US-China relations, Taiwan – paved the way for Nixon’s historic trip.
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The major sticking points – US military support for the self-governing island and whether the United Nations would recognise Beijing or Taipei – were ultimately finessed with a series of communiques, assurances and laws.
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Nixon in China: How a US presidential trip made history 50 years ago
Nixon in China: How a US presidential trip made history 50 years ago
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