China pays tribute to former US president Jimmy Carter, ‘promoter’ of diplomatic ties
Human rights champion welcomed Deng Xiaoping to White House in landmark 1979 trip capping official diplomatic ties between Beijing and Washington
Carter died on Sunday aged 100. He had been in hospice care since February 2023.
“Our founder, former US President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the Carter Centre said in a social media post about his death. The centre added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family.
“My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace,” Chip Carter, the former president’s son, added in a statement. “The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honouring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.”
Tributes poured in from around the world.
“Today, America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian,” said US President Joe Biden, who was the first senator to endorse Carter for the presidency in 1976.