Henry Kissinger, former US secretary of state, dead at 100
- Henry Kissinger was one of the most influential and contentious figures in US foreign policy
- China’s President Xi Jinping spoke fondly of ‘old friend’ Kissinger when hosting him in July
Henry Kissinger, a controversial Nobel Peace Prize winner and diplomatic powerhouse whose service under two presidents left an indelible mark on US foreign policy, died on Wednesday at age 100, according to his geopolitical consulting firm Kissinger Associates Inc.
Kissinger died at his home in Connecticut, the firm said in a statement. No mention was made of the circumstances. It said he would be interred at a private family service, to be followed at a later date by a public memorial service in New York City.
Kissinger had been active past his centenary, attending meetings in the White House, publishing a book on leadership styles, and testifying before a Senate committee about the nuclear threat posed by North Korea.
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China treats ‘old friend’ Kissinger to a lavish lunch
In his time as a US secretary of state, he dramatically shifted US relations in the Cold War, in Vietnam, and in China.
Kissinger secretly flew to Beijing in July 1971 on a mission to establish relations with China, setting the stage for a landmark visit by President Richard Nixon who sought both to shake up the Cold War and enlist help ending the Vietnam war.
