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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

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Henry Kissinger in 2015. File photo: Reuters

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.

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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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In July this year he made a surprise visit to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who spoke fondly of “old friend” Kissinger.

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China treats ‘old friend’ Kissinger to a lavish lunch

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.

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