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Opinion | Beijing’s red carpet welcome for Kissinger is a hopeful reminder of how US-China ties can be
- Kissinger’s warm reception shows Beijing is in favour of cooperation and offers much-needed hope to the world that US-China diplomacy can make a comeback
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The problem with living in the moment is that it would be ridiculous to ignore the precariousness of the future given the way things are – there’s war, persistent tensions and conflicts, and leaders hell-bent on drawing lines, lighting more fires and flashpoints.
Even if one insists on shutting out the future, living in the moment demands we be hot and bothered by what scientists are saying is likely to be the earth’s hottest month on record.
Let that sink in. We are quickly headed to hell unless a miracle happens.
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And here’s me hoping that Henry Kissinger’s recent Beijing visit can put diplomacy back into the world’s orbit and eject reckless and dangerous sophomoric high-school talk into oblivion.
What constitutes stupid talk? Let’s consider the psychodrama over whether US President Joe Biden sees his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as “an old friend” back in November 2021. In their first video talk, Xi called Biden “lao peng you”, or old friend. That Biden’s team had to stress that Biden and Xi were no backslapping buddies should have raised red flags.
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When even common courtesy – recognising that being old friends on the world stage is a basis for goodwill and a nuanced way of starting afresh – is rebuffed, it signifies a very low low.
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