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Opinion | Can China emerge from Kissinger’s long shadow over foreign policy with the US?
- Kissinger was often the first port of call for Chinese envoys visiting the United States and his expertise was appreciated by generations of academics and diplomats
- But the unanticipated election of Donald Trump in 2016 suggested that China’s observers were out of touch
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Henry Kissinger was a towering, yet divisive figure in US-China relations and one of the most prescient diplomatic thinkers of our time.
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His death last week at 100 raised many uneasy questions about his mixed legacy but it was also a reminder of a knowledge gap between Chinese and American foreign policy studies.
Until his last days, the former top American diplomat remained one of the most popular and sought-after Americans among Chinese leaders, diplomats and academics.
However, with bilateral ties trapped in their worst downward spiral since Kissinger’s secret 1971 trip to Beijing, China hawks, including many of his fellow Republicans, have argued that the opening to China under Richard Nixon was a mistake that did a disservice to America’s global interests.
Others, including some mainland-based analysts, are often sceptical of Beijing’s privileged treatment of Kissinger, his much-touted access to generations of Chinese and American leaders and his reportedly profitable consulting business.
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Despite his waning influence over the years, even his critics have to acknowledge the centenarian’s knowledge and expertise on both Chinese and American politics, which left an indelible influence on generations of diplomats and academics in both countries.
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