Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger celebrated his 100th birthday
On May 27, the well-known American politician Henry Kissinger celebrated his 100th birthday.
Kissinger was an important party in breaking the ice in Sino-US relations in the 1970s, and has since become a participant, witness, witness and recorder of the ups and downs of Sino-US relations over the past 50 years. He is an "old friend of the Chinese people" and has published many books on Sino-American and international political diplomacy in China.
Kissinger was the first senior U.S. official to enter the territory of New China after 1949.
His secret visit to China in July 1971, 52 years ago, was the most important event on the international stage for the Nixon administration, the highlight of Kissinger's own career, and one of the most important geopolitical events of the last century.
At that time, China and the United States had been hostile for 22 years, and the two countries were in a state of complete isolation. In 1950-1953, the two countries also fought a bloody war on the Korean Peninsula.
Kissinger, who visited China as the US president's assistant for national security affairs, became the third most powerful person in the US government from 1973 to 1977.
Kissinger experienced first-hand the rise and end of the decades-long Cold War between East and West, and was known as a ruthless realist. He was one of the masterminds of the West's Cold War strategy.
"The mission he has been pursuing for most of a century is to serve his country with his rare brain and tireless energy--- which saved his family and set him on a journey beyond his wildest dreams." Kissinger's son, David Kissinger, wrote in The Washington Post.
American historian Neil Ferguson argued in his book Kissinger: The Idealist that Kissinger took advantage of the rupture in Sino-Soviet relations to break the ice.
One of Kissinger's political philosophies is not to make any one country too powerful, otherwise it will not benefit the balance of power in the region as a whole and the world.
Until now, in a recent interview with The Economist, he reiterated this point: neither the United States nor China wants to see the other too powerful, and both see each other as a threat to each other's existence. He is a master of balance.
American historian Neil Ferguson's commemorative article on Kissinger's centennial
Kissinger said in an interview with The Economist that the fate of mankind depends on whether the United States and China can live in peace, but the two countries have embarked on a path of "conflict."
He also said the two sides should try to use more cautious rhetoric to ease tensions in the Taiwan region and set up an advisory group to lay the groundwork for a meeting between the leaders of the two countries.
Kissinger believes that the United States and China are the world's biggest threats. Whether it is possible for China and the United States to establish a relationship that will help reduce the risk of conflict is a big question.
"If the leaders of the two countries meet, hopefully the president of the United States will say: Mr. President, the greatest danger facing the world right now is the two of us. In a sense, we have the ability to destroy humanity, and I think we should agree between ourselves to try to avoid that situation as much as possible. He said.
Two months ago, on March 26, Kissinger said in an interview with Spanish media outlet Mundo that the second Cold War would be more dangerous than the first.
A new Cold War could break out between China and the United States, and Beijing and Washington are now rivals. He believed that the two countries had comparable economic resources, which was not the case during the First Cold War, that the Soviet Union's economic power could not be compared with that of the United States, and that the economic ties between the United States and the Soviet Union were much smaller than they were now.
On the occasion of his 100th birthday, in an interview published by the Wall Street Journal on May 27, Kissinger believed that it is impossible to find a solution to the Taiwan issue now and that the status quo should be maintained.
"There is no solution other than time... I welcome a formula that will sustain the current state of affairs for several years, for example, during which the two sides will not threaten each other or restrict the deployment of their troops. ”
After the then Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August last year, the situation in the Taiwan Strait deteriorated sharply, and the struggle between China and the United States became more intense.
Carefully considering the above comments of Kissinger, a century-old man of the "Cold War era", it can be considered that he is pessimistic about the current situation of Sino-US relations; It is also pessimistic about the future. Moreover, there is no solution.
He is realistic and outdated. After all, the old Cold War era has ended, and it will take time to verify what the new Cold War looks like.
Many of Kissinger's views on the second major event in today's world, Russia's war with Ukraine, are characteristic of the Cold War. For example, he said:
Kissinger's views recently
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Kissinger argued that Ukraine should not try to take back Crimea, as this could negatively affect the entire world.
"Sevastopol (on the Crimean peninsula) has never historically belonged to Ukraine, and for Russia, the loss of the city will be a blow and the integrity of the country will be threatened."
In March 2014, through a so-called "referendum" under Russian control, Crimea and Sevastopol "seceded from Ukraine and joined Russia" and were incorporated into Russian territory. However, Ukraine still considers Crimea to be a territory temporarily occupied by the Russians. The UN and most countries of the world do not recognize Russia's annexation of territories.
Kissinger also said, "I think that proposing Ukraine to join NATO is a serious mistake that led to this war." ”
But he also said that after the end of this conflict, Ukraine should join NATO.
"I am in an ironic position: I am alone when I oppose Ukraine's entry into NATO; And when I supported joining NATO, I was almost alone. ”
Kissinger's remarks are like those of Putin or Medvedev.
Perhaps, Kissinger is still in the logical framework of the Cold War era, as are Putin and Medvedev. The difference is that Kissinger has been away from the center of American power for decades.
So, 30 years after the end of the Cold War, why is Putin still there waiting to meet Kissinger.
Living in history is a pity after all.
Back in history, it is even more regrettable, painful and tragic.
This may be the biggest regret of the centenarian Kissinger.
In 60 years, Sino-US relations have turned in a circle on the track of years.
Profile photo: Nixon's visit to China