Editor's note: Xin Ge, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is an associate professor at the School of Public Economics and Administration, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China, met former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on July 20, 2023, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing where Kissinger was received during his first visit to China in 1971.

President Xi especially noted that Kissinger had visited China over 100 times since 1971 when he helped "break the ice" between Beijing and Washington. Kissinger was a top U.S. diplomat and national security adviser at the White House in the 1970s and played a key role in normalizing China-U.S. ties under former U.S. President Richard Nixon. In the half-century that followed, the China-U.S. ties flourished until in recent years the relationship between the world's two largest economies has markedly soured.

"China and the United States have every reason to complement each other's success and achieve common prosperity, and the key is to follow the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation," Xi said. As a U.S. politician who has engaged extensively in bilateral communication between the U.S. and China, Kissinger highlighted the vital significance of stable relations between the two countries for sustaining world peace, stability and human welfare.

Kissinger's visit to China occurred at a crucial moment in the China-U.S. relationship. On one hand, there is an evident strain within their engagement. Since U.S. President Joe Biden assumed office, China has been identified as a strategic rival and subjected to various containment efforts, such as economic restrictions, trade limitations, military challenges, and technological barriers. Additionally, on the Taiwan question, the United States knows where China's red lines are, but still chose to deliberately provoke and challenge China's position, exacerbating the deterioration of China-U.S. ties.

During a recent interview with U.S. media in June, Kissinger discussed Sino-U.S. relations and the precarious nature of the Taiwan question. With a candid tone, he acknowledged that the prospects ahead appeared bleak, stating that the stand-off between the U.S. and China is at "the top of a precipice." He is not sure what the tension between the two countries will bring, but one clear realization he expressed was that "neither the U.S. nor China can afford the price of treating each other as enemies."

On the other hand, there has been a recent tendency towards detente in the China-U.S. relationship. Remarkably, within a span of just one month, key figures such as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and the U.S. president's special envoy for climate issues John Kerry, visited China, resuming high-level contacts between the two countries in the realms of diplomacy, economy and climate change. "The only way to prevent ruinous conflict is hard-headed diplomacy," this is Kissinger's point of view repeatedly emphasized. Undoubtedly, his visit serves as a concrete manifestation of this concept.

On July 19, Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Central Foreign Affairs Office, met with Kissinger and expressed admiration for his historical achievements.

"Kissinger has made historic contributions to the ice-breaking development of China-U.S. relations and played an irreplaceable role in enhancing mutual understanding between the two countries," remarked Wang. He emphasized that the United States requires diplomatic wisdom akin to Kissinger and political courage reminiscent of Nixon in their approach towards China.

Earlier this week, Kissinger also met with Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu. Li expressed concern that the reality of interdependence between the two nations had been disregarded, win-win cooperation history distorted, and the amicable atmosphere of communication disrupted. In response, Kissinger emphasized that comprehending and navigating U.S.-China relations, especially in order to reverse the current challenging situation, necessitates broad thinking, historical introspection, and philosophical speculation.

Nonetheless, against the backdrop of increased societal conflicts and polarized voters and politicians in the United States, a comprehensive, rational, and forward-looking China strategy coupled with diplomatic acumen seems to be lacking.

Beijing has been committed to building a stable, predictable and constructive China-U.S. relationship. Kissinger's prior concepts of "realism" and "balance of power diplomacy" have not only promoted the development of Sino-U.S. relations, but also safeguarded the national interests of the United States. These ideas also align with China's own national interests.

In fact, Kissinger, known for staunchly defending American interests, has also endeared himself to the Chinese people as an "old friend." This portrayal vividly exemplifies the three principles of "mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation" between China and the United States, highlighting the appropriate pathway for these two major countries to engage with each other.

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