State television and Chinese netizens on Thursday paid tribute to former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, considered a “long-time friend” of China, for his crucial role in improving relations between Beijing and Washington, AFP and Agerpres reported.

On Thursday, at the age of 100, an outstanding figure in American diplomacy, Henry Kissinger, Secretary of State under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, died.

Kissinger’s image was tarnished by dark pages in US history, such as his support for the 1973 coup in Chile, the 1975 invasion of East Timor and, of course, the Vietnam War.

But in China, Henry Kissinger has long been known as an “old friend of the Chinese people” because he was one of the main players in the rapprochement between Washington and Beijing in the 1970s, helping the Asian country overcome its isolation.

In the context of strained Sino-American relations in recent years, Henry Kissinger was perceived as a tireless champion of peaceful relations between the two world powers.

“This is a huge loss for our two countries and for the world,” Xie Feng, China’s ambassador to the US, responded on the X social network (formerly Twitter), saying he was “deeply saddened and saddened.”

“History will remember what this century brought to China-US relations, and it will always remain alive in the hearts of the Chinese people as a highly valued old friend,” he added.

In July 2023, Henry Kissinger visited China, where he also had a meeting with the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping.