China mourns Kissinger — ‘a most valued old friend’

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Hong Kong CNN —

The death of Henry Kissinger on Wednesday saw the loss of a diplomat Beijing has long considered a trusted friend, with China’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday hailing the former American secretary of state as “a pioneer and architect of China-US relations” for his central role in the establishment of bilateral ties.

Paying tribute to the late statesman during a regular press briefing, ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said “the Chinese people will remember Dr. Kissinger’s sincere devotion and important contributions to China-US relations.”

Chinese leader Xi Jinping had sent his condolences to President Joe Biden, Wang added.

Kissinger’s death was also mourned on Chinese social media Thursday, where his passing became the top trending topic on heavily moderated microblogging site Weibo with more than 400 million views.

“Farewell, old friend of the Chinese people,” said a top comment with thousands of likes.

“The person who started a period of history has finally become history,” another comment said.

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