White House Regrets As Xi Jinping Hails 'Old Friend' Henry Kissinger: 'Unfortunate A Private Citizen Can Have A Communication And United States Can't'

Chinese leader Xi Jinping hailed Henry Kissinger as an “old friend” during a surprise visit by the former U.S. secretary of state to Beijing.

What Happened: During the meeting, Xi acknowledged Kissinger’s historic contribution to the development of China-U.S. relations and the enhancement of friendship between the duo, CNN reports.

The meeting took place at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, a diplomatic complex where Kissinger was first received during his inaugural visit to China in 1971.

Kissinger, who has visited China over 100 times since his first visit, was thanked by Xi for his efforts to enhance mutual understanding between the two nations.

See Also: Xi Jinping May Meet Joe Biden Later This Year, Hints White House Special Envoy John Kerry Ahead Of Meeting

Why It Matters: This meeting is significant as it comes at a time when relations between the world’s two largest economies have deteriorated markedly. It comes amidst a series of trips to Beijing by the U.S. cabinet officials, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

The White House acknowledged that it was aware of the trip and called it a private visit by a citizen.

The White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said, “It’s unfortunate that a private citizen can meet with the defense minister and have a communication and the United States can’t.”

“That is something that we want to solve. This is why we continue to try to get the military lines of communication back open because when they’re not open and you have a time like this when tensions are high, miscalculations also, then the risk goes high.”

Meanwhile, Kissinger was recently a target of Russian pranksters who posed as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to multiple media reports, Kissinger allegedly confessed that Washington had assured Moscow of the abandonment of NATO's plans for eastward expansion.

Image Credits – Shutterstock

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