China's Xi Jinping meets Henry Kissinger in Beijing
Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger helped broker talks between then-U.S. President Richard Nixon and China's Mao Zedong, paving the way for normalized relations.
Veteran U.S. diplomat Henry Kissinger met with Chinese President Xi Jinping Thursday during a surprise visit to Beijing, according to state media.
The 100-year-old former U.S. Secretary of State was hosted by the Chinese premier at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, CCTV said in an online post.
Details of the talks were not disclosed, though a statement praised Kissinger as a "legendary diplomat" in reference to his prior work in negotiating U.S. rapprochement with China, according to a Google translation of the report.
"Chinese people value friendship, and we will never forget our old friend and your historic contribution to promoting the development of Sino-US relations and enhancing the friendship between the Chinese and American peoples," an additional report from official state news agency Xinhua quoted Xi as saying, according to Google translate.
The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on the meeting. However, Reuters reported that the White House said Kissinger was not visiting China on behalf of the U.S. government.
Kissinger's talks with Xi were his second unexpected meeting of the week, after the former diplomat spoke with China's Defense Minister Li Shangfu on Tuesday.
Source: CNBC
