China’s Wang Yi calls for ‘Kissinger-style diplomatic wisdom’ as veteran US statesman visits Beijing

Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi urged the United States not to attempt to “transform” or “encircle” China, saying Washington needed “Kissinger-style diplomatic wisdom” as the veteran diplomat made a surprise visit to Beijing.

Wang met Henry Kissinger after an unexpected meeting on Tuesday between the 100-year-old former US secretary of state and Chinese Defence Minister General Li Shangfu.

Military dialogues between Beijing and Washington have been paused since last August, following then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan. A visit earlier this month by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken failed to make any progress on reviving communications between the two militaries.

Kissinger’s surprise visit, which coincided with a high-profile China trip by US climate envoy John Kerry, also raised questions about whether the centenarian statesman was acting as a backchannel for reopening defence dialogues.

Kerry is the third senior US official to visit China in recent weeks, following Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen as Washington and Beijing have begun to re-engage in an effort to ease tensions over trade, Taiwan, technology and other issues.