IndiaTheNews Exclusive: What is going on in America’s mind? Why was 100 year old Henry Kissinger sent to improve relations with China? Why did Xinping come running to meet?

This week in IndiaTheNews News Network’s special program Shaurya Path, we wanted to know from Brigadier Shri DS Tripathi (Retd) that former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has come via China. Are America and China looking far away looking for a way to come closer? In response, he said that the US government is under pressure from business houses to improve relations with China as there is a huge trade imbalance. That’s why you saw recently that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken came via China. Apart from the Chinese Foreign Minister, Blinken also had extensive talks with the Chinese President. Apart from this, America’s National Security Advisor Nicholas Burns also came via China. America’s Finance Minister Janet Yellen has also come via China. Apart from this, America’s top climate envoy John Kerry also visited China recently. Now above all this America sent former foreign minister Henry Kissinger to China.

Brigadier Shri DS Tripathi (Retd) said that Kissinger’s image is that of a friend in China. Kissinger has been saying from the beginning that friendship with China should be maintained. In 1971, when Kissinger visited China as Foreign Minister, the then US President Richard Nixon started improving relations with China. Kissinger’s visit to America is also significant in that he traveled to China for the country despite being 100 years old. US President Biden himself is 80 years old but he took the help of 100-year-old Kissinger on the China issue. But here questions also arise on the duplicity of America. On one hand, it is taking initiative to improve relations with China, but on the other hand it has also made a strategy to encircle China in the Indo-Pacific region by forming Quad and many other groups.

Brigadier Shri DS Tripathi (Retd) said that as far as Kissinger’s visit to China is concerned, the Chinese President gave him full respect. Xi Jinping has told former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger that his country is ready for talks with the United States to mend its derailed ties. He urged the veteran US diplomat to help mend ties as he had done by establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries 50 years ago.

Brigadier Shri DS Tripathi (Retd) said that Jinping avoids meeting US officials visiting China but he reached Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guest House to meet Kissinger and sought his help in improving Sino-US relations. It was in this guest house that Kissinger met Chinese leaders during his first visit to Beijing in 1971 to establish diplomatic relations. Then the President of America was Richard Nixon. Jinping said during the meeting with Kissinger that 52 years ago, at a turning point in China-US relations, Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Tse-tung, Premier Zhou Enlai, US President Nixon and Kissinger, with remarkable strategic vision, made the right choice of cooperation between China and the US. The Chinese President said that this not only benefited both the countries, but also changed the world.

Brigadier Shri DS Tripathi (Retd) said that looking into the future, Jinping said, China and the US have every reason to support each other’s success and achieve shared prosperity. He said that it will be important to follow the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and beneficial partnership. He said that on this basis, China is ready to hold discussions with the US to promote friendly relations between the two countries and steady development of bilateral relations. It will be beneficial for both the parties as well as for the whole world. Xi expressed hope that Kissinger and other leaders in Washington would continue to play a constructive role in getting China-US relations back on track. Prior to Jinping’s meeting with Kissinger, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi and Chinese Defense Minister General Li Shangfu also met the former US Secretary of State.

Brigadier Shri DS Tripathi (Retd) said that it also needs to be noted here that former US President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden have adopted tough policies against China which include imposing trade and technical sanctions as well as formation of influential strategic groups like Quad and AUCS. The Quad comprises the US, India, Japan and Australia while the Aucus comprises Australia, the US and the UK. Regarding these, China says that the purpose of these groups is to stop its rise. Because of this the relations between the two countries have deteriorated considerably.

Brigadier Shri DS Tripathi (Retd) said that although now the relations between the two countries are showing improvement. Recently, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that meeting the needs of the global economy is a shared responsibility of the US and China and unless the two countries cooperate, it is difficult to imagine any progress in tackling global challenges. Yellen said that the slowdown of the Chinese economy is very important from the point of view of the global economy, because China is a big importer for many countries around the world. We have a shared responsibility to address the needs of the global economy, in addition to expressing and discussing concerns that each of us honestly and candidly have in bilateral engagement in the relationship, he said. And indeed, unless the United States and China cooperate, it is difficult to imagine that progress can be made toward finding solutions to global challenges. Yellen said she had discussed the issue with her Chinese counterparts during her recent visit to China. He said Chinese leaders told him that the business environment here was open and friendly and that they wanted foreign investment in the country. Yellen said that the slowdown in the Chinese economy, along with exports, showed that consumer spending did not increase as much as had been expected after the country’s end of the lockdown implemented to prevent Kovid-19.

Brigadier Shri DS Tripathi (Retd) said that the US Finance Minister has said that of course it is important for the global economy, as China is a major importer for many countries around the world. In such a situation, the slowdown in the Chinese economy can affect the growth rate of many countries and you all have seen this happening. The US Treasury Secretary said that he is certainly keen to point out that the business environment in China is open and friendly and that he would like to see more foreign investment coming into the country. The US Treasury Secretary has also told that I have also met with American entrepreneurs who are interested in getting permission to invest in China.