Tribute to Dr. Kissinger

: Publish on August 15, 2024

[Author: Sher Li, Board Chaiworman of Chinese American Foundation]

On November 29, 2023, I read on electronic media about the passing of Dr. Henry Kissinger at his home that day, at the age of 100. While the death of a centenarian is not entirely surprising, I still went online to verify the news, hoping it wasn't true. Unfortunately, it was indeed true; the Kissinger Foundation and international consulting firms issued an obituary.

For over 50 years, the history and development of U.S.-China relations are inextricably linked with the names of President Nixon and Secretary Kissinger. On July 9, 1971, Dr. Kissinger, then the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, made a secret trip to China at President Nixon’s behest. This visit was to prepare for the ice-breaking of U.S.-China relations and pave the way for President Nixon’s upcoming summit with China. During this 48-hour secret visit, Premier Zhou Enlai and Dr. Kissinger held 17 hours of talks and drafted the outline for President Nixon’s visit to China, which was planned for May 1972. On July 16, President Nixon announced his forthcoming visit to China in a nationwide address, surprising the world!

In Dr. Kissinger’s subsequent recollections, he described the warm hospitality during his first secret visit to China: “Premier Enlai Zhou personally came to visit us, which was a great honor. According to diplomatic protocol, the host country usually receives visiting delegations at government buildings, especially when the titles of the officials involved are not equal. (My title as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs is equivalent to a deputy minister, three ranks lower than Premier Zhou.)” Reading these historical accounts now fills me with warmth and admiration!

While the decision-maker for the normalization of U.S.-China relations was President Nixon, Dr. Kissinger, as the President’s special envoy, undertook a secret visit to China and fulfilled his mission, paving the way for President Nixon’s historic visit and supporting and preparing for the future normalization of U.S.-China relations. From February 21-28, 1972, President Nixon’s visit to China marked the beginning of a thaw in U.S.-China relations, ending 23 years of confrontation and opening the door to the normalization of relations, laying the foundation for the formal establishment of diplomatic ties on January 1, 1979.

Dr. Kissinger often said, “I spent half of my life working on U.S.-China relations.” From July 1971 to July 20, 2023, Dr. Kissinger visited China 100 times over 52 years, earning him the title of “Old Friend of the Chinese People” from Chinese leaders and great respect from the American Chinese community. With his sharp wisdom and historical perspective, he objectively explained the importance and irreplaceability of U.S.-China relations. Dr. Kissinger always believed that peace and cooperation between the U.S. and China are crucial and align with the interests of both countries and the world. He said, “As I believed 50 years ago, we can find a way to overcome difficulties.”

In mid-September last year, after Dr. Kissinger's 99th birthday, he visited the Nixon Library in Southern California at the invitation of the Nixon Foundation to receive its highest honor, the “Architect of Peace Award,” and to share his 2022 book, Leadership. The event was a tribute to Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, a memorable evening!

That evening, the venue was filled with distinguished guests, with the large banquet hall being highly sought after, despite the expensive ticket prices. Attendees included senior politicians, influential philanthropists, and prominent national, state, and community leaders, such as former National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, former California Governor Pete Wilson, former Google Executive Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt, tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel, board members of the Nixon Foundation, and five individuals who had worked with Dr. Kissinger during the Nixon administration. Especially in the hearts of the American Chinese community, there is a sentiment of nostalgia and respect for President Nixon and Secretary Kissinger, who set aside historical biases to initiate the U.S.-China ice-breaking journey and opened the door to the normalization of U.S.-China relations.

Thus, when I received the event notice forwarded by Honorary President of the Chinese American Federation, Simon Shao, I immediately signed up to attend. Joining me were President Simon Shao, Chinese American Foundation President Joey Yu, Chinese American Federationn Executive President Jing Huang, and Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce President Guang Lin. We wanted to pay tribute to this centenarian who flew from the East Coast of the U.S. to the West, a key figure in the normalization of U.S.-China relations. The Nixon Library has become, over the past decade or so, a significant place for the American Chinese community to hold events, study U.S.-China relations, and undertake pilgrimages.

1 Group IMG 9620 From left to right: Guang Lin, Sher Li, Simon Shao, Jing Huang,and Joey Yu

Dr. Kissinger served as an Honorary Director of the Richard Nixon Foundation. He was a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. At the event, Ambassador Robert C. O’Brien, Chairman of the Nixon Foundation Board, introduced Dr. Kissinger. This introduction was particularly fitting, as Robert C. O’Brien is the 27th National Security Advisor of the United States, while the 99-year-old Dr. Kissinger was the 7th National Security Advisor.

After taking the stage, Dr. Kissinger was interviewed by Frank Gannon, Special Assistant to President Nixon. Frank welcomed Dr. Kissinger back to the Nixon Library once again. Dr. Kissinger responded, “What an honor it is for me to have the opportunity to come to the Nixon Library! I am grateful for the respect you have expressed tonight! Not for me, but for an outstanding President!”

Frank mentioned that Dr. Kissinger had brought a new book with him and asked if he had any remarks before they started discussing it. Dr. Kissinger replied slowly, “Perhaps you may not know, but after President Nixon was elected, when he wanted to appoint me to a position, we had not met or spoken before. I want to thank all of you for your enduring faith in Richard Nixon, which is especially important during times of domestic and international division.”

Discussing his 2022 book, *Leadership*, Dr. Kissinger talked with Frank Gannon about the qualities of effective leadership and shared his reflections on the new book. “In my recent book, I list him (former President Nixon) as one of six outstanding world leaders!” He particularly highlighted President Nixon's leadership and his approach to international affairs. Despite his advanced age, Dr. Kissinger spoke slowly, with occasional long pauses, but his memory was sharp, thoughts clear, and voice strong. At the end of the interview, Frank Gannon said, “We look forward to gathering again when you turn 100!” The hall erupted in sustained applause and cheers.

The elderly Dr. Kissinger's recollections and narratives reminded me of the story of the talent scout and the great horse. President Nixon was the talent scout, and Dr. Kissinger was the great horse in the history of American diplomacy. Dr. Kissinger was a Harvard University professor of international relations, a scholar, a sage, a politician, a diplomat, and an author. He authored and published 22 books on national security affairs. His particular focus on U.S.-China relations led to historic contributions to the normalization of these relations. His diplomatic insights have influenced not only the U.S. but also the global landscape and regional politics.

At the age of 100, Dr. Kissinger's influence remains undiminished. The “Tribute Night” event raised $800,000 for the Nixon Foundation. During the evening, Jim Byron, who started as an intern at the Nixon Foundation at 14 and was selected as its CEO at 28, announced that the funds would be used to advance and implement the Richard Nixon Foundation's educational mission and expand investments in civic education and programs. Starting in 2023, the Foundation is promoting high school courses on American civics, offering summer teacher training programs on U.S. foreign policy, establishing a competitive undergraduate scholarship program for students studying diplomacy and history, creating a competitive grant program to support research and travel for students and scholars studying President Nixon or his era, and working to expand connections with higher education institutions.

Lisa Argyros and Ling & Charlie were the co-chairs of the event. We attended the dinner with a heart full of gratitude, paying tribute to former President Nixon and Dr. Kissinger for their historic contributions to the normalization of U.S.-China relations. The Nixon Foundation thoughtfully provided each attendee with a copy of Dr. Kissinger’s new book, *Leadership*.