Peking University, Nov. 9, 2018: Dr. Henry Kissinger, former US secretary of state, revisited his friendship with China at Peking University during a conversation with PKU students on November 8.
Dr. Kissinger paid the visit to PKU following his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the same day, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Kissinger and China-US Relations
Dr. Kissinger paid the visit to PKU following his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the same day, according to Xinhua News Agency.
During the event, the 95-year-old held an hour-long dialogue with 20 students from PKU’s School of International Studies, sharing his perspective on topics such as the bilateral relationship between China and the US, geopolitics, policy-making, and his past experience and advice to the young generation.
Being asked about the status quo and the future of Sino-US ties, the words Dr. Kissinger mentioned the most are dialogue and cooperation. If China and the US cooperate, we could expect peace and progress in the world; if not, it’ll be chaos, as per Dr. Kissinger, who’s widely seen as the trailblazer for the Sino-US relation.
In July of 1971, Dr. Kissinger, as the national security advisor to the then US president Richard Nixon, paid a secret trip to China, which broke the ice and paved the way for Nixon’s first-ever visit to Beijing one year later as well as the formal establishment of the Sino-US diplomatic relationship in 1979.
Kissinger and Peking University
Not only is Dr. Kissinger an “old friend of Chinese people,” as President Xi said during their meeting, he also shares a special bond with Peking University, especially over the past two decades.
Dr. Kissinger paid his first visit to PKU and held conversation with students on March 21, 2001
He spoke with PKU students during the visit on May 17, 2005
He received an honorary doctorate degree from Peking University and gave a speech on campus on October 10, 2006
Dr. Kissinger gave a guest speech at the What Makes a Champion? Forum, which was hosted by PKU, during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on August 5, 2008
Dr. Kissinger paid his fifth visit to PKU and held conversation with students on January 15, 2012
Dr. Kissinger paid his sixth visit on November 8, 2018
President Hao's Gratitude to Dr. Kissinger
Concluding the event, Peking University President Hao Ping expressed his gratitude to Dr. Kissinger for this special visit to PKU. By stressing that PKU has long been devoted to the study and research of Sino-US relations, President Hao hailed Dr. Kissinger’s contributions and pledged that PKU will carry on its endeavor in this field in the future. We look forward to Dr. Kissinger’s future support of PKU’s development and attention to the growth of the students, said President Hao.
ther Prominent Attendees
Vice President of PKU Tian Gang
Dean of PKU’s Institute of International and Strategic Studies Wang Jisi
Dean of the Yenching Academy Yuan Ming
Dean of the School of International Studies Jia Qingguo
Vice Dean of the School of International Studies Tang Shiqi
Reported by: Amanda
Edited by: Zhang Jiang
Photo credit to: Wang Wenquan, Liu Yueling, Wang Xiaopeng
