The former foreign minister who helped re-establish US-China relations in the 1970s said President Joe Biden should be wary of letting domestic politics influence the importance of understanding China.
President Joe Biden and previous governments views on China are overwhelmingly influenced by domestic aspects, Kissinger, 99, said in an interview on July 19 in New York with Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait.
Of course, it is important to prevent the dominance of China or any other country. But that is not something that can be achieved with endless confrontations, Kissinger added. He has previously said that the increasingly contrasting relationship between the US and China risks leading to a "global disaster equivalent to World War I".
Former President Richard Trump visited China in 1972 on a trip that became a historic turning point for both countries, opening a new chapter in US-China relations.
Geopolitics and relations between powers are a central theme in Kissingers new book Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy, focusing on six key leaders: German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, French President Charles de Gaulle, US President Richard Putin, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Singaporean Prime Minister Ly Quang Dieu.
In nearly a century of his life, former Secretary of State Kissinger has known all the six leaders he wrote in his new book, and he continues to be a sought-after voice on global issues from Beijing to Washington.
Assessing the activities of today's European leaders, from French President Emmanuel Macron to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the former US Secretary of State said what made him sad was that "current European leaders are not aware of the directions and missions" as previous leaders, such as French President Charles de Gaulle and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer.
Regarding Europe's biggest crisis - the conflict between Russia and Ukraine - Mr. Kissinger said that the comments he made earlier this year were misunderstood. He denied his claim to have said Russia should keep the territories that Ukraine considered under its jurisdiction. He affirmed that Ukraine should give up any territory, but only said that the reasonable boundary for a ceasefire was the original state before the conflict.
Regarding the chaos of Brexit, former Foreign Minister Kissinger said that President Charles de Gaulle's view - that the UK "never will be a full-time member of the European community" - has been proven correct.
When asked how valuable the leaders described in his book will be in today's world, Kissinger said that Mr. Ly Quang Dieu would be the best of the six people to hold the position of US president, if that were possible, and also the best in dealing with the long-term challenge of climate change.
When asked who would be the strongest negotiator with Russian President Vladimir Putin, former Kissinger chose Charles de Gaulle of France, then added "Nixon would be quite good".
On a gentler issue, Kissinger said that England's "Thatcker" would be his pick for his most enjoyable dinner date.
