Henry Kissinger’s Complicated Legacy on China

Kissinger was a friend of the CCP, not of the Chinese people.

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Henry Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State, passed away at age 100. I have been thinking about writing about his complicated legacy but was delated by an unexpected trip. Still, I need to share some thoughts about the towering figure who helped the U.S. foreign policy toward China.

Many obituaries about Kissinger credit him with opening Communist China. It’s not entirely accurate. In 1970, Mao Zedong, the dictator of Communist China, faced many domestic and international challenges. Domestically, Mao’s socialist economic policies brought ruin to China’s economy. The nation’s GDP per capita was only $113 (in contrast to America’s $5300). Mao launched the Cultural Revolution to strengthen his hold of power and to eliminate his political enemies and potential challengers. However, the movement had caused nationwide chaos and lawlessness, and China was dangerously close to anarchy. At 77 in 1970, Mao was old, tired, and deeply insecure.