China hails 'old friend' Kissinger, architect of rapprochement

Chinese President Xi Jinping is greeted by former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger during his welcoming banquet at the start of his visit to the US in 2015. - AFP

BEIJING: China on Thursday (Nov 30) hailed the late Henry Kissinger as an "old friend", paying tribute to a diplomat central to establishing ties between Beijing and Washington.

Kissinger, a former US secretary of state whose unapologetic promotion of raw American power helped shape the post-World War II world, died Wednesday, his consulting firm said.