The White House is a bit sour, and Kissinger is more favored by Beijing than current US officials. | Kissinger's visit to China

However, the White House feels a bit sour about Kissinger's easier contact with China than American officials.

In this regard, American public opinion believes that this highlights Beijing's dual approach in repairing the severely damaged Sino US relationship - while accepting Washington's request for renewed engagement, it is engaging with Americans it deems trustworthy under its own conditions.

Another analysis suggests that there is a lack of true strategists like Kissinger in today's US political arena. China hopes that the Biden administration can listen to rational and pragmatic voices when formulating policies towards China, and take practical actions to push China US relations back on track.

Meeting extraordinary

It appears extraordinary in terms of both parties, the choice of location, and the timing of the meeting.

From the perspective of both sides in the meeting, one is the highest leader of China, the other is an old friend of the Chinese people, and also an American politician who has made historic contributions to the normalization of Sino US relations.

These two "centenaries" combined make their visit to China of special significance.

"During the meeting, President Xi paid tribute to his 'old friend', which is reminiscent of the era when Sino US relations were warming up." CNN said.

The article states that in July 1971, Kissinger became the first senior American official to visit China, and his secret meeting with Chinese leaders paved the way for President Nixon's "ice breaking" trip the following year. Afterwards, the relationship between China and the United States flourished with the interdependence of the two countries' economies.

From the location of the meeting, it also has a profound meaning. The two sides met at Building 5 of the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. This is also the place where Kissinger stayed during his ice breaking trip in 1971 and met with Premier Zhou for the first time.

Reuters reported that the Chinese side creates a sense of nostalgia in the reception.

Kissinger expressed gratitude to the Chinese leaders for choosing this location for the meeting and expressed his willingness to continue making efforts to enhance mutual understanding between the two peoples.

Once again, China and the United States are at a crossroads of where to go and need both sides to make a choice.

Recently, China and the United States started an interactive mode. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Yellen and President's Special Envoy for Climate Issues Kerry all visited China, which injected positive factors into the stability of China US relations. However, at the same time, the United States still shows a "dual nature" towards China, with constant "small actions". Especially in the field of technology, China has implemented a "sharp decoupling" and has repeatedly provoked confrontation in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea.

Kissinger stated that under the current situation, we should adhere to the principles established in the Shanghai Communique and understand the extreme importance of the One China principle for China. Some comments suggest that these statements hit the nail on the head.

Beijing sends a signal

On the same day that President Xi met with Kissinger, the White House's tone was somewhat "sour"-he expressed disappointment that Kissinger was "more popular with China" than US officials.

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said it is regrettable that an ordinary citizen can meet and communicate with the Chinese Secretary of Defense, while American officials cannot. Kirby also stated that he looks forward to hearing what Kissinger has heard, seen, and learned after returning to the United States.

The New York Times reported that Kissinger's meeting with Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu reflects his favored position in China. Previously, China rejected the US's request to arrange a meeting between the defense ministers of the two countries at the Shangri La Dialogue.

The Wall Street Journal pointed out that Kissinger received high standards of treatment, highlighting Beijing's dual approach in repairing severely damaged Sino US relations. While accepting Washington's request for renewed contact, China is engaging with Americans it deems trustworthy under its own conditions.

The newspaper also stated that Beijing's enthusiastic embrace of Kissinger is a clear signal to the Biden administration not to try to contain us.

Zhao Suisheng, director of the Center for Sino US Cooperation at the University of Denver, believes that for China, unofficial civil relations are playing a more important role in Sino US interaction.

He met not only those who represented the official position of the United States.

Too lacking in rational voice

Analysts believe that another signal sent by the Chinese side from Kissinger's high-level treatment is that they hope the US political community can have a more rational and pragmatic voice like Kissinger, and examine and treat China US relations from a strategic and long-term perspective.

Many American media have noticed a statement made by Wang Yi, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China and Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Office, during a meeting with Kissinger: China's development has a strong endogenous driving force and inevitable historical logic, and it is impossible to attempt to transform China, and containment and containment of China is even more impossible. The US policy towards China requires Kissinger style diplomatic wisdom and Nixon style political courage.

In fact, looking back at the process of establishing diplomatic relations between China and the United States, it is not difficult to find that whenever Washington's cooperation with China takes the upper hand, the overall development of China US relations will be smooth. On the contrary, one must go through storms and trials. What Kissinger represents is a pragmatic force advocating dialogue and contact with China, and properly handling differences. This force can formulate rational and constructive policies towards China from the perspective of truly safeguarding American interests.

However, nowadays, voices like Kissinger are becoming increasingly rare in Washington. Thomas Schwartz said that China has special psychological expectations for Kissinger and is eager to bring China and the United States back to the stable state advocated by Kissinger himself.

Schwartz believes that several meetings between China and Kissinger are at least beneficial to the resumption of Sino US contacts: "Kissinger may help reopen the communication channels between the two governments. He may not see Biden after returning to the United States, but he is likely to see Antony Blinken and talk to him."