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Following then U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s scheduling a visit to Beijing for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Meeting in 2014, CGTN’s Wang Guan sat down with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. The discussion centered on whether the U.S. and China could build a new kind of relationship.
Kissinger also spoke about what could be expected from a then upcoming meeting between then U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
WANG GUAN, CGTN
Dr. Kissinger, I’d like to start with President Obama’s upcoming visit to Beijing. You served three U.S. presidents and have done missions for 10 (presidents). Help us understand: What can we expect from a state visit like this and what problems do you expect President Xi and President Obama to solve at this point?
HENRY KISSINGER, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE
There are two levels to all of these state visits. The first is the kind of philosophical and conceptual level, in which the leaders say to each other, what are we trying to do? What are we trying to accomplish? And then there is a practical level that deals with some specific issues. Now the philosophical level was begun at the meeting in California last year between the two leaders, and the statement of President Xi that his objective was to create a new pattern of relationship between countries that in history might have been adversaries. I am sure at that level it’s going to be discussed even further. But then there are a number of concrete issues in the world, environment, climate, proliferation, and I would say the future of Afghanistan, northeast Asia. And then there are some areas that have been not always been of identical opinions, like East China Sea and South China Sea. I expect all of these issues to be discussed. And having talked to senior members of our government, including those who have prepared the visit, I am very optimistic that the meeting will be positive. And I know, having the privilege of enjoying the Chinese hospitality, the experience for the American delegation will be very memorable.
WANG GUAN, CGTN
On the philosophical level, in your book On China, you went to great lengths to explain the Chinese exceptionalism vs. American exceptionalism (Kissinger: that’s right.). If both countries, as you articulated in the book, believe that they are exceptional, do you genuinely think they can still build the so-called a new type of mayor power relationship?
HENRY KISSINGER, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE
The Chinese exceptionalism is not missionary. Chinese exceptionalism is cultural. It does not attempt to make the world Chinese. It bases itself on its performance and then expects a level of respect that is appropriate for the occasion. American exceptionalism is more missionary. It is possible that some disagreements can develop on those grounds. But I will say the test of our two leaders will be the ability to understand that there are maybe some different approaches but there is a greater necessity in peace and progress of the world. When you think back to Chairman Mao and Nixon, there were certainly big differences when I first arrived in China. But they will overcome it and a very constructive relationship was developed. This time you already have a constructive relationship, now we need to build on that, and there are things, like you mentioned, that we have to keep in mind. But I believe they will be handled constructively.
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