Henry Kissinger dies at 100 after shaping US foreign policy

US diplomat Henry Kissinger died at home on November 30 at the age of 100, after playing influential roles in many key events of his lifetime. The American political scientist served as Secretary of State during the presidencies of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, and laid the groundwork for American diplomacy during the Cold War era. He also helped bring about an inflection point in US-China relations.

Kissinger was born in 1923 in Germany to a Jewish family, who moved to the US when he was 15 to escape Nazi persecution. He earned his PhD from Harvard University.

Under Nixon, Kissinger served as both National Security Advisor and Secretary of State. During this time, he worked to ease the tensions with what was then the Soviet Union.

Henry Kissinger speaks with US President Richard Nixon in Washington, DC on November 25, 1972.

Nobel Peace Prize winner

Helicopters fly over troops in Vietnam's Mekong Delta on February 5, 1970.

Kissinger helped steer US policy during the Vietnam War. The US and Vietnam signed a peace agreement in Paris on January 27, 1973 following four years of talks, officially ending the US' direct involvement in the conflict.

Henry Kissinger (second from right) met North Vietnamese officials in Paris in January 1973 to negotiate the Paris Peace Accords.

That same year, Kissinger shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Vietnam's Le Duc Tho for negotiating the pact.

However, in addition to accolades, Kissinger also received criticism for ignoring human rights to achieve tactical goals. Examples include the US bombing of Cambodia, which began in 1969 and claimed thousands of civilian lives.

Restoring US-China relations

Kissinger and Chinese Prime Minister Zhou Enlai attended a state banquet in Beijing on November 10, 1973.

Kissinger first visited China in 1971. His negotiations with Beijing paved the way for Nixon's surprise visit the following year, which restored diplomatic relations between the two countries. Kissinger is said to have been the only American who dealt with every Chinese leader since that time.

China mourns Kissinger's death

Kissinger's death was reported as breaking news in China.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolence to US President Joe Biden.

Henry Kissinger visited China as recently as July. He is shown here meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on November 2, 2015.

Kissinger was diplomatically active as recently as this year. He spoke of the importance of improving US-China relations at a party held in New York on October 24.

He visited China in July and met with Xi in an effort to ease tensions between Beijing and Washington.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang called Kissinger a "good old friend," praised his contributions to the normalization of China-US relations, and said he will be remembered for his "sincere devotion and important contribution."

Condolences and praise

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who received the news of Kissinger's death in Israel, said that to "serve as America's top diplomat today is to move through a world that bears Henry's lasting imprint." He added, "few people were better students of history — and even fewer people did more to shape history."

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said he gained knowledge from Kissinger.

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said Kissinger "made significant achievements in the region's peace and stability, including the normalization of diplomatic ties between the US and China. I would like to express my sincere respect for the great footsteps he left behind."

Watch video of former senior Japanese diplomat Tanaka Hitoshi, who knew Kissinger for decades, telling NHK about their relationship.