December 01, 2023, 07:39 AM
World-renowned American diplomat Henry Kissinger passed away on Nov. 30 (Singapore time) at the age of 100.
Kissinger, the holder of a controversial legacy, died at his home in Connecticut, according to a statement from his consulting firm, Kissinger Associates, CNN reported.
The firm did not provide a cause of death.
Kissinger served between 1969 and 1977 as national security adviser and later secretary of state under former American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.
While many world leaders recounted his legacy in their tributes, there were also others who recalled his controversial U.S. foreign policy legacies.
Former US president George Bush
Former US president George Walker Bush offered his tribute on his official website.
He wrote, "American has lost one of the most dependable and distinctive voices on foreign affairs" with Kissinger's passing."
"[My wife] Laura and I will miss his wisdom, his charm, and his humour," he added.
President Xi Jinping
China's President Xi Jinping sent President Joe Biden a message of condolence, The Washington Post and Reuters reported.
“Dr Henry Kissinger was a world-renowned strategist, as well as an old friend and good friend of the Chinese people,” Xinhua’s readout of Xi’s message read, South China Morning Post reported.
“He made it his lifelong pursuit to promote the development of China-US relations and enhance the friendship between the two peoples. Kissinger’s name will forever be associated with China-US relations,” he added.
The president also said China stood “ready to work with the United States to carry on the cause of friendship between the Chinese and American people, to promote the healthy and stable development of China-US relations for the benefit of the two peoples, and to make due contributions to world peace and development”.
China's ambassador to the US
China's foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Nov. 30 that China would remember Kissinger for his sincere devotion and important contribution to China-U.S. relations, Xinhua News reported.
China's ambassador to the U.S Xie Feng posted on X on Kissinger's passing:
Deeply shocked and saddened to learn of Dr. Kissinger's passing at 100. My deepest condolences go to Nancy and her family. It is a tremendous loss for both our countries and the world. The history will remember what the centenarian had contributed to China-U.S. relations, and he… pic.twitter.com/G0NwJU6EYI
— Xie Feng 谢锋 (@AmbXieFeng) November 30, 2023
Japan's PM Fumio Kishida
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hailed Kissinger’s “significant contributions” to peace and stability in Asia, including the "normalisation of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and China" in a post on X.
“I’d like to express my most sincere respect to the great achievements he made,” Kishida added. “I also would like to offer my condolences.”
キッシンジャー米国元国務長官がご逝去されました。
キッシンジャー元長官は、米中国交正常化など地域の平和と安定に大きな功績を残されました。
私自身も昔ホームパーティーにお邪魔するなど、若い頃からたびたびお会いし知見を賜ってきました。
偉大な足跡に心から敬意を表し、哀悼の誠を捧げます。 pic.twitter.com/FV41UUb19C
— 岸田文雄 (@kishida230) November 30, 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a message to Kissinger’s wife that he was “a wise and far-sighted statesman” and his name “is inextricably linked with a pragmatic foreign policy line, which at one time made it possible to achieve detente in international tensions and reach the most important Soviet-American agreements that contributed to the strengthening of global security", PBS reported.
French President Emmanuel Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron said that “Henry Kissinger was a giant of history. His century of ideas and of diplomacy had a lasting influence on his time and on our world.”
Henry Kissinger was a giant of history. His century of ideas and diplomacy had a long-standing influence on his time and on our world. France addresses its condolences to the American people.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) November 30, 2023
Singapore leaders, including President Tharman and PM Lee
Several Singaporean leaders have issued tributes to Kissinger on social media, including President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and former Foreign Minister George Yeo.
Pres. Tharman credited Kissinger with living a "life of conviction", saying that it was remarkable how he remained actively involved in U.S. and global affairs until the age of 100.
Pres. Tharman said that Kissinger was convinced that the U.S. and China could once again develop a close dialogue and a basis to work with each other, despite their competition and differences.Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that he was deeply saddened by Kissinger's passing.
He called him a peerless diplomat, a true statesman, and a visionary of his time, who was convinced that the U.S. had a vital responsibility to maintain global peace and stability.He also said he was deeply touched when Kissinger travelled to Singapore in 2015 to attend his father's Lee Kuan Yew’s state funeral, also delivering a moving eulogy at a private memorial held in New York.
Criticisms from online critics
Despite his achievements, Kissinger was sharply criticised online.
The Rolling Stone magazine ran an article with the headline, "Henry Kissinger, War Criminal Beloved by America’s Ruling Class, Finally Dies".
People took to social media in response to his apparent notoriety, calling him a "monster".
Henry Kissinger should have spent his last days in a prison cell.
His carpet bombing of Southeast Asia killed hundreds of thousands.
He was pivotal in Pinochet’s murderous coup, and genocides in East Timor and Bangladesh.
One of the great monsters of our time.
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) November 30, 2023
A video on TikTok celebrating Kissinger's death went viral, gaining 1.8 million views.
"You outlived Henry Kissinger," said one TikToker in response to the former U.S. Secretary of State's passing in the viral video.
One TikToker was reporting the news of Kissinger's death to a lady who is supposedly his partner in a video, and he said, "I haven't felt joy like this in a while."
@pearlmania500 He was one of history’s greatest monsters. This moment should be celebrated #pearlmania500 #mrspearlmania #life #history #whitehouse #government #1970s #monster #breakingnews ♬ original sound - Pearlmania500
Kissinger is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Nancy, two children from a previous marriage and five grandchildren.
Top image from Andy Boreham/X and emperoreaganite/X.
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