China and the U.S. are finally talking after a monthslong freeze but the two sides still agree on little. Now, Beijing is reverting to a tried tactic to get its message over: enlisting old friends.
Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed centenarian Henry Kissinger last week at the same guesthouse where the former secretary of state sat down with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai on his historic, clandestine 1971 trip that paved the way to restoring bilateral relations. The Chinese leader told Kissinger on Friday: "We’ll never forget our old friend.”
China is struggling to find a common diplomatic language to talk productively with its biggest trading partner as U.S. President Joe Biden leads a global campaign to block its main economic rival from a vast swath of high-end technology, citing security reasons. In that environment, Xi has turned to established friendly figures outside the U.S. government to try to better convey its world view and push China’s agenda.