This is marking Kissinger's secret visit to China 50 years ago. Which was happening at the same time my old mate and colleague, then Ambassador, Steve FitzGerald accompanied Gough Whitlam to China. And met Zhou Enlai, just as Kissinger did, much more secretly. I posted here.
Steve talks about the need for "back door channels", to get the some dialogue going on Australia-China relations, now so strained. I reckon Steve himself ought be a back door. He's himself Kissingerian in intellect, and certainly his match in knowledge of China.
Or I offer myself. Once I was a "back door channel" to fix a problem on the shooting of the "Great Wall of Iron" documentary back in 1989. I sorted it by flying to Beijing and getting the estranged parties together over a Maotai or two.... You're welcome.
Kissinger: "I therefore hope that a serious dialogue starts soon again on the major issues between us,” he said. “Not every problem can have an immediate solution, but we should start from the premise that war between our two countries would be an unspeakable catastrophe.” [More]. [Web Archive]
ADDED: In the comments, I screenshoot a comment by one Jing L:
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Much of which I agree with, but it doesn't recognise that a lot of the bitterness towards China is not (or not only) due to its economic success, challenging America and the west. It's down to the way that China did it and continues to do it. By rampant pirating and protectionism. Every single one of America's tech companies, the driver of growth for decades now, is banned in China and then ripped off in a Chinese version. That ain't fair.
