Henry Kissinger foresees better U.S.-China ties

It was a highly confidential visit to China by Kissinger in 1971 that paved the way for a groundbreaking 1972 summit in Beijing between President Richard Nixon and Chairman Mao Zedong, which eventually led to the normalization of U.S.-China relations on Jan. 1, 1979.

"(At that time) if anyone had told me that I would celebrate an event about the People's Republic of China on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, I would think that could be inconceivable because that time was before the Chinese reform, and when China was still at a very early stage of its development," said Kissinger, who played a key role in U.S. foreign policy in the late 1960s and most of the 70s.

The mere fact that the event could take place shows the link between China and the United States is both on the economic level and the political one as well, he commented.

According to the renowned strategist, the world has entered an era in which leaders must "keep an eye on the opportunities they have for cooperation." "They should realize that they for the first time in the history can deal with issues on global bases, and not just on their national bases, so this is a great opportunity for them," he explained.

For example, he said, the United States and China now have "a common opportunity because the international economic system has to be rebuilt," and "it can not be done unless the United States and China agree on the agenda of direction."

"There were so many political crises in the world, which require cooperation, and I believe this really can be a beginning of a new era of our relationship," he added.