China's Xi Jinping meets "old friend" Henry Kissinger in Beijing to talk "challenges and opportunities"

Beijing — Chinese leader Xi Jinping hailed former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger as an "old friend" as the two met in Beijing on Thursday. Kissinger's visit to China this week has seen him call for a rapprochement between Washington and Beijing, which remain at loggerheads over a range of issues, from human rights to trade and national security.

The 100-year-old diplomat was central to the United States establishing ties with communist China in the 1970s and has maintained close contact with the country's leaders over the years.

"Chinese people value friendship, and we will never forget our old friend and your historic contribution to promoting the development of China-U.S. relations and enhancing the friendship between the Chinese and American peoples," President Xi told Kissinger on Thursday, according to state media. "This not only benefited the two countries, but also changed the world."