“The necessity for both sides is to see whether from that position they can move to a pattern in which disputes are mitigated and in which they realise a victor is not possible without a risk of destroying humanity.”
Speaking at theBloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore on Wednesday,Kissinger,98,said the conversation between the two Presidents had the promise of a détente where coexistence becomes “not only possible but essential”.
“That now has to be followed in the direction that both Presidents have affirmed they want to pursue,” he said.
The elder statesman of Western foreign policy said cooperation across trade,climate change,and arms control were essential to maintaining dialogue and equivalence between the two superpowers.
“I think both sides have to accept that conflict between major technical powers of comparable capacities must not occur for the preservation of humanity,” he said.
Kissinger’s comments followedmore than three hours of discussion between Biden and Xi at a virtual summit on Tuesday where they sought to ease the risk of military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. White House officials described it as the most direct conversation between the two Presidents since Biden took office.