When I first saw China, there were no automobiles. There were no supermarkets. There were no high-rise buildings. There were no consumer goods. There were no restaurants that were at least accessible that foreigners could see. It was a Stalinist society, and a very poor Stalinist society. So the economic system has totally changed, and the private sector in the economic system is now the dominant sector. It didn't exist at all as late as 1979.
Henry A. KissingerAmerica has made it very clear in several administrations that if there is an attack by China on Taiwan, the United States is very likely to resist.
Henry A. KissingerI want to thank you for stopping the applause. It is impossible for me to look humble for any period of time.
Henry A. KissingerIt is not often that nations learn from the past,even rarer that they draw the correct conclusions from it.
Henry A. KissingerTo revolutionaries the significant reality is the world which they are fighting to bring about, not the world they are fighting to overcome.
Henry A. KissingerThe Chinese military budget today is officially listed as, I think, about $15 billion. But even if you double it, that's only a tenth of ours. So the possibility of China challenging the United States for the next ten years over the Pacific is next to zero. There could be a conflict between us and China over Taiwan, but I think that, too, will not occur with the proper policies on both sides.
Henry A. Kissinger