Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger delivers a special speech to mark the 35th anniversary of the issuing of the Sino-U.S. Shanghai Joint Communique during the opening of the second meeting of the China-U.S. Strategic Economic Dialogue in Washington May 22, 2007. Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi, special envoy of Chinese President Hu Jintao, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, special envoy of US President Bush, cochaired the meeting on May 22. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) Photo Gallery>>>

    WASHINGTON, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Tuesday called for close cooperation between the United States and China, saying the cooperation will benefit the two countries and the world.

    "Now, as then, the peace of the world and the progress of the world required close cooperation between the two peoples of the United States and China," said Kissinger, referring to the historic visit by the former President Richard Nixon to China in 1972.

    "The most advanced industrialized country and the country that is growing at the fastest rate have the unique opportunity to set an example for the rest of the world of cooperation and vision," said the veteran diplomat at the opening ceremony for the second meeting of Strategic Economic Dialogue.

    Kissinger, who pioneered the relations with the People's Republic China, flew to Beijing secretly from Pakistan in 1971 and set up President Nixon's historic trip to China the next year.