Committee of 100 Mourns the Passing of Dr. Henry Kissinger
New York, NY (November 30, 2023) — With profound sadness, Committee of 100, a non-profit membership organization of prominent Chinese Americans, today issued the following statement on the passing of Dr. Henry Kissinger at the age of 100. Among a lifetime of accolades in a career dedicated to statesmanship and peace among the world, Dr. Kissinger was a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, a former U.S. Secretary of State, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a long-time friend of Committee of 100.
Committee of 100 was formed in the aftermath of Tiananmen Square at the recommendation of Dr. Kissinger. He urged renowned architect I.M. Pei to organize a prominent group of Chinese Americans to address issues of both domestic and international concern between the United States and Greater China. Pei teamed up with Yo-Yo Ma, Henry S. Tang, Oscar Tang, Chien Shiung Wu, and Shirley Young. These influential Chinese American thinkers and leaders would become the first generation of Committee of 100 members.
“Committee of 100 joins Americans throughout the world in expressing our deepest sympathies on the passing of Dr. Henry Kissinger, who passed away at the age of 100. In addition to his work as a pioneer in US-China relations at large, Dr. Kissinger served as an instrumental figure in shaping the history of our organization,” said Gary Locke, Committee of 100 Chair, former U.S. Ambassador to China, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and former Governor for the State of Washington. “Today, we here at Committee of 100 reap the benefits of this storied friendship with one of the great statesmen of our time. We will continue to honor his legacy, and his presence in our lives will be truly missed.”