Kissinger Video Interview
12. Could you give your impression of Chou En-lai?
Henry Kissinger: Chou En-lai was elegant, intelligent, professional, charming, and he seemed to have unlimited time for these conversations. I used to tell him that I couldn't spare that much time for the second coming. And he would - we would start then and in all subsequent visits, he didn't like to work in the morning, but we'd start at three and go on to two, three the next morning without him ever being interrupted. Nobody ever brought him a note, obviously never any phone calls. He acted as if he absolutely had no other assignment in the world except to deal with his American counterpart. Very tough. Very good negotiator. One of the ablest people that I met and one of the nicest on a day to day basis.
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