Kissinger cast a long and uneven shadow in Southeast Asia

BANGKOK -- Deep in the Cold War in July and October 1971, U.S. national security adviser Henry Kissinger famously visited China for talks with Premier Zhou Enlai. His aim was to restore diplomatic relations after a freeze of over 20 years. It was a pivotal moment for international diplomacy, particularly for Southeast Asia where the U.S. was bogged down in the costly and domestically highly unpopular Vietnam War.

The first journey was made secretly from Pakistan. Kissinger went out of his way to make the trip through Asia "excruciatingly boring" for his press entourage.