China hails late US President Carter’s role in forging ties

ISTANBUL

China on Monday described Jimmy Carter as a “key promoter” of bilateral ties, offering condolences on the former US president’s death, according to state media.

Carter was a “key promoter and decision-maker in the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the US,” said Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry.

The 39th US president and 2002 Nobel Peace Prize laureate passed away Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia, at the age of 100.

Speaking to reporters in Beijing, Mao said Carter “made significant contributions over the years to the development of China-US relations and the friendly exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.”

Formal diplomatic ties between the US and China were established on Jan. 1, 1979, following years of negotiations during Carter’s presidency.

Carter, the longest-living US president, served from January 1977 to January 1981.