He met with Xi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, CCTV reported. No further details on the talks were disclosed.

Kissinger, 100, has also met with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi and with Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu in the past few days while in Beijing

Kissinger served as US secretary of state and national security advisor in the administrations of presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, and played a key diplomatic role in normalising ties between Washington and Beijing in the 1970s.

Washington said it was aware of Kissinger’s trip to China this week, but noted he was not acting on behalf of the US government.

Kissinger has visited China regularly since leaving office.