Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (L) meets China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China December 2, 2016. REUTERS/Nicolas Asouri/Pool

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said on Monday he was impressed by the Chinese leadership’s calm reaction to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s call last week with the president of Taiwan.

“At this moment I’ve been very impressed at the calm reaction of the Chinese leadership, which suggests a determination to see whether a calm dialogue can be developed,” Kissinger said at an event sponsored by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.