Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger dies at 100

NEW YORK - Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger died on Wednesday at home in Connecticut at the age of 100, Kissinger Associates, Inc said in a statement.

As secretary of state under presidents Nixon and Ford, Dr. Kissinger "played central roles in the opening to China, negotiating the end of the Yom Kippur War in the Middle East, and helping to bring America's role in the Vietnam War to a close", said the statement.

Dr. Kissinger has written 21 books on national security matters, according to the statement. "Considered one of America's great statesmen, Dr. Kissinger was regularly consulted by American presidents of both political parties and scores of foreign leaders after he finished government service in 1977."

Kissinger visited China more than 100 times.