The latest recruit to China’s cartoon propaganda videos is an animated Henry Kissinger lauding President Xi Jinping.

The former US Secretary of State, who paved the way for Nixon’s visit to China in 1972 and the establishment of ties between Beijing and Washington, changing the global diplomatic balance, is praised in the two-and-a-half minute video as “the most awesome foreigner”.

The clip is the latest in a series of surreal animated videos created to promote political concepts such as Xi Jinping’s “Four Comprehensives”, which was set to a rap jingle earlier this year.

With white hair, square spectacles and stripy tie, the cartoon Kissinger is shown speaking at a lectern and drinking tea with Xi, giving him a smiling thumbs-up.

“‘Most awesome foreigner’ Henry Kissinger publicly praised Xi Jinping,” the video says in Chinese, before showing Kissinger lauding Xi’s “profound knowledge” of the problem of corruption and his strength as a leader.

Xi “has rich life experience and I believe he is one of China’s most outstanding leaders,” the video has Kissinger say.

In a reference to Xi’s pledge to target both powerful “tigers” and low-ranking “flies” in his drive against graft, it also shows the president and Communist Party chief hitting five sacked officials wearing tiger suits with a giant comic mallet, and beating a sleeping, startled tiger with a spiked caveman club.

“Uncle Xi not only beats tigers, he also beats snakes in their nests,” it says, showing the cartoon head of state smacking or stamping on the creatures.   

The video is credited to the Chaoyang Studio and was shared widely on major state-media websites Tuesday, including the official news agency Xinhua and state broadcaster CCTV.