Washington (People's Daily) - Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai on Monday mourned the passing of Ezra Vogel, former director of the Fairbank Center at Harvard University.

Photo courtesy of The Harvard Gazette

In a twitter thread, Cui wrote “So sad to learn the passing of Professor Ezra Vogel. He was an outstanding scholar on China and an old friend of the Chinese people. Throughout his lifetime he was dedicated to greater mutual understanding between the Chinese and American people and made significant contribution to their friendship and China-US relations. His wisdom and insight on China has been of immeasurable value not only to people in the field of study but also to the world.”

"I have known Professor Vogel for a long time and learned a great deal from him. I believe his ideas and commitment will always have an impact on us. My deepest condolences to Professor Vogel's family.”

Vogel passed away at the age of 90 on Sunday local time in Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As a scholar on China, Japan and Asia studies, he served as director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies from 1973–1975 and 1995–1999. He officially retired in 2000 but remained active in research and East Asia related activities.

Vogel authored a number of masterpieces on Japan and China, including "Japan as Number One” in 1979 and a biography about former Chinese leader “Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China” in 2011. He once lived in South China's Guangdong Province for a year and visited China regularly since the late 1980s.