China on Monday offered its deep condolences over the death of Jimmy Carter, saying the former U.S. president was the « driving force » behind the establishment of diplomatic ties between both countries more than 40 years ago. Carter died at his home in Plains, Georgia, on Sunday at the age of 100. During his 1977-1981 tenure, the U.S. government established formal relations with China, building on the groundwork laid by former President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger earlier in the 1970s.