The passing of former US national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski is "a loss for both China and the United States", the Chinese embassy in Washington said on Saturday.

In condolences sent to the family of Brzezinski, who died in Virginia on Friday at the age of 89, the Chinese embassy calls the late statesman "an accomplished strategist and diplomat, and a longtime friend of the Chinese people".

"He made an important contribution to the forging of diplomatic ties between China and the US, and had been a staunch supporter and active promoter of China-US relations throughout his career," the embassy said in a statement.