Reading the world and bridging cultures: Xi's story with books

EXPLAINING THE WORLD VIA CHINESE CLASSICS

Reading China's classical and modern works has given Xi a broad intellectual foundation, allowing him to draw with ease on well-known authors and texts in articulating his governance and diplomatic philosophy.

"Outstanding literary and artistic works reflect the capacity of a country and a nation for cultural creation. Only with fine works can we attract, guide, and inspire people and make progress in bringing Chinese culture to the world," Xi said.

To better preserve Chinese classics, the China National Archives of Publications and Culture -- a grand project approved by Xi -- was inaugurated in July 2022. Dubbed the "seed gene banks" of Chinese civilization, the project systematically collects important editions of classic and cultural works.

On the global stage, Xi frequently invokes Chinese classics to explain his ideas and promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. These references reflect time-honored wisdom which Xi uses to introduce traditional Chinese cultural concepts like harmony, inclusiveness, cooperation and mutual respect to global audiences.

In Xi's view, civilizations only vary from each other, and no civilization is superior to others.

When he proposed the Global Civilization Initiative in 2023, Xi cited lines compiled in a Ming Dynasty collection of maxims: "A single flower does not make spring, while one hundred flowers in full blossom bring spring to the garden" to reaffirm his view that "A civilization can flourish only through exchanges and mutual learning with other civilizations."