BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) — « I have many hobbies. I love reading most, » Chinese President Xi Jinping once said.

For Xi, reading is more than a personal hobby — it is a way of life.

As China’s top leader, Xi often draws on books that have long enriched his intellectual world, using them as a diplomatic bridge to connect China with the wider world and promote cross-cultural exchanges and mutual learning among diverse civilizations.

AN AVID READER

Since childhood, books have been Xi’s constant companions and lasting passion. Born into a family of revolutionaries in Beijing, he was raised by parents who valued learning and encouraged their children to read, think, and contribute to the country and its people.

Xi once recalled that his father, Xi Zhongxun, a revolutionary leader, seldom bought toys for him and his siblings, but was far more generous when it came to books — often taking them to bookstores and letting them choose for themselves.

File photo taken in 1972 shows Xi Jinping, then an « educated youth » in countryside, returning to Beijing to visit his relatives. (Xinhua)

Chen Qiuying, who taught Xi Chinese in 1965 when he was a teenager, recalled, « The boy was an avid reader of literature and history, particularly captivated by the poetry of Du Fu. » Du, the most revered realist poet of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), was renowned for his profound empathy and deep compassion for the common people, themes that permeated his works.

In 1969, just shy of 16, Xi was sent to the remote rural village of Liangjiahe in the hills of Shaanxi Province as an « educated youth. » Bringing two suitcases filled with books, Xi spent seven years living in yaodong, a traditional cave dwelling carved into the yellow loess hillsides. Despite the harsh conditions, his enthusiasm for reading never waned; instead, books became a source of spiritual strength during those challenging years.

Xi would use breaks from farm work to study dictionaries, or pen the sheep on the hilltop for a moment to read. At night, he immersed himself in books under a kerosene lamp. He once walked 15 km along a bumpy, dusty country road only to borrow Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s « Faust. » He was also deeply impressed by Russian writer Nikolai Chernyshevsky’s « What Is to Be Done? », in which the protagonist’s resilience encouraged him.

During his stay in the village, Xi read nearly all the literary classics he could find. Xi recalled, « What comes out effortlessly today are the things I read at that time. »

Photo taken on Jan. 17, 2018 shows a general view of Liangjiahe Village in Yanchuan County of Yan’an, a former revolutionary base in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province. (Xinhua/Liang Aiping)

Through extensive reading, Xi developed a distinctive approach: turning thick books into thin ones and thin books into thick ones. That is, he would distill the essence of rich and complex works into core insights, while probing the depths of concise texts to fully uncover their richness. By the time he was admitted to Tsinghua University in 1975, he had read Karl Marx’s « Das Kapital » from cover to cover three times and filled 18 notebooks with his reflections.

Reading Chinese and foreign classics nourished Xi’s inner world. Throughout the years, whether serving as a grassroots official or China’s top leader, he has maintained a rigorous reading habit while also encouraging his colleagues — and the broader public — to read.

« Overseas analysts of China are understandably very interested in whether Chinese leaders are reading, whether they have time to read, and what kind of books they are reading, » The Diplomat said in one article. « Leaders’ knowledge is formed by the books they read … This in turn is an important factor in determining the shaping and implementation of policy. »

Photo taken on July 30, 2022, shows part of the collections at the headquarters of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

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.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, attends the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting via video link and delivers a keynote address in Beijing, capital of China, March 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

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. »

Peace and war have been a recurring theme in Xi’s remarks on various international occasions.

During a state visit to Greece in 2019, Xi paused before the « Mourning Athena, » a marble relief dating to around 460 BC, at the Acropolis Museum. Then Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos remarked that the goddess was resting and contemplating after a battle.

« Zhi Ge Wei Wu, » Xi quoted the idiom from the ancient Chinese historical chronicle « Zuo Zhuan, » meaning that boldness lies in the suspension of hostility. « She (Athena) is reflecting on what exactly war means. »

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, visit the Acropolis Museum accompanied by then Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and his wife, Vlassia Pavlopoulou-Peltsemi, in Athens, Greece, Nov. 12, 2019. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

In today’s world, changes unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace, transformation and turbulence are intertwined, and wars and conflicts keep flaring up in some regions.

« Stability brings a country prosperity while instability leads a country to poverty, » Xi quoted a saying from « The Guanzi, » a collection of ancient Chinese writings, when he proposed the Global Security Initiative in 2022, urging joint efforts to maintain world peace and security.

Martin Albrow, a fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences, said that Xi, by drawing wisdom from China’s ancient history and splendid civilization, has put forward important thoughts and a theoretical system on how to govern the modern society.

« With today’s world facing common challenges of peace, cooperation and development, the philosophy and wisdom from the East will serve as an important enlightenment for countries around the world on how to deepen cooperation and strengthen global governance, » he said.

BUILDING BRIDGES WITH BOOKS

To make his remarks more relatable to global audiences, Xi often references foreign literature as a way to foster closer ties while advancing his ideas. For him, literature and art are « the best medium for creating understanding and communication between different countries and cultures. »

Back in March 2013, during his first state visit to Russia since becoming Chinese president, Xi first proposed his landmark vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity while addressing over a thousand teachers and students at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.

« The path of history is not paved like Nevsky Prospekt; it runs across fields, either dusty or muddy, and cuts across swamps or forest thickets, » Xi cited a line from Chernyshevsky, indicating that while humanity has every reason to believe that the world will become a better place, the path toward it can be tortuous.

In the same speech, Xi spoke about the profound influence of Russian literature on multiple generations in China, and mentioned several Russian literary giants, including Pushkin, Lermontov and Tolstoy, whose works he had read extensively.

« President Xi mentioned several Russian literary classics … which made everyone feel very close to him, » said Taras Ivchenko, a Russian sinologist, who was among those met by Xi following the speech. « As soon as he referred to these works, the whole atmosphere changed and became much more relaxed. »

« Why do I share these stories with foreigners? I do it because literature and art are a universal language, » Xi stressed the crucial role of literature in cultural exchanges. « This makes it one of the easiest ways to create understanding and connection with others. »

Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd R) receives the original French version of « An Introduction to The Analects of Confucius », published in 1688, from his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron (1st R), as a national gift before their meeting in Nice, France, on March 24, 2019. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

In his interactions with world leaders, Xi has at times given books as gifts, particularly to those who share his passion for reading and literature, such as French President Emmanuel Macron.

In May 2024, during Xi’s third state visit to France, the Chinese leader presented a selection of classic French novels in Chinese translation to Macron, including « Ninety-Three, » « Madame Bovary » and « The Red and the Black. » In return, Macron gave Xi an antique edition of « Les Contemplations » by Victor Hugo, a French author whose works Xi enjoys reading.

As representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations, China and France should respect each other, exchange with and learn from each other, Xi told Macron.

In Xi’s eyes, exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations can serve as a bridge of friendship among peoples, a driving force for human progress, and a strong bond for world peace.

And through exchanges, Xi argued, « we need to encourage different civilizations to respect each other and live together in harmony. »