The Philosopher
Xi Jinping
The face
The background
- Nationality:
- Chinese
- Period:
- 21st century
The synopsis
The elder son of Chinese Red Army veteran Xi Zhongxun's second marriage to Qi Xin, Xi was born in Beijing and was exiled to rural village of Liangjiahe, Yanchuan County, Shaanxi, as a teenager following his father's purge during the Cultural Revolution. He lived in a yaodong in Liangjiahe, where he joined the CCP after several failed attempts and worked as the local party secretary. After studying chemical engineering at Tsinghua University as a worker-peasant-soldier student, Xi rose through the ranks politically in China's coastal provinces. Xi was governor of Fujian from 1999 to 2002, before becoming governor and party secretary of neighboring Zhejiang from 2002 to 2007. Xi was transferred to replace the dismissed Shanghai party secretary Chen Liangyu for a brief period in 2007. He subsequently joined the Politburo Standing Committee the same year and became the first-ranking member of the Secretariat. In 2008, Xi was appointed the vice president and became vice chairman of the CMC in 2010, making him Hu Jintao's presumed successor as paramount leader. In 2012, he succeeded Hu as the CCP general secretary and Party CMC chairman, and assumed the presidency and the State CMC chairmanship in 2013. While overseeing China's domestic policy, Xi has introduced far-ranging measures to enforce party discipline and strengthen internal unity. His anti-corruption campaign led to the downfall of prominent incumbent and retired CCP officials. For the sake of promoting "common prosperity", Xi has enacted a series of policies designed to increase equality, overseen targeted poverty alleviation programs as part of the battle against poverty, and directed a broad crackdown in 2021 against the tech and tutoring sectors. Furthermore, he has expanded support for state-owned enterprises, emphasized advanced manufacturing and tech development, advanced military–civil fusion, and led attempts to reform the property sector. Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China, he initially presided over a zero-COVID policy from 2020 to 2022 before ultimately shifting towards a mitigation strategy. Xi has pursued a more hardline foreign policy including with regard to relations with the United States, the nine-dash line in the South China Sea, and the Sino-Indian border dispute. Additionally, Xi has sought to expand China's influence in Africa and Eurasia by championing the Belt and Road Initiative. Xi met Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou in 2015, but subsequently presided over a deterioration in relations between Beijing and Taipei under the Democratic Progressive Party. In 2020, he oversaw the passage of a national security law in Hong Kong, which clamped down on the opposition pro-democracy activists. Xi's tenure has witnessed restructuring of the People's Liberation Army, a significant increase in censorship and mass surveillance, a deterioration in human rights (including the persecution of Uyghurs), as well as an increased role for the CCP in society. He officially received the title of leadership core from the CCP in 2016 and oversaw the removal of term limits for the presidency in 2018, and became the first PRC president to serve more than three terms following his re-election in 2023. Xi's political ideas and principles, known as Xi Jinping Thought, have been incorporated into the party and national constitutions. As the central figure of the fifth generation of leadership of the PRC, Xi has centralized institutional power by taking on multiple positions, overseen significant reforms of political and military bodies, and increased CCP's influence over state organs.
The works
The quotes
I like sports, and swimming is my favorite. Doing physical exercises keeps one fit and healthy and helps one work more efficiently. I think we all need to strike a balance between work and relaxation. This can keep us energetic and help us do our job better.
The Chinese nation is a great nation; it has been through hardships and adversity but remains indomitable.
Only by observing the laws of nature can mankind avoid costly blunders in its exploitation. Any harm we inflict on nature will eventually return to haunt us. This is a reality we have to face.
The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is no walk in the park or mere drum-beating and gong-clanging.
Friends from the press, China needs to learn more about the world, and the world also needs to learn more about China. I hope you will continue to make more efforts and contributions to deepening the mutual understanding between China and the countries of the world.
China will continue to play its part as a major and responsible country.
We will never allow anyone, any organization, or any political party, at any time or in any form, to separate any part of Chinese territory from China.
We must uphold the fighting of tigers and flies at the same time, resolutely investigating law-breaking cases of leading officials and also earnestly resolving the unhealthy tendencies and corruption problems which happen all around people.
A military is built to fight. Our military must regard combat capability as the criterion to meet in all its work and focus on how to win when it is called on.
During the civilisation and development process of more than 5,000 years, the Chinese nation has made an indelible contribution to the civilisation and advancement of mankind.
It is true that some people have some misgivings about China-U.K. cooperation. What I want to stress is that in today's world, no country can afford to pursue development with its door closed. One should open the door, warmly welcome friends, and be hospitable to them.
The vast Pacific Ocean has ample space for China and the United States. We welcome a constructive role by the United States in promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the region. We also hope that the United States will fully respect and accommodate the major interests and legitimate concerns of Asia-Pacific countries.
China will always remain the builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and upholder of international order.
Why did the Soviet Union disintegrate? Why did the Soviet Communist Party collapse? An important reason was that their ideals and beliefs had been shaken.
In the modern era, our nation experienced constant hardship and difficulties. The Chinese nation reached the most dangerous period. Since then, countless people with lofty ideals to realise the great revival of the Chinese nation rose to resist and fight, but failed one time after another.
As economic globalization gathers momentum, China and the United States have become highly interdependent economically. Such economic relations would not enjoy sustained, rapid growth if they were not based on mutual benefit or if they failed to deliver great benefits to the United States.
During the long process of history, by relying on our own diligence, courage and wisdom, Chinese people have opened up a good and beautiful home where all ethnic groups live in harmony and fostered an excellent culture that never fades.
China will continue to adopt multiple measures to advance the reform and opening up of its financial sector so that its financial market can better adapt to financial modernization and globalization.
China is ready to pursue cooperation of various forms with the U.K. and other countries in international production capacity and equipment manufacturing to synergize our respective strengths and promote each other's development.
Some foreigners with full bellies and nothing better to do engage in finger-pointing at us. First, China does not export revolution; second, it does not export famine and poverty; and third, it does not mess around with you. So what else is there to say?
The Chinese people are a great people; they are industrious and brave, and they never pause in pursuit of progress.
What we now face is the contradiction between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people's ever-growing needs for a better life.
NBA games are exciting to watch and have global appeal. They are very popular in China. I do watch NBA games on television when I have time.
Our responsibility is to rally and lead the whole party and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, take up this historic baton and continue working hard for the great renewal of the Chinese nation, so that we will stand rock firm in the family of nations and make fresh and greater contribution to mankind.
The Chinese government supports Chinese companies in going global. But we believe that this process should be market-oriented, with companies being the main driver.