Xi’s remarks on literature and art

"Literature and art deeply merge into people’s lives, into business and lives, favorable and adverse circumstances, dreams and expectations, loves and hates, life and death, into all aspects of human life, enlightenment can be sought in literature and art works. Literature and art have their greatest attraction, and greatest influence, on the young. When I was young, I read quite a few literary works, I browsed all kinds of books that could be found then, which did not only include many splendid chapters and meaningful words that remain fresh in my memory today, I have also come to learn much of life’s true meaning from them. Literature and art are the best methods for different countries and nations to build mutual understanding and communication."

-- President Xi’s speech at the Forum on Literature and Art in Beijing, Oct. 15, 2014

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On Oct. 21, 2015, President Xi delivered a speech at a dinner hosted by the Lord Mayor of the City of London.

In his speech, Xi mentioned several British literary classics and pieces of modern British art, adding that "the Chinese people are enchanted by British literary classics… And they love pieces of modern British art."

President Xi Jinping delivers a speech titled "Work Together to Promote Openness, Inclusiveness and Peaceful Development" at a dinner hosted by the Lord Mayor of the City of London at the Guildhall on Oct. 21, 2015. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

"I recall big names such as William Shakespeare, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley and George Bernard Shaw, Francis Bacon, Oliver Cromwell and Winston Churchill, Thomas More, John Locke, Adam Smith, Charles Darwin, Arnold Toynbee and Joseph Needham. And I cannot but think of The Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist, Jane Eyre, Robinson Crusoe and Sherlock Holmes. Of course the list also includes Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and many others."

He also recalled reading William Shakespeare’s works during his days as a farmer in a small village in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, where he spent seven years.

"Back in those days, I tried every means to lay my hands on William Shakespeare's works, reading A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merchant of Venice, The Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. I was captivated by their dramatic plots, vivid characters and emotional intensity. Standing on the barren loessland of Shaanxi as a young man, I often pondered the question of to be or not to be. Eventually I made up my mind that I shall dedicate myself to serving my country and my people. I am sure that Shakespeare not only appeals to readers with his literary talents, but also inspires people's lives in profound ways."

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On March 24, 2019, President Xi met his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Nice, France, during which the original French version of "An Introduction to The Analects of Confucius," published in 1688, was presented to Xi as a national gift by Macron.

Xi said he would take this precious gift back to China’s National Library.

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)

The Analects of Confucius, a collection of ideas and sayings of the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius, witnesses the long-standing cultural communication between the two countries.

In the 17th century, the collection was translated by French scholar François Noël and went on to have a far-reaching influence in Europe. Confucius’s ideas inspired French thinkers including Voltaire, Macron said.

"The two peoples keep a special friendship. This is a valuable asset that we must inherit and carry forward to keep China-France relations at the forefront of the times," Xi said.