President Xi is an avid reader and author of books. (Photo : Getty Images)
Chinese President Xi Jinping revealed his favorite books that served as his guide to daily living and leadership. The great Chinese leader is himself an author of "The Governance of China," a collection of speeches.
President Xi said, "I have loads of hobbies, my favorite one is reading."
A notable book that he read religiously was the "Mother Tattooing on His Back" by Yue Fei, the great national hero of the Song Dynasty.
This is a picture book that illustrated the great battles against the Jin invaders. The book also presented the loyalty and devotion of the dynasty's soldiers to the country.
Xi started reading the book when he was 5 or 6.
Another book that was read by President Xi were the Chinese classical poetry by Shijing, historical records by Shinji, Book of Rites by Liji and the Book of Records by Shangshu.
These publications are relevant to Chinese culture and history. They presented values of love for country and loyalty to the nation.
President Xi was regarded highly due to his own collection of speeches that portrayed his loyalty to his country. "The Governance of China" exemplified his leadership.
According to Chinese scholar Yang Henjun, "But since Xi Jinping came to power, I've discovered something: many of the things he's done, he's already talked about--and he will definitely do the things he says. Whether you like his views or not, if you want to understand China under Xi, the easiest way is to read this book."
The scholar added, "Still, in this one book he not only speaks in detail about everything from anti-corruption and cleaning up the Party to economic reform, caring for lower classes, and foreign policy, he also has acted on almost everything he talks about.
"It's because of this that I believe reading his book is important for understanding China and Xi's ideas on governance, and it's important for those concepts I have always promoted in China: democracy, freedom, and the rule of law."
