Xi-book.jpg (Photo : Reuters)
When the book about the president of the People's Republic of China came out in the U.K., retired academic Frank O'Reilly was one of the first ones to buy it.
"President Xi was quoting from Confucius saying 'reading without thinking makes one muddled, thinking without reading makes one flighty' . . . in the West, we have so many comments about China but never actually refer to actual words of Chinese leaders," he said.
O'Reilly, along with other Westerners, seemed to have gained interest in "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China," a collection of 79 speeches and some 45 photos of the president.
The book, which is intended to give firsthand insights into Chinese leadership, appears to have enlightened people more about China since its launch at the Frankfurt Book Fair this year.
"The Governance of China" came out in 10 languages, such as English, Japanese, French and Russian.
The book's publisher, Ru Jing and China's Foreign Languages Press in the U.K., said that there has been an increasing demand for the Xi Jinping book's English edition.
One of the main distributors in the U.K. is the Guanghwa Bookshop, situated in London's China Town district.
Guanghwa's owner, Cai Shaojuan, said that both old and new customers come to his bookshop to ask about the book, with most inquirers interested in Chinese politics.
