Diplomacy

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Text

Xi Jinping’s Diplomatic Wit and Vision: Selected Quotations and Commentary is the latest installment of the Wit and Vision series. This book presents a fascinating survey of Xi Jinping’s mastery of diplomatic speech craft while offering readers a look under the hood of Chinese foreign policy. Xi Jinping’s style of communication is distinct – eminently thought-provoking, yet simple, accessible, and down-to-earth. Xi deftly applies literary quotations and sayings from China and other parts of the world to shed light on global megatrends and distill the essence of Chinese diplomacy. Memorable and packed with pearls of wisdom, Xi Jinping’s Diplomatic Wit and Vision is an excellent resource for anyone who wishes to gain a better understanding of Chinese diplomacy.

Xi Jinping’s Diplomatic Wit and Vision: Selected Quotations and Commentary is the latest installment of the Wit and Vision series. This edition presents a fascinating survey of Xi Jinping’s mastery of diplomatic speech craft while offering readers a look “under the hood” of Chinese foreign policy. Xi Jinping’s style of communication is distinct – eminently thought-provoking, yet simple, accessible, and down-to-earth. Xi deftly applies literary quotations and sayings from China and other parts of the world to shed light on global megatrends and distill the essence of Chinese diplomacy. Memorable and packed with pearls of wisdom, Xi Jinping’s Diplomatic Wit and Vision is an excellent resource for anyone who wishes to gain a better understanding of (modern) Chinese diplomacy.

This book contains excerpts from Xi Jinping’s diplomatic speeches and articles which highlight his distinctive use of language and provide a springboard for discussing the overall vision, innovative theories, and prac- tical achievements of the CPC Central Committee’s diplomatic efforts since the 18th National Congress. It is organized into the following four sections – Introduction, Imagery & Metaphors, Everyday Sayings, and Poetry & Prose. We have attempted to capture the eloquence and candor of Xi’s diplomatic language and unpack its meaning and significance. Our goal is to help readers understand the essence and essentials of Xi’s approach to foreign policy, as well as the logic and diplomatic art that underpins it. Informative and easy to read, this book, this installment of Wit and Vision, is an important study aid for understanding and implementing Xi Jinping’s thoughts on Foreign Affairs.

Since this book’s completion, Xi Jinping has continued to season important diplomatic speeches with colorful language and imagery. For example, he used the Chinese proverb “the tree with deep roots will bear much fruit” and “a generous supply of oil allows the lamp to burn bright” to describe the long-term relationship between China and various countries in Africa. He also borrowed a line from Mencius – recounting how the Kingdom of Lu appeared small to Confucius when viewed from the top of Mount Tai – to highlight the importance of understanding global developments and underlying trends. Additionally, he quoted Nelson Mandela to express his optimism about the future of BRICS cooperation. Quotations such as these provide thoughtful footnotes on Xi Jinping’s thoughts on Diplomacy and deserve our continued study.

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communists Party of China (the State Administration of Press and Publication), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Publicity Department of the Shanghai Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Shanghai Press and Publication Administration, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University for their generous support throughout the course of this project.

The team of writers and editors at the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS) epitomize loyalty, mission, and dedication. They spared no efforts in reviewing and revising the manuscript and worked diligently to make this book the best it could be. We are indebted to former CIIS President Su Ge and Vice President Rong Ying for all their work, and to President Qi Zhenhong and Deputy Director Jiang Peng for their roles in getting this book to press. We would also like to thank Wu Baoan, deputy director of the STM Committee of the Publishers Association of China, for his excellent work in coordinating the book’s editing and publishing, as well as Liu Bangcheng, Chen Yao, Li Mingming, and others from the School of International and Public Affairs at Shanghai Jiao Tong University for their meticulous proofreading. Finally, we would like to acknowledge Zhu Jian, Gu Feng, Han Jianmin, Zheng Yihui, Liu Peiying, and others for all the time and effort they put into this book. Our sincere thanks to all of you. We hope that our readers will excuse any omissions or imperfections which they may come across, and we gladly welcome your suggestions and feedback.

Editorial Board September 2018

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