By Cai Mingzhao
He has demonstrated commitment to better involving the general public in every step of the process of governance. One of the first things his administration did was to implement an eight-point code of conduct to fight corruption, improve official performance and maintain closer ties with the people.
In recent decades, China has drastically improved in its overall national strength and international standing. Not unexpectedly, many outside China hold an increasingly complicated attitude toward the country's growth.
The book devotes five chapters to address these concerns. Xi stresses that commitment to the path of peaceful development is China's strategic choice, and that such policy is not an act of expediency or empty diplomatic talk. Rather, it is a conclusion drawn from objective assessment of China's history, present situation and future prospects. Since it benefits both China and the world, there is no reason why China should not continue on such a path.
In the book, he elaborates on such concepts as "a community of shared destiny," "a new model of major-country relationship," and "friendship, sincerity, reciprocity and inclusiveness".
Xi is an excellent storyteller. His unique cultural background and rich life experience contribute to a simple, natural and vivid style of communication. He says "only the wearer of the shoes knows if they fit or not" to illustrate that only the people can tell if the path they are on is suitable or not. In fighting corruption, he uses "catching tigers" as well as "flies" to convey his lack of tolerance for illegal conduct. While in Brussels, he mentioned that "Chinese people are fond of tea, and Belgians love beer," to illustrate concepts of inclusiveness and mutual learning between different civilizations.
