Xi Jinping and the Citation of Historical Writings of Antiquity: From Rhetoric to Politics

Abstract

The article examines a number of quotations from Chinese historical writings from the ancient period (up to and including the Han era) used by President Xi Jinping in his speeches during his first term in office (2012–2017). The paper is a study of the phenomenon called Xi Jinping yong dian (习近平用典 “Xi Jinping uses classics”) in terms of the intersection of historical process experience in ancient and modern periods within the rhetorical constructions of the bearer of supreme power in modern PRC. The quotations from Chinese historical monuments of the ancient period used by Xi Jinping are considered in the context of the periodization of modern Chinese history and the key stages of the domestic and foreign policies conducted in 2012–2017. Xi Jinping’s political rhetoric at these stages concerns, above all, the areas of interaction with the bureaucratic structures — the CCP and the international organizations. The author has made an attempt to find out what could be the purpose of such citations and what is behind them — a rhetorical device or something more.