He has some knowledge of English and has been heard to speak it on occasion, though predominantly sticks to his native Mandarin. [68], Xi vowed to crack down on corruption almost immediately after he ascended to power at the 18th Party Congress. Xi JinPing has been president of the Peoples Republic of China since 2012. Xi Jinping during a speech in 2021[168], In November 2020, The Wall Street Journal reported that Xi personally ordered a halt to Ant Group's initial public offering (IPO), in reaction to its founder Jack Ma criticizing government regulation in finance. In 2013, the two countries had a standoff in Depsang for three weeks, which ended with no border change. Merkel also speaks English pretty well, even if her preference when giving speeches is to do so on German. This family photo was taken in 1958, before the Cultural Revolution changed things in the . [67] Within hours of his election, Xi discussed cyber security and North Korea with U.S. President Barack Obama over the phone. [78] He and CCDI Secretary Wang Qishan further institutionalized CCDI's independence from the day-to-day operations of the CCP, improving its ability to function as a bona fide control body. Abe only speaks Japanese, which is unsurprising for a tone-patron-ultra-nationalist. [344] Xi's push for greater integration has created fears of decreasing freedoms in Hong Kong. There are translators, Xi Jinping speaks Chinese, and Kim Jong-un speaks Korean. [477] In 2018, Forbes ranked him as the most powerful and influential person in the world, replacing Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had been ranked so for five consecutive years. According to Xinhua News Agency, Xi would swim one kilometer and walk every day as long as there was time, and is interested in foreign writers, especially Russian. [379] Der Spiegel reported that in January 2020 Xi pressured Tedros Adhanom to hold off on issuing a global warning about the outbreak of COVID-19 and hold back information on human-to-human transmission of the virus, allegations denied by the WHO. [485] The Chinese state media has also cast him as a fatherly figure and a man of the people, determined to stand up for Chinese interests.[402]. Within the first two years of the campaign alone, over 200,000 low-ranking officials received warnings, fines, and demotions. He pledged there would be no 'purges' during his administration, despite the fact many local officials were thought to have been implicated in the Chen Liangyu corruption scandal. [440] Some observers have called Xi a dictator, citing the large centralisation of power around him unseen compared to his predecessors. Jin Canrong ()an international relationship professor with Renmin University of China,said that in a news report. The common prosperity we are pursuing is for all, affluence both in material and spiritual life, but not for a small portion nor for uniform egalitarianism. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a bilateral meeting on November 13, 2019 in Brasilia, Brazil. Chinese President Xi Jinping has used a virtual summit with US counterpart Joe Biden to warn that encouraging Taiwanese independence would be "playing with fire". [205] His political program calls for a China more united and confident of its own value system and political structure. [222] In this pursuit, Xi has emphasised the need to "tell China's story well" (), meaning expanding China's external propaganda () and communications. Xi jinping could understand written English.However, Mr. Xi's listening and speaking skills are very limited. [citation needed] Xi subsequently served in four provinces during his regional political career: Hebei (19821985), Fujian (19852002), Zhejiang (20022007), and Shanghai (2007). Xi also said that they "are willing to create broad space for peaceful reunification, but will leave no room for any form of separatist activities. He travelled in a large van with his colleagues rather than a fleet of limousines, and did not restrict traffic on the parts of the highway he travelled. And here was us hoping that those who are monolingual would have a little more sense, a little more understanding, and compassion for the world around them, Pedro Snchez is one of our newer leaders in world politics. Xi Jinping during a speech in 2018[428], Xi has supported greater CCP control over the PRC, saying "government, the military, society and schools, north, south, east and west the party leads them all". Though he has been known to use English with an, Indias prime minister Narendra Modi recently started his, Our world leaders know better than anyone we hope that understanding other cultures and ways of life are crucial to improving our global relationships. Xi Jinping speaks Chinese and English, while Angela Merkel speaks German and English. [200][201] Some analysts interpreted this move as an attempt to display strength and strong leadership and as being more "political than military". Angela Merkel is one of the most redoubtable, recognizable numbers on the international political stage. Does Xi Jinping have a college degree? [287] In 2021, Xi has called the U.S. the biggest threat to China's development, saying that "the biggest source of chaos in the present-day world is the United States". The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Xi Jinping, (born June 15?, 1953, Fuping county, Shaanxi province, China), Chinese politician and government official who served as vice president of the People's Republic of China (2008-13), general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP; 2012- ), and president of China (2013- ). [358] He presided over the 709 crackdown on 9 July 2015, which saw more than 200 lawyers, legal assistants and human rights activists being detained. [400], Known as a very secretive leader, little is known publicly about how Xi makes political decisions, or how he came to power. Reportedly, these tactics have even been used against Wang Qishan, Xi's close friend. [203] According to a University of California, San Diego expert on Chinese military, Xi "has been able to take political control of the military to an extent that exceeds what Mao and Deng have done". As well as Spanish, Snchez is fluent in both English and French. Scott Morrison has only been Australias Prime Minister since August 2018. [226] In November 2021, Xi promised African nations 1 billion doses of China's COVID-19 vaccines, which was in addition to the 200 million already supplied before. Though some would argue that he barely has command of the English language, English is Trumps native tongue. Xi's political ideas and principles, known as Xi Jinping Thought, have been incorporated into the party and national constitutions, and he has emphasized the importance of national security and the need for CCP leadership over the country. That makes it riskier than ever", "China Reins In Its Belt and Road Program, $1 Trillion Later", "Xi Sees Threats to China's Security Everywhere Heading Into 2021", "In Turbulent Times, Xi Builds a Security Fortress for China, and Himself", "China Adopts Sweeping National-Security Law", "China passes controversial counter-terrorism law", "China's Cybersecurity Law: What You Need to Know", "Clampdown in China Restricts 7,000 Foreign Organizations", "China passes tough new intelligence law", "How China's new data laws will make cross-border business much harder", "Greater Bay Area: Xi Jinping's other grand plan", "China signals desire to bring Hong Kong under tighter control", "China's Xi vows support for Hong Kong leader during 'most difficult' time", "Xi Jinping again backs Hong Kong police use of force in stopping unrest", "China's Xi warns of 'foreign forces' at Macao anniversary", "Xi Jinping seen as indirectly lecturing Hong Kong as he tells Macau residents to make 'positive voices' heard and resolve problems with rationality", "Crossing the Red Line: Behind China's Takeover of Hong Kong", "China's President Xi arrives in Hong Kong for handover anniversary", "How Xi Jinping tightened his grip on Hong Kong, 25 years after the handover", "Beijing-backed hardliner John Lee chosen as Hong Kong's next leader", "Xi praises Hong Kong PLA garrison for city's transition from 'chaos' to 'stability', "For Hong Kong's Beijing-Backed Officials, Xi's All That", "Repression in China at worst level since Tiananmen Square, HRW warns", "China widens crackdown against grassroot activists", "Wang Quanzhang: The lawyer who simply vanished", "Chinese dream turns sour for activists under Xi Jinping", "Replace pictures of Jesus with Xi to escape poverty, Chinese villagers urged", "Jesus won't save you President Xi Jinping will, Chinese Christians told", "Group: Officials destroying crosses, burning bibles in China", "Fear and oppression in Xinjiang: China's war on Uighur culture", "President Xi Jinping makes inspection tour in Xinjiang", Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, "Concentration camps and forced labor: China's repression of the Uighurs, explained", "1.5 million Muslims could be detained in China's Xinjiang: academic", "More than 20 ambassadors condemn China's treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang", "China's Xi responsible for Uyghur 'genocide', unofficial tribunal says", "U.N. says China may have committed crimes against humanity in Xinjiang", "Huawei's human rights record needs scrutiny before Britain signs 5G contracts", "Even in secret, China's leaders speak in code", "Leaked Documents Detail Xi Jinping's Extensive Role in Xinjiang Crackdown", "Public Security Minister's Speech Describes Xi Jinping's Direction of Mass Detentions in Xinjiang", "Did Xi Jinping know about the coronavirus outbreak earlier than first suggested? He has stated his aim to make French the worlds first language after taking the position of chairman in 2017. Prominent legal activist Pu Zhiqiang of the Weiquan movement was also arrested and detained. [97] In May 2021, the CAC reported that it removed two million online posts for historical nihilism. [25] In 1999, he was promoted to the office of Vice Governor of Fujian, and became governor a year later. For much of the preceding 30 years, political ideology and communist doctrine were not a standard taught in Chinese schools until middle school, and textbooks featured a wider set of Chinese leaders with less emphasis on a single leader like Xi. [342] Internal Chinese government documents leaked to the press in November 2019 showed that Xi repeatedly discussed about Islamic extremism in his speeches, likening it to a "virus" or a "drug" that could be only addressed by "a period of painful, interventionary treatment. "[343] However, he also warned against the discrimination against Uyghurs and rejected proposals to eradicate Islam in China, calling that kind of viewpoint "biased, even wrong". In school he studied Ancient Greek alongside Latin, and also has a decent understanding of both German and Spanish. [383] While initially credited for China's suppression of the COVID-19 outbreak, the policy was later criticized by foreign and some domestic observers for being out of touch with the rest of the world and taking a heavy toll on the economy. Chairman Xi spoke of 'rule of law' while he . Following the dismissal of the party secretary of Shanghai, Chen Liangyu, Xi was transferred to replace him for a brief period in 2007. In the USSR, where the military was depoliticized, separated from the party and nationalized, the party was disarmed. [231], Relations between China and India had ups and downs under Xi, later deteriorating due to various factors. In Fujian, Xi made efforts to attract investment from Taiwan and to strengthen the private sector of the provincial economy. He began by announcing a new pandemic goal of giving out 200 million coronavirus shots in his first 100 days twice as . [350] Xi visited Hong Kong as president in 2017 and 2022, in the 20th and 25th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong respectively. When it comes to English, its unexpected that he shifted between English and Russian during one broadcast interview with American director Oliver Stone and even during a visit to his Kremlin office. Moreover, hes a proud monolingual speaker. [245] He said that "we will never allow any person, any organisation, or any political party to split any part of the Chinese territory from China at any time at any form. [263], Xi and Putin met on 4 February 2022 during the run up to the 2022 Beijing Olympics during the massive Russian build-up of force on the Ukrainian border, with the two expressing that the two countries are nearly united in their anti-US alignment and that both nations shared "no limits" to their commitments. [375], On 20 January 2020, Xi commented for the first time on the emerging COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, and ordered "efforts to curb the spread" of the virus. ", "Forget Marx and Mao. Under Xi, China signed a $400billion gas deal with Russia; China has also become Russia's largest trading partner. [334] In the name of national security, Xi's government has passed numerous laws including a counterespionage law in 2014,[335] national security[336] and a counterterrorism law in 2015,[337] a cybersecurity law[338] and a law restricting foreign NGOs in 2016,[339] a national intelligence law in 2017,[340] and a data security law in 2021. He has sought to expand China's African and Eurasian influence through the Belt and Road Initiative. This was the third of its kind after ones adopted by Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping,[112][113] and the document for the first time credited Xi as being the "main innovator" of Xi Jinping Thought[114] while also declaring Xi's leadership as being the key to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation". Korean is his first language as he was born in Pyongyang, North Korea to North Korean parents. [387], At the 20th CCP Congress, Xi confirmed the continuation of the zero-COVID policy,[388] stating he would "unswervingly" carry out "dynamic zero-COVID" and promising to "resolutely win the battle,"[389] though China started a limited easing of the policies in the following weeks. [181] In July 2021, all family size limits as well as penalties for exceeding them were removed. [16] The concepts and context behind Xi Jinping Thought are elaborated in Xi's The Governance of China book series, published by the Foreign Languages Press for an international audience. Many of the work teams also had the effect of identifying and initiating investigations of high-ranking officials. Just imagine this: had socialism failed in China, had our communist party collapsed like the party in the Soviet Union, then global socialism would lapse into a long dark age. [15] According to people who knew him, this experience led him to feel affinity with the rural poor. He appears to be monolingual; though some Australians would argue that he has trouble even speaking English. [143] A new National Security Commission was formed with Xi at its helm. How widely spoken is English in Chile, Vietnam, and Germany? [345] Xi has supported the Hong Kong Government and chief executive Carrie Lam against the protesters in the 201920 Hong Kong protests. [393], In September 2020, Xi announced that China will "strengthen its 2030 climate target (NDC), peak emissions before 2030 and aim to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060". In the Alabama rally Saturday, former President Donald Trump recalled a conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying he never knew he spoke English. [310], On 20 June 2019, Xi visited Pyongyang, becoming the first Chinese leader to visit North Korea since his predecessor Hu Jintao's visit in 2004. [141], Xi was initially seen as a market reformist,[142] and the Third Plenum of the 18th Central Committee under him announced that "market forces" would begin to play a "decisive" role in allocating resources.