postscript

Be a good "main speaker" of Chinese stories

Lu Xinning

Some scholars believe that politics is divided into emotional politics and rational politics. Whether it is a foreign exchange or a book or a speech, "storytelling" can not only explain concepts and trigger thinking, but also infect the audience, shorten the distance, and finally obtain double resonance in the audience's mind and heart, which can be described as a combination of rationality and emotion.

"Profound truths should be touched and persuaded through storytelling." Studying General Secretary Xi Jinping's series of important speeches, a distinct feeling is that stories can "carry the way", transforming profound ideas and abstract truths into vivid stories and vivid examples, which are not only down-to-earth and literate, but also have a vision and show the level.

That's why we want to get a glimpse into the mystery of Xi Jinping's storytelling. Yang Zhenwu, president of the People's Daily, asked me to lead the comrades of the comment department to write the book "Xi Jinping Tells Stories", and he personally planned the layout and preface of the book, summarized and expounded the methods and significance of Xi Jinping's storytelling, and thought about the way of reform and development, the way of great power diplomacy, and the way of self-cultivation.

As the "first main narrator" of Chinese stories, Xi Jinping's storytelling has rich connotations and superb skills. We've got an "extended reading" of these stories. The first is to enrich the story information, supplement the details of the story, and introduce in detail the people and things told by Xi Jinping. The second is to restore the context of the story, see when it is told and to whom, and interpret the story in the context book and in the scene of the times. We hope that from these two levels, readers will have a more comprehensive, three-dimensional and profound understanding of "Xi Jinping's storytelling".

Harvard University professor Joseph Nye once said: "China's leaders are master storytellers. "Arguably, storytelling is also an important soft power. Interpreting Xi Jinping's storytelling is also to hope that more people can become the "main speaker" of China's story. In the Internet era, everyone is an "export of value"; In the era of the global village, everyone is a "national business card". More importantly, the great times and great changes have allowed Chinese to have incomparably rich life possibilities and more colorful life experiences. Dreams and struggles, successes and setbacks, laughter and tears are the most touching stories. By learning to discover stories, tell stories, tell our own stories, and the stories around us, we will be able to better show the world a real, three-dimensional and vivid China.

"Impress and persuade people" is also the job of commentators in party newspapers. Being able to tell stories and tell good stories is exactly what the writers of this book want to learn and pursue. Zhang Tie, Fan Zhengwei, Cao Pengcheng, Li Zheng, Li Bin, Chen Ling and other comrades from the People's Daily Commentary Department carefully wrote the story "Further Reading". Li Chunsheng, vice president of the People's Publishing House, personally led the editing and design of the book. I hope that this book can inspire readers in terms of thought and expression, and find a "golden key" to communicate the heart, connect emotions, and integrate China and foreign countries in this era of special need for "communication and understanding".

(The author is deputy editor-in-chief of People's Daily)