preface

Tell a story about governance

Yang Zhenwu

Good storytelling is a common characteristic of famous politicians and thinkers at home and abroad, and it is also the outstanding ability of the leaders of the Communist Party of China. In Yan'an, at the closing ceremony of the Seventh National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Chairman Mao Zedong told the delegates a story of "the foolish man moved the mountain". Yu Gong dug the mountain every day, and finally moved God, and sent the gods to go down to the earth to carry away the two mountains at his door. Chairman Mao used this metaphor as long as the Communist Party of China persists, it will also move God, and this God is none other than the people of all China, digging up the two mountains of imperialism and feudalism.

General Secretary Xi Jinping is a storyteller. Whether it is a speech at a conference, a conversation during research, a speech during a foreign visit, or an article in a newspaper, he is good at using stories to convey deep meaning and infect others. These stories are specific and vivid, popular and profound, full of "Chinese wisdom" and "Chinese power", and also reflect Xi Jinping's profound humanistic feelings and philosophical heritage from one aspect, which has become a distinctive feature of his leadership style.

A story is worth a dozen truths. On the May Fourth Youth Day in 2013 and 2014, when Xi Jinping talked with youth representatives, he told the story of insisting on reading books when he went up the mountain to see sheep and hoeing in the fields, and walked 30 miles just to borrow books, encouraging young people to seize the time and learn more. This kind of narration based on one's own personal experience is far more real, vivid, and contagious than telling an example of a famous person in history who has worked hard to learn.

"People's Daily" once published an article "The Taste of Faith", telling that when Chen Wangdao devoted himself to translating the "Communist Manifesto", he actually ate the ink as brown sugar without realizing it, reflecting the sweetness of the spirit and the sweetness of faith. Xi Jinping has quoted this story many times in his speeches, using touching stories in the history of the party to inspire the majority of cadres to maintain their ideals and stick to their beliefs.

On March 27, 2014, Xi Jinping said in an important speech at the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France in Paris: "Napoleon said that China is a sleeping lion, and when this sleeping lion wakes up, the world will tremble." The lion of China has woken up, but this is a peaceful, amiable, and civilized lion. This kind of narration, which is both tense and profound, skillfully refutes the "China threat theory" and conveys the world value of the Chinese dream.

As the saying goes, "tell a good story, do more with less". In China's excellent traditional culture, whether it is a hundred schools of thought or folklore, it is adorned with vivid stories. These stories have transcended time and space, influencing the perceptions and lives of generations. The reason why storytelling is so powerful is precisely because it can quickly establish an emotional connection between the narrator and the audience, and generate ideological resonance. There is no abstract concept that is more convincing than the details; And no amount of narrative skills can move people's hearts more than true feelings.

The ancients said, "Literature carries the Tao". Whether at home or abroad, Xi Jinping runs through the story of the "way" of Chinese history and culture, the "way" of China's reform and development, and the "way" of China's participation in world governance and working with other countries to build a community with a shared future. Enlighten people into the "Tao" in a simple way, let people understand the "Tao" through a good way, and use a very down-to-earth narration in China to let the party's principles and policies enter the ears and brains and hearts, and better condense the consensus on reform and development; In the international community, we will create new concepts, new categories and new expressions that integrate China and foreign countries, and transform China's development advantages and comprehensive strength into discourse advantages. That's why Xi Jinping's storytelling is compelling and thought-provoking.

Through stories, the "Tao" of Chinese history and culture is told. Being good at finding experience from the treasure trove of rich historical materials is an important governing style of Xi Jinping. He pointed out that "history is the root of reality, and the present of any country comes from yesterday." Only by understanding where a country came from can we understand how it is today and not like that, and where it will and where it will not go in the future." He often uses the past for the present, citing ancient fables, myths and historical events, skillfully introducing history into reality, hoping that people will draw wisdom and nourishment from it that will help strengthen self-cultivation and do a good job. For example, he and then-US President Barack Obama's "Yingtai Night Talk" in Zhongnanhai told the history of Yingtai: the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty once studied and formulated a national strategy to quell civil strife and recover Taiwan here; Later, when Emperor Guangxu was in decline, the country was in decline, and he engaged in the "Hundred Days Restoration", and was imprisoned here by the Empress Dowager Cixi after the failure. Obama lamented this story: "China and the United States have historically been similar, and there will always be resistance to reform, which is an immutable law that requires us to show courage." Xi Jinping concluded: "Understanding China's modern history is important to understand the ideals and the way forward for the Chinese people today." ”

Through stories, it tells the "Tao" of China's reform and development. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has formed new concepts, ideas and strategies for governing the country. The series of important speeches by General Secretary Xi Jinping is the most concentrated embodiment of the new ideas, ideas and strategies of the CPC Central Committee in governing the country. In his speech, he was good at using the methods of telling stories, citing examples, and presenting facts to build consensus, dispel doubts and doubts, popularize abstract theories, and make profound truths simple. For example, he used his story of swimming in Xiamen in the 80s of the 20th century to illustrate that reform should be "water-aware", and strengthening top-level design and crossing the river by feeling the stones are all important ways to promote reform. By telling the "Liangjiahe memory" in northern Shaanxi, he expressed his feelings for the grassroots masses and expressed that reform and development should not forget the original intention: "For us communists, the people are our food and clothing, and we must keep in mind the purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly. We must always remember that we are public servants of the people and always keep the people's food and clothing in mind. ”

Through stories, it tells the "way" of China's great power diplomacy. Simple and warm, concise and profound, Xi Jinping's speeches on international occasions have a fresh style and unique charm, and have become an important "brand" in the international political arena. The Chinese Dream, win-win cooperation, the right concept of justice and shared interests, the concept of Asian security, a community with a shared future for mankind, and the path of peaceful development...... These concepts of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics have become easy to understand, remember, disseminate and accept through the vivid stories in Xi Jinping's speech. On August 22, 2014, Xi Jinping said in a speech at the Great Hural of Mongolia: "China is willing to provide opportunities and space for common development for neighboring countries, including Mongolia. "Free riding" was originally an international argument that ridiculed and smeared China, but under Xi Jinping's clever quotation, it not only humorously refuted the "theory of China's responsibility", but also conveyed China's diplomatic concept of win-win cooperation.

Some philosophers say that whoever can tell a story will win the audience and have the right to speak. Both history and reality show that only when a politician is well versed in his country's history and culture, has insight into the trend of world civilization, is good at explaining the concept of governing the country to his own people and foreign friends in an easy-to-understand manner, and is understood and recognized by the public, can he become an excellent helmsman and lead the country to sail through the rapids and rapids and sail to the other side of victory.

How far into the past you can see, how far into the future you can reach. The theories are gray, while the stories are colorful. We wrote the book "Xi Jinping Tells Stories" in the hope that readers can learn the art of doing a good job in public opinion work, understand the way of governing the country behind the story, tell China's story more and more excitingly, and continue to write more wonderful new stories of China.

is for the preface.

To the introvert