Xi Jinping and his father

"There are many noble characters I wish to inherit from my father."

The importance of family was deeply rooted in the heart of Chinese President Xi Jinping through the experiences of his childhood. 

Xi Jinping's parents were often away from home because of work. When his mother, Qi Xin, was away she relied on her husband, Xi Zhongxun, to help take care of their children. 

Xi Zhongxun was China's vice premier. Despite his heavy responsibilities, he enjoyed the opportunities he had to spend time at home with his kids, and share some of the burden of the household chores. This reflects the Xi family's tradition of being frugal and living a simple life. "He loved the kids but never spoiled them," recalled Qi Xin.  

One of the photos on the bookshelf in President Xi Jinping's office shows him taking his father in a wheelchair for a walk along with his wife Peng Liyuan and their daughter. [Photo: Photographs of Xi Zhongxun]

In those days, China was a very poor country, and even necessities were sometimes scarce. Younger siblings usually had to wear the hand-me-down clothes of their older brothers and sisters.  

For Xi, this meant wearing some of his sister's old clothes, including her old red cloth shoes. At first, he found this embarrassing. But his father, by all accounts a practical man, said to the young Xi that they could dye the shoes to make them a better match for him. It was through experiences like this that Xi Jinping inherited his father's down-to-earth approach to life. 

"Serving the people well is the best way of repaying me."

Xi's father turned 88 in 2001. The number '88' is auspicious in Chinese culture, which made it an especially important birthday. At the time, Xi was governor of Fujian Province in China's southeast. Because of work commitments, he had to miss his father's birthday celebration. 

The apologetic son wrote a letter of gratitude to his father. He thanked him for being a role model of an honest and trustworthy man, a modest hardworking revolutionary, and a diligent public servant. He told his father that he was a source of constant inspiration and motivation to give back to the country and his fellow countrymen, who provided nurturing roots for his growth.

Xi Zhongxun poses for a photo with his family in Beihai Park in Beijing in the 1960s. [Photo: Photographs of Xi Zhongxun]

Having read the letter, his father said to his other children and his friends at the birthday party: Work comes first and the state business takes priority. "Serving the people well is the best way of repaying me."

In an effort to follow in the footsteps of his father, Xi Jinping tried many times to join the Communist Youth League and the CPC, before finally being accepted when he was 20 years old. After Xi Jinping became a government official, Xi Zhongxun told him: "No matter what your job title is, serve the people diligently, consider the interests of the people with all your heart, maintain close ties with the people, and always stay approachable to the people."

"Love the people like loving my own parents."

In November 2013, when doing research in a village in Hunan Province, Xi Jinping introduced himself to the villagers as the servant of the people. "The people aspire to a decent life - that is what we are fighting for," said Xi when he was first elected as CPC general secretary.

Xi Zhongxun poses for a photo with his son Xi Jinping in south China's Hainan Province in August 1978. [Photo: Photographs of Xi Zhongxun]

With memories of the hardships that accompanied his youth, and with his father as a role model, he has set out goals to improve the lives of regular people. This is reflected in his policies to improve education, provide more stable employment and higher incomes, and ensure better access to social services and medical care, in an environment protected from pollution and enriched with China's diverse culture.