Book provides insight into China's governance

Speakers at a promotion event held on Wednesday in Ankara, the capital of Turkiye, described the fifth volume of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China as a window not only into China's domestic governance experience, but also the country's path to modernization, development strategy and approach to shared global challenges.

The event, held as the Communist Party of China marked its 105th anniversary, focused on how the book can help Turkish readers better understand China's governance experience and explore the prospects for deeper China-Turkiye cooperation.

Celal Adan, deputy speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye, said that China is not only a major economy, but also an important actor in global governance, and it is helping the world better understand its worldview and approach to global issues.

Adan, the deputy speaker, said the fifth volume of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China provides a useful reference for understanding China's policy outlook and strategic thinking. He added that Turkiye values the alignment of the Middle Corridor with the Belt and Road Initiative, as this would not only benefit China and Turkiye, but also the wider region.

Gokhan Yazgi, Turkiye's deputy minister of culture and tourism, said the book explains how China advances modernization and reforms while pursuing sustainable development.

In times of global crises, climate change, geopolitical tensions and security challenges, maintaining domestic stability while sustaining national development requires a strong capacity for governance, Yazgi said. The volume, he added, offers a broad perspective on how to respond to such pressures, formulate strategies and guide long-term development.

He said the book's release in Turkiye is especially encouraging, as 2026 marks the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Turkiye and China.

Giray Fidan, a Turkish Sinologist, said China's commitment to protecting nature in recent years has been particularly striking.

In places he has visited, Fidan said he saw mountains and rivers that were once damaged by heavy industry turning green again, and an economy that is increasingly powered by clean energy.

The concept put forward by President Xi Jinping that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", Fidan said, reflects a profound shift in development thinking, showing that high-quality development and high-level protection can reinforce each other, rather than oppose.

Fidan said that books are the strongest bridge between civilizations. The publication of Chinese works in multiple languages is an effort to deepen mutual understanding between civilizations.

Yasemin Gebes, an executive board member of Turkuvaz Media Group, said that culture offers a soft yet solid path to understanding a country, helping to reduce prejudice, build trust and sustain long-term friendship.

She added that the people-centered philosophy highlighted in the book is particularly noteworthy because it places people's wellbeing at the center of governance.

Its vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity has also become more relevant, she said, as various challenges have shown that no country can build its future alone.

Chinese Ambassador to Turkiye Jiang Xuebin said that China is ready to strengthen exchanges with Turkiye and expand cooperation in the areas of poverty reduction, rural vitalization, smart cities, climate response, green infrastructure, clean energy and the circular economy.

Hu Kaihong, deputy director of the General Office of the Central Commission for Guiding Cultural and Ethical Progress, said that China and Turkiye share broad common interests on the path to modernization and face common questions over who modernization is for and how it should be pursued.

Answers to these questions can be found in the book, said Hu.