The world continues to garble the name and title of Xi Jinping
President Zee he is not
IT HAS BEEN 11 years since Xi Jinping took charge in China, becoming one of the most powerful people in the world. But for many outsiders, this has not been enough time to learn how to pronounce his name. Foreign politicians and pundits often stumble over it. The letters “x” and “j” cause the most problems. In the English-speaking world, many insert a misguided series of “z” sounds into their pronunciation.
Explore more
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Lost in translation”
From the December 16th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from China
An outrage that even China’s supine media has called out
Anger is growing over a form of detention linked to torture and deaths
Why foreign law firms are leaving China
A number of them are in motion to vacate
An initiative so feared that China has stopped saying its name
“Made in China 2025” has been a success, but at what cost?
A pay rise for government workers sparks anger and envy in China
The effort to improve morale has not had the intended effect
A big earthquake causes destruction in Tibet
Dozens are dead, thousands of buildings have been destroyed
Militant Uyghurs in Syria threaten the Chinese government
How much does China have to fear?