Foreign news

What can we learn from President Xi Jinping’s childhood?

Published

5 years ago

June 3, 2021

Children across the country received greetings from Chinese President Xi Jinping on the occasion of International Children’s Day on Tuesday.

In a reply letter dated May 30 to members of the Chinese Young Pioneers at a primary school in east China’s Jiangsu Province, Xi called on learning the Party’s history and having a firm faith to follow it from a young age.

Xi often shows his concern for children’s growth. He frequently writes to children, visits schools, drops in at their homes, watches them play sports games and practice calligraphy, and joins them in activities such as planting trees.

President Xi has on many occasions shared his childhood memories. We explore how President Xi spent his childhood and whether these experiences have made who he is.

Frugal habits

President Xi’s family, a revolutionary one, had a tradition of adopting the frugal lifestyle.

In an interview with CCTV in 2003, Xi recalled having to wear flowery hand-me-down clothes and shoes from his elder sisters.

Taking responsibilities

Ahead of the International Children’s Day in 2014, President Xi visited a primary school in Haidian District in Beijing and called for fostering socialist values among children.

While attending a Young Pioneers ceremony, Xi told the students about his “crying story.” “I cried because I wasn’t old enough to become the first batch of the Young Pioneers,” he said. Then children all laughed when Xi asked: “Is it embarrassing to cry for this?”

He then recalled his excitement after finally being able to join the organization while calling on the Young Pioneers to stand ready for taking forward the cause of socialism.

Patriotism

During that visit, Xi also encountered a group of students who were practicing calligraphy with the characters “Jing Zhong Bao Guo,” meaning “serving the nation with absolute loyalty.”

The phrase comes from the story of Yue Fei, an ancient military commander known for his patriotism. Yue’s mother tattooed these four Chinese characters on his back to remind him of the importance of unswerving loyalty to the nation.

Xi told the students, as a child, he was very inspired by the story of Yue, which he learned from a picture book his mother had given him.

“I said it must have been a great pain to have those words tattooed on the back, but my mother said that although it was painful, he remembered it by heart,” Xi recalled.

“This (Jing Zhong Bao Guo) has become the pursuit of my life,” Xi added.

Importance of physical exercise

Ahead of the Teachers’ Day in 2016, President Xi visited his alma mater Bayi School, where he spent his primary and junior high school years.

Stopping at the soccer field where students were training, Xi, a soccer fan, recalled the old days when he played on the same field, which is grass now but was dirt and mud 50 years ago.

Physical exercise is imperative to cultivating one’s temperament and will power, Xi told the students.

A pair of skating shoes

During a trip to a 2022 Winter Olympics facility in Beijing in 2017, President Xi shared his story with the young ice hockey players practicing there.

“I could only go skating on frozen Shichahai Lake,” Xi said, recalling his teenage years.

He said he loved skating and always wanted to have a pair of skating shoes, while his younger brother liked playing ice hockey. But they could only afford buying one pair. So he gave the chance to his younger brother.

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Foreign news

Court of Arbitration Declares Indus Waters Treaty Fully Operational Rejects India’s ‘Abeyance’

Published

1 month ago

August 31, 2026

The Gleamer

Cyril Ogar

The Court of Arbitration has unanimously reaffirmed that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) remains fully in force, ruling that India cannot unilaterally place the 1960 agreement in “abeyance” or suspend its obligations under the treaty.

The decision represents a significant legal development in the longstanding dispute between India and Pakistan over the management and use of the Indus river system.

The Court’s finding addresses a fundamental issue at the heart of the dispute: whether either party can unilaterally suspend the treaty outside the legal framework agreed by both countries.

In its unanimous determination, the Court made clear that the IWT continues to bind both India and Pakistan and that its obligations cannot be set aside through a unilateral political declaration.

The ruling means India remains subject to the treaty provisions governing the use of the Western Rivers, including requirements relating to the design and operation of hydroelectric projects, as well as the dispute-resolution mechanisms established under the agreement.

The Court has also ordered interim measures concerning the Ratle Hydroelectric Plant, restricting specified construction activities while the broader dispute remains under consideration.

The measures are aimed at preserving the effectiveness of the arbitration process and preventing developments that could prejudice the outcome of the proceedings.

For Pakistan, the decision represents significant legal validation of its longstanding position that the IWT is a binding international agreement and contains no provision allowing either party to unilaterally place it in abeyance.

Pakistan has consistently maintained that disagreements over the treaty should be addressed through the institutional mechanisms established by the agreement, rather than through unilateral action.

The IWT provides a structured framework for resolving disputes through mechanisms including the Permanent Indus Commission, Neutral Expert and Court of Arbitration processes.

The latest ruling therefore reinforces the principle that treaty obligations cannot simply be disregarded because of deteriorating political relations between signatories.

The significance of the decision extends beyond the India-Pakistan dispute. It underscores the broader international-law principle that agreements governing shared rivers and other transboundary resources must be respected and disputes resolved through established legal and institutional channels.

The Indus river system supports agriculture, livelihoods, food security and communities across the region, making the stability of the treaty particularly important.

The ruling also highlights the distinction between seeking to amend an international agreement through mutually agreed procedures and attempting to alter its obligations unilaterally.

The IWT has endured wars, prolonged diplomatic tensions and periods of limited bilateral engagement. Its continued operation demonstrates the importance of rules-based mechanisms in managing shared resources when relations between neighbouring states become strained.

For Pakistan, the outcome provides an opportunity to frame the decision not merely as a bilateral legal victory, but as an affirmation of international law, treaty compliance and peaceful dispute resolution.

The central message from the ruling is clear: the Indus Waters Treaty remains in force, its obligations continue to bind both parties, and disputes concerning shared waters must be addressed through the legal mechanisms agreed by India and Pakistan.

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