Policy & RegulationAnalysis

China Publishes Two-Volume Anthology of Xi Jinping's Cultural Writings

The compilation includes 78 major speeches, letters, and directives spanning from 2012 to 2026, establishing an authoritative textbook for cultural policy.

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The Brief

China has officially published the first two volumes of the Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Culture, compiled by the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee and issued by the Central Literature Publishing House. The collection contains 78 key works—including reports, speeches, instructions, and letters produced between November 2012 and February 2026—some of which are being made public for the first time. State media frames the release as an authoritative resource designed to advance Xi Jinping Thought on Culture across party and government apparatuses.

Why it matters

The publication provides a centralized theoretical blueprint for China's propaganda, ideological, and cultural apparatus. By consolidating key directives from over a decade into a standardized canonical text, Beijing aims to tighten ideological alignment, guide cultural development, and structure external communication strategies.

China context

In China's political ecosystem, specialized compilations produced by the Institute of Party History and Literature and published by the Central Literature Publishing House represent top-tier doctrinal codification. Such publications signal that a policy domain—in this case, cultural and ideological governance—has been systematically integrated into core Party doctrine.

Editor's View

EDITOR'S VIEW — Analysis and inference, not factual reporting. The release of this anthology formalizes cultural governance as a permanent pillar of national strategy alongside economic and political doctrine. Observers should track how state institutions, universities, and media organizations incorporate these 78 texts into training curricula, particularly regarding ideological controls and foreign messaging.

What to watch

  • Implementation of study sessions and training campaigns across national propaganda and cultural departments
  • Scholarly analyses and policy rollouts focusing on the previously unpublished pieces within the collection
  • Shifts in external communication tactics and cultural outreach programs aligning with the compiled directives

Key Takeaways

  • 1The Institute of Party History and Literature edited the two-volume collection, published by the Central Literature Publishing House.
  • 2The anthology features 78 works from November 2012 to February 2026, with 27 in Volume 1 and 51 in Volume 2.
  • 3Several of the included speeches, letters, and instructions are published publicly for the first time.
  • 4Key featured texts include foundational speeches on the Chinese Dream, ideological conviction, and propaganda governance.
China has published the first and second volumes of the Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Culture, according to state media reports on August 27. The compilation was prepared by the Institute of Party History and Literature of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and published nationwide by the Central Literature Publishing House. The two volumes comprise a total of 78 foundational works authored by Xi Jinping between November 2012 and February 2026, including formal reports, speeches, lectures, letters, and policy directives. State media noted that several of these works are being made public for the first time. The first volume covers 27 pieces produced between November 2012 and December 2016, while the second volume contains 51 pieces dating from October 2017 to February 2026. According to People's Daily, the collection highlights seminal concepts introduced throughout Xi's leadership. Key early texts featured in the anthology include his November 2012 speech during the "Road to Rejuvenation" exhibition—which outlined the concept of the Chinese Dream—and his December 2012 remarks in Guangdong describing ideological conviction as the spiritual "calcium" of Party members. The compilation also includes his March 2013 address to the 12th National People's Congress and his August 2013 speech at the National Propaganda and Thought Work Conference, where he underscored ideology as an "extremely important task" for the Party and called for positive mainstream messaging alongside innovative foreign propaganda methods. Official state releases described the anthology as an authoritative textbook for Party members, cadres, and the public to implement Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. Party organs emphasized that the text aims to consolidate Marxist ideological leadership, foster cultural confidence, and provide theoretical support for national rejuvenation and Chinese modernization.