The Image of Zheng He and Early Ming Expeditions to the Western Ocean (1405-1433) in Xi Jinping’s Speeches and Articles (2010s–2023)

This article marks the first attempt of a complex analysis of appeals to the image of Zheng He and early Ming maritime expeditions (1405–1433) in the present PRC head’s rhetoric: in the beginning, history of the formation and transformation of the image of Zheng He and the early Ming naval expeditions prior to the coming to power of the current leader of the PRC was briefly analyzed; then I collected a corpus of Xi Jinping’s speeches and articles from the 2010s until 2023 in which Zheng He and the expeditions under his command were mentioned; after that I outlined several main topics for illustration and argumentation of which the image of the great Chinese navigator is used (history of good neighborly relations between China and a particular country; history of China’s international relations and the Maritime Silk Road; contrast between Zheng He expeditions and the colonial policy of European powers); finally, I traced the evolution of the portrayal of this image and designated its probable causes.In addition, the historical accuracy of some of Xi Jinping’s statements was assessed. Thus, it was demonstrated that Zheng He’s voyages were not purely peaceful events, and the fleet’s visit to the Philippine islands is not confirmed by the data from historical sources. I come to the conclusion that with the further continuation of the current political and economic course of China, the name of Zheng He will continue to increasingly appear in the rhetoric of high-ranking political figures in China as well as their foreign counterparts

Chinese history and philosophy · Coastal and Marine Management · Economic Zones and Regional Development · History · Philosophy