In international relations, constructivism argues that identities and interests are shaped by discursive practices rather than material structures. Alexander Wendt’s premise that “anarchy is what states make of it” and Nicholas Onuf’s rules-discourse-identity triad emphasize how states continuously reproduce their identities. Within this framework, leaders’ annual messages are more than just information sharing; they are primary tools for constructing national and international identity. President Xi Jinping’s 2026 New Year message and his speech at the Great Hall of the People on February 14, 2026, provide recent examples of this discursive construction. These texts utilize the “Year of the Horse” metaphor to project an identity of “energy, power, and resilience,” use historical references to establish a “continuous civilization,” and frame China as a “responsible global actor” through the Global Governance Initiative (GGI).[1]
The emphasis on the GGI, in particular, makes China’s reformist role within the international system a subject worth examining. Xi’s speech begins by noting the successful completion of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025) and highlighting that economic output has approached 140 trillion RMB. Beyond China’s status as the world’s second-largest economy, this figure represents a tangible milestone in the country’s transition toward a high-quality development paradigm.[2] In International Relations theory (such as Ikenberry’s work on the liberal international order), these statistics serve as indicators of domestic development and provide the material basis for the claim of global normative power.
By describing the economy as showing “resilience and vitality under pressure,” Xi provides an indirect response to Western-centric “China collapse” theories. This rhetoric continues China’s “peaceful rise” doctrine. By centering on the collective “we,” the discourse constructs national identity through a resilient and triumphalist narrative. In constructivist theory, identity is defined in relation to “the other”; here, China’s steady progress is positioned against Western-centric narratives of uncertainty and hegemony. Achieving new heights in “economic power, scientific and technological capability, defense capacity, and comprehensive national power” represents both the material and discursive reproduction of a “strong, self-confident nation” identity.
The statement regarding the completion of the 14th Five-Year Plan and economic output approaching 140 trillion RMB establishes a discursive narrative of success. These figures are not merely quantitative; they serve as symbolic indicators of the superiority of “Chinese-style” modernization. In line with Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory, these elements create a “chain of equivalence”: “development = national rejuvenation = global contribution.” Thus, the narrative of domestic development becomes an integral part of international identity construction.
Scientific and technological breakthroughs (AI models, domestic chip R&D, the Tianwen-2 probe, the Yarlung Zangbo hydropower project, electromagnetic aircraft carriers, and humanoid robots) are important elements of the “innovative China” identity. By linking these achievements to the concept of “new quality productive forces,” the discourse positions China as a “shaper of the future.” Technology serves not merely as a material tool or power capacity but as discursive material for China’s identity construction; the country is transitioning from the identity of a “follower” to that of a “leader.”
Cultural discourse serves as the construction of a “spiritual home.” Museums, intangible cultural heritage, new World Heritage sites, global cultural figures such as Wukong and Nezha, and the younger generation’s interest in classic Chinese culture build the discourse of “cultural confidence.” Xi emphasizes five key characteristics of Chinese civilization: continuity, innovativeness, unity, inclusiveness, and peacefulness. This perspective aligns with Wendt’s concept of collective identity. By redefining its civilization as a universal reference, China projects its “civilization-state” identity into the international arena.
The discourse of ethnic unity and social harmony is established through metaphors such as “peoples held together like pomegranate seeds,” visits to autonomous regions, labor rights in new forms of employment, elderly care initiatives, and childcare subsidies of 300 RMB per month. These elements produce a “people-centered” identity. By framing internal diversity as “harmony within unity,” the discourse reinforces the image of an “inclusive nation” against international criticism.
The culmination of the international identity construction is GGI. The five principles of the GGI, comprising sovereign equality, the rule of international law, multilateralism, people-centeredness, and concrete action, produce a new global discourse. Xi presents this initiative as providing “certainty and positive energy” to the world. This discourse serves as an expansion of the “community with a shared future” identity, as China discursively assumes a “stabilizer” role against a “world in change and turmoil.”
The discourse regarding the “80th Anniversary of Victory” and the integration of Hong Kong and Macao under “One Country, Two Systems” reproduces historical identity. These commemorations, along with the phrase stating that the glory of victory will shine in the pages of history, encode a national identity that “remembers history, respects heroes, loves peace, and creates a better future.” By equating the past with the present, the discourse sustains the “rejuvenation” narrative.
The symbolism of the “Year of the Horse” functions as a cultural metaphor. Xi invited the Chinese people to “advance with high morale on the journey of Chinese-style modernization.” This metaphor discursively produces a “dynamic, advancing, and invincible” identity. In traditional Chinese culture, the Horse (马 – Mǎ), is the seventh of the twelve zodiac signs and serves as a symbol of power, speed, courage, loyalty, freedom, and talent. Individuals born in the Year of the Horse are generally described as brave, determined, honest, loyal, and independent, with prominent personality traits such as being cheerful, popular, intelligent, volatile, perceptive, talkative, agile, and magnetic. According to historical legend, the horse lived in the heavens when it had wings but was punished for its arrogance and descended to earth to serve humanity in agriculture, transportation, and warfare. The horse represents instant success, as exemplified by the idiom “马到成功 (success comes when the horse arrives).”[3]
2026 is named the “Fire Horse (火马)” as it combines with the Yang Fire element. The horse, which was the backbone of society in ancient China, signifies precision and high-quality development rather than speed in the modern era. In Xi Jinping’s 2026 Spring Festival message, it is depicted as steady progress and lasting prosperity. While the year brings opportunities filled with courage and innovation, it also symbolizes national motivation.
In a historical context, the New Year messages of Chinese leaders have served as tools for national identity construction since the Mao era. However, the Xi era has transformed this tradition through the discourse of “cultural confidence” and “civilization dialogue.” The “Chinese dream” discourse, which began in 2012, has been carried to a global scale in the 2026 message through the “community with a shared future.” This evolution reflects a dialectic of discursive continuity and innovation.
Xi Jinping’s 2026 Spring Festival greetings and New Year message serve as the most recent and comprehensive examples of the discursive reproduction of China’s national and international identity. The identity of “energy, power, resilience, and steady progress” built through the “Year of the Horse” metaphor, the narrative of “continuous civilization” reinforced by historical commemorations, the discourse of “cultural confidence” supported by cultural elements, and the “responsible global actor” identity crowned by the GGI form complementary chains of equivalence. The success of the GGI discourse will be shaped by the counter-discourses of other great powers and tested by its level of acceptance within the Global South.
The institutionalization of the GGI during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030) could reinforce China’s “norm-setter” identity by expanding its discursive strategy into areas such as United Nations (UN) reform, digital governance, and climate action. The “steady progress” and “lasting prosperity” metaphors of the Year of the Horse will sustain national mobilization, while their global reach may evolve into cultural hegemony. Ultimately, Xi Jinping’s 2026 messages provide a rich empirical contribution to constructivist international relations theory. Consequently, it is necessary to monitor in the long term how this identity construction manifests in diplomatic practices, international public opinion, and interactions with counter-discourses.
[1] “Full text: Chinese President Xi Jinping’s 2026 New Year message”, Qiushi, https://en.qstheory.cn/2025-12/31/c_1152405.htm, (Erişim Tarihi: 17.02.2026); “Xi extends Chinese New Year greetings to ring in Year of Horse”, Qiushi, https://en.qstheory.cn/2026-02/15/c_1161765.htm, (Date Accessed: 17.02.2026).
[2] Ibid.
[3] “Chinese zodiac animals: The horse and what it represents”, China & World, http://china-world.china.org.cn/culture/2025-01/30/content_117725722.shtml, (Date Accessed: 17.02.2026).
