China | Lost in translation

The world continues to garble the name and title of Xi Jinping

President Zee he is not

President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping meet in California.
Shee Jin Ping and Joh By DuhnPhotograph: Getty Images
|BEIJING

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.

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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Lost in translation”

From the December 16th 2023 edition

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