Highlights

• China released the first English-language volume of A Chronicle of Governance in the New Era with a Geneva launch targeting UN bodies, diplomats, and business leaders to export Xi Jinping's governance model as a global alternative.
• The publication signals China's intent to institutionalize its preferred framing of legitimacy and development in international forums, creating “narrative infrastructure” that shapes standards, partnerships, and commercial risk for Western multinationals.
• For rare earth markets, this governance export strategy reinforces that China's 85-90% refining dominance is embedded in long-term national doctrine, meaning pricing power follows state-directed industrial policy rather than short-term trade dynamics.

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China has released the first volume of A Chronicle of Governance in the New Era in both Chinese and English, in what reads less like a routine book launch and more like a calibrated soft-power move: package the Xi-era governing story for overseas consumption, then premiere it on a multilateral stage.

What happened

State media reports that the volume was compiled by Xinhua News Agency and published by Xinhua Publishing House, People’s Daily (opens in a new tab), with distribution “at home and abroad.”

The book reportedly contains 26 long-form feature stories plus 41 official news photographs of Xi Jinping, designed to present Xi’s leadership arc and the governing outcomes claimed since the 18th Party Congress (2012), framing “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” as the guiding doctrine for “Chinese-style modernization” and national rejuvenation.

The English edition was launched at a Global Governance Seminar in Geneva on February 24, held at the Palace of Nations (UN Office at Geneva), with roughly 200 attendees including representatives of UN-related bodies, international organizations, diplomats, think tanks, and business circles, according to Xinhua’s event coverage.

Why is this a business-relevant news item

Other than the announced adjustment in tariffs due to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, nothing else has changed. No new industrial policy was announced. But for Western businesses operating in—or exposed to—China, this is still signal-rich. Beijing is not just selling products; it is marketing a model. Publishing an English edition and staging its rollout in Geneva—a city synonymous with global rulemaking—suggests an intent to compete in the arena of governance narratives, not merely trade flows.

For multinationals, “narrative infrastructure” matters because it shapes the environment in which standards, legitimacy, and partnerships get negotiated. A widely distributed English-language “official story” can serve as reference material in policy forums, development dialogues, and institutional settings where China wants to be seen as a source of governance solutions—and where Western firms increasingly have to read geopolitical context into commercial risk.

Evidence of China’s broader global ambitions

The mechanics here are revealing:

• Translation + overseas distribution: Not aimed solely at domestic political education; it’s built for export.
• Geneva launch + “global governance seminar” framing: Positions Xi-era governance as something international audiences should study—implicitly, a competitor to Western governance narratives.
• Audience design: The event description explicitly includes multilateral institutions, diplomats, think tanks, and business participants—precisely the ecosystem that influences norms, investment climates, and institutional alignment.

None of this proves that policy outcomes will follow. But it is strong evidence of an ongoing strategy: institutionalize China’s preferred framing of legitimacy, development, and leadership in global venues—then let that framing travel.

Why Relevance for REEx Community?

For the Rare Earth Exchanges™ community, the publication and global launch of A Chronicle of Governance in the New Era are not merely political messaging—they are a signal of how China views and intends to defend its rare-earth dominance. Since about 2012, Beijing has consolidated its rare earth sector, strengthened export controls, aligned state-owned enterprises under a centralized strategy, and embedded critical minerals into national security planning. By translating and promoting Xi-era governance doctrine internationally—particularly through a Geneva launch tied to global governance forums—China is exporting the intellectual framework that justifies state-directed industrial policy and strategic resource management.

For REEx readers, this reinforces a core reality: pricing power follows physical control, and physical control follows governance alignment. With China refining roughly 85–90% of rare earth oxides and nearly all heavy rare earth elements, the codification and internationalization of its governance model signals that rare earth strategy remains deeply embedded in long-term national rejuvenation doctrine—not short-term trade tactics. In short, this is a governance story with direct implications for industrial policy, supply control, and ultimately, global pricing power.

Disclaimer: This article is based on reporting carried by state-affiliated Chinese outlets (People’s Daily and Xinhua-linked platforms). The information reflects official perspectives and should be independently verified with third-party sources where possible before informing business or investment decisions.