A look at what's on President Xi Jinping's shelves

Contemporary British culture

During a visit to London in 2015 , Xi praised British culture and literature in a speech at a banquet , mentioning how popular literary greats such as Shakespeare and contemporary British TV shows such as Downton Abbey were in China.

According to a report by Phoenix TV , Xi prompted a round of applause when he mentioned Downton Abbey .

"Shakespeare , Wordsworth , Jane Austen and Charles Dickens have made Chinese people realize the charm of traditional British literature. Contemporary works including the 007 series , Harry Potter , Sherlock and Downton Abbey are also beloved by Chinese audiences , " Xi said.

"We should respect each other , learn from each other , and abandon all the pride and prejudice. Only by accomplishing this can we develop and flourish together."

Xi Jinping talks about Western literature

"Dostoevsky is the deepest Russian writer , while Tolstoy is the widest. Comparing two of them , I prefer Tolstoy."

"I like Sholokhov very much. His And Quiet Flows the Don reflects the changes of the time very deeply."

"The spirit described in The Old Man and the Sea is immortal."

"It is true that Faust is hard to understand due to its fertile imagination."

"Stendhal's The Red and The Black is very influential. But when it comes to descriptions of the world , works by Balzac and Maupassant are the best , for example Balzac's The Human Comedy ."