Chinese attire and cultural identity

As commentators have said, Xi's attire, "Not only meets international diplomatic norms, but manifests China's ethnic style."

It may be difficult for foreigners to understand why Xi's fashion style can have such repercussions in China. A retrospect into China's modernization history may offer some clues to that mystery.

China has suffered serious setbacks while competing with Western powers over the past two hundred years. It has therefore become a normal way of thinking for the Chinese to learn from and catch up with Westerners. Tradition, as a result, has given place to modernity.

However, as China relentlessly chases for modernity and globalization, and more so over the past three decades, a sense of being lost has increased while calls for rebuilding its traditional and cultural uniqueness have surged.

Against that backdrop, Xi's traditional Chinese outfits have revived a sense of being different among many Chinese.

This is not an over-interpretation. Such cultural uniqueness is crucial for a country the size of China in order to unite its people in an attempt to build a strong nation respected by its peers on the global stage. And several things that have happened in the past year have pointed to China's deliberate attempt to be more assertive in rebuilding national dignity and identity.

For example, China has decided to reduce the presence of the English language within its college entrance exams while increasing the Chinese language. And the attire worn by first lady Peng Liyuan is also a Chinese brand.

Such growing cultural assertiveness will not be in conflict with China's integration efforts; rather, it will only aid the process by helping the world to grasp a more diversified and realistic image of China.