"In this vast world, I may be like a small feather. But even so, I want this feather to carry a wish for peace," He Zhihong, a Chinese peacekeeper who was killed in the line of duty at the age of 35, wrote in her diary. She died in an earthquake while serving on a UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti, leaving behind a 4-year-old son, husband and elderly parents.

During her deployment, she led a female peacekeeper squad and provided translation for visiting Chinese delegations. She also took the initiative to organize cultural exchange and open camp events to strengthen cooperation with other peacekeeping units, and taught local students Chinese, building a bridge for cultural understanding.

As a heroic mother figure, her sacrifice made a strong impression on attendees as Chinese President Xi Jinping shared her story in a speech at the General Debate of the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2015.

Her story is one of many moving accounts of Chinese mothers that Xi has highlighted over the years. Others include Zhao Yiman (1905–1936), a revered national martyr who was executed at the age of 31 by Japanese forces after enduring brutal torture, and Deng Yufen (1891–1970), a mother who sent her husband and all five of her children to the frontlines to fight Japanese militarists.

These women not only exemplify dedication and sacrifice for their country but also demonstrate the profound influence a mother can have on the character and spirit of her children.

Xi and his mother

Xi's own mother, Qi Xin, also left a lasting impression on her children. She joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1939, endured the hardships of the fight against Japanese invaders and worked for many years at the grassroots level in rural revolutionary bases.

Qi's dedication to a sovereign and peaceful China, along with her close bond with ordinary working people, deeply inspired Xi.

From a young age, Xi's mother instilled in him lessons of patriotism and resilience. She once carried him to a store to buy a book about Yue Fei, a 12th-century military commander celebrated for his loyalty. Qi told Xi how Yue Fei's mother tattooed the characters meaning "serve the country with the utmost loyalty" on her son's back to encourage him to resist foreign invaders. When Xi asked how painful it was, Qi explained that although it hurt, Yue Fei took the words to heart. From that moment, Xi took those same words as a guiding principle in his life.

In 1969, during Xi's adolescence, Qi gave him a simple sewing kit. She stitched the words "niang de xin" (mother's heart) in red thread on it, a gift meant to give him courage as he prepared to leave Beijing for Liangjiahe Village in northwest China's Shaanxi Province to experience rural life firsthand. After living and working alongside villagers – eating, sleeping, herding sheep, cutting grass, carrying manure and hauling coal – Xi reflected that one of the greatest lessons he learned was the importance of seeking truth from facts and truly understanding the people.

The simple and frugal lifestyle of his mother also had a lasting influence on Xi. When Xi worked in Zhengding, north China's Hebei Province, in the early 1980s, he used a patched quilt made from over a hundred pieces of old cloth that his mother had sewn more than a decade earlier. When an official offered to buy a new one for him, he refused, saying, "The quilt is fine." 

During the 2001 Spring Festival, Qi called Xi, who was then deputy secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and governor of Fujian. She told him that it was understandable he could not return to Beijing for the family reunion, emphasizing that excelling in his work was the greatest act of filial piety. 

Raised in such a household, Xi has always put the people first. For decades, he has adhered to the principle that "bringing benefits to the people is the greatest achievement," treating the public with the care he would show to his own parents and working tirelessly to improve the lives of all Chinese families.