Zheng nengliang (positive energy) explained

Zheng nengliang (positive energy) is an expression commonly used in Chinese political discourse.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} First popularized in 2012 by Xi Jinping at the 18th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party where he used the phrase to call on officials to enhance the country's soft power and promote better relations with the United States, it has since become central to other areas of government policy.^{[5] [6]}

Notes and References

1. Hird, Derek. 2018. “Smile Yourself Happy: Zheng Nengliang and the Discursive Construction of Happy Subjects.” In Wielander and Hird 2018, 106–128.
2. Wielander, G., & Hird, D. (Eds.). (2018). Chinese discourses on happiness. Hong Kong University Press.
3. Hizi, G. (2021). Zheng nengliang and pedagogies of affect in contemporary China. Social Analysis, 65(1), 23-43.
4. Peidong, Y., & Lijun, T. (2018). " Positive Energy": hegemonic intervention and online media discourse in China's Xi Jinping Era. China: An International Journal, 16(1), 1-22.
5. Phillips, Tom. 2013. “Chinese Spin Doctors Urged to Spread ‘Positive Energy’ online.” The Telegraph, January 18.
6. Lin, Z., & Liang, H. (2023). The paradox of ‘positive energy’(zheng nengliang): the complex affective realities of people with hearing impairments in china’s service industry. Disability & Society, 1-22.