The Chinese Year of the Horse began on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. President Xi Jinping has frequently used horse-related adages, idioms and metaphors to express his views on governance and leadership.

During an inspection tour of Inner Mongolia in 2014, Xi urged the region to advance reform and development through greater opening-up, develop its port economy and strengthen infrastructure. He noted that Mongolian horses are renowned for their toughness, stamina and strong physique. "We should work like the Mongolian horses and have diligent and daring spirit," he said.

While joining deliberations with lawmakers from Inner Mongolia during the 2020 session of the National People's Congress, Xi called on officials and residents to carry forward the "spirit of Mongolian horses" in building a modern socialist country.