The Chinese Year of the Horse began on February 17, 2026.  President Xi Jinping has frequently used adages, idioms and metaphors involving horses, reflecting his views on governance and philosophy.

The white horse, in particular, has often played a role in cultural exchanges. On September 18, 2014, Xi delivered a speech at the Indian Council of World Affairs in New Delhi. "We have stories of the white horse carrying Buddhist scriptures to China and of Monk Xuanzang's pilgrimage to the West. They brought Indian culture, along with Buddhist scriptures, to China," he said.

In China, there is also the White Horse Temple, named after the white horse said to have carried sacred Buddhist scriptures from India to China. During a visit to the temple, Xi noted that it stands as a testament to the introduction, development and ongoing adaptation of Buddhism to Chinese culture.

History has proven that it is correct for foreign religions to conform to China's realities, and work must be done to guide religions to integrate with China's excellent traditional culture and adapt to China's socialist society, Xi said.