China's President Xi uses 'Game of Thrones' reference as warning to foreign leaders
China’s President Xi Jinping's pop culture references are on point.
The 65-year-old world leader used a storyline from the popular HBO series "Game of Thrones" to share a message with foreign visitors in Beijing over the weekend.
“We must all make sure the world we live in does not descend into the chaotic warring seven kingdoms of Westeros," said Xi, referencing a fictional content in the show, the South China Morning Post reported Sunday.
The fantasy series based on the George R.R. Martin novels drew a record 17.4 million viewers for its Season 8 premiere on April 14 — the largest streaming audience in HBO's history, according to Fortune. On average, "Game of Thrones" reportedly racked up 32.8 million watchers per episode during Season 7.
And apparently, Xi is included in that figure.
A Chinese official, who declined to provide his name, told the South China Morning Post that Xi and other foreign leaders watch a "diamond version" of the racy HBO show.
HBO’s site is blocked in China but locals can still catch the (edited) action via HBO's Chinese partner, Tencent.
Censorship of the popular series has admittedly frustrated Chinese fans in recent years. Complaints flooded social media during the Season 8 premiere when Chinese viewers learned they were missing a whole six minutes of the 54-minute episode, per The Verge.
China's top economic official, Premier Li Keqiang, also understands the "Thrones" fandom.
Earlier this month, during the "16+1" summit in Dubrovnik, Li pointed out that the cast filmed in the city.
“From what I have heard, the historic and cultural city of Dubrovnik is the location of scenes in the show Game of Thrones, which young people from many countries love,” explained Li, according to the South China Morning Post, which cited Croatian media.
“While it [the show] is reaching its end, the new round of 16+1 cooperation is beginning … because this is not a ‘game’, but a reflection of win-win cooperation," he reportedly added.
Season 8 of "Game of Thrones" will come to an end on May 19. There are now three episodes left in the series.