China released its words and phrases of 2017 on Thursday in a reflection of how the country perceives itself domestically and internationally this year.

The Chinese public and experts both participated in the rigorous selection process, which began on Nov. 20, to pick and interpret the terms. 

The Chinese character 享 (xiang), which means both "enjoying" and "sharing," has been chosen as the word of the year for domestic affairs by voters. Yu Dianli, general manager of the publisher Commercial Press, said the word shows that "people are enjoying a better life, and the fast-developing sharing economy in China comes with a change of convenience and innovation."

The Chinese term 初心 (chu xin), which means "original aspiration," was selected as the phrase of the year for domestic issues. It is a widely popular phrase that is evocative of the theme of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held in October: "Remain true to our original aspiration and keep our mission firmly in mind, hold high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, secure a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, strive for the great success of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, and work tirelessly to realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation."

The character 智 (zhi), or intelligence, was chosen as the word of 2017 for international issues, partly due to China’s focus on artificial intelligence (AI). 2017 has been a booming year for AI technology and industry domestically and globally.

The term 人类命运共同体 (ren lei ming yun gong tong ti), which means "a community with a shared future for mankind," is the international phrase of 2017. This concept, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, has been written into United Nations security resolutions, and reflects a potential future to "connect the prospects and destinies of every nation and country closely together."

The ballot was sponsored by the Chinese National Language Monitoring and Research Center, Commercial Press, People’s Daily Online and Tencent.