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worked hard to help them healthily grow and prosper. As a federative body of student unions and graduate student unions at universities and colleges and student unions at secondary schools under the leadership of the CPC, the AllChina Students’ Federation has voiced and safeguarded the specific interests of young students in accordance with the law and the Constitution of the Federation, and organized healthy, positive, and colorful extracurricular and community service activities to help them grow and develop.

II. All-Round Development in the New Era

Hard work builds ability, and adversity builds resilience. In the new era, China’s youth actively study the theory and practice of science and other knowledge and skills, improving their physical and moral qualities and their all-round ability. They are growing into a new generation that is capable of shouldering the responsibility of national rejuvenation.

(1) Firmer in Ideals and Convictions

Ideals provide direction in life, and convictions determine the success of a cause. In the new era, young Chinese should hold lofty ideals and be firm in their convictions, which are fundamental to their success, and they should strive to become aspiring young people, living up to the expectations of the Party, the country and the people.

Confidence in the Chinese path. Through comparison with the past and the rest of the world, and through social observation and hands-on practice, young Chinese keenly understand the importance of the Party’s leadership and leader’s guidance, the merits of the socialist system, and the strength of the people. A youth survey conducted in 2020 demonstrated that the majority of China’s youth wholeheartedly support socialism with Chinese characteristics, and are full of confidence about the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, they have learned about China’s speed, the China miracle, and the governance of China through vivid examples and objective data showcasing the country’s achievements, and through their own personal experience. They become prouder to be a member of the Chinese nation, and are more determined to join forces and achieve the Chinese Dream - the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Commitment to core socialist values. The value orientation of youth will decide the values of the whole of society. Young Chinese learn morals and values from heroes and role models of our times. They proactively uphold and promote core socialist values - prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony, freedom, equality, justice, the rule of law, patriotism, dedication, good faith and amity. A large number of outstanding youth have become role models for others to emulate, including more than 1,500 youth who have been awarded the China Youth May 4th Medal, and Excellent Communist Youth League Members at various levels. More than 20,000 young people have been honored as Positive and Kind Youth for exuding positive youthful energy. Although sometimes confused by exchanges, mingling and clashes of ideas, young Chinese always love the Party and the country sincerely, and continue to pursue their lofty values and ideals.

Stronger cultural confidence. Culture is the soul of a nation, and strong cultural confidence is a vital foundation for realizing national rejuvenation. China’s youth draw nutrients from the best of China’s traditional culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture, and gain strength from the time-honored Chinese civilization.

A youth survey in 2020 showed that more than 80 percent of the respondents believed that the reason for the enthusiasm for Sinology among youth and adolescents is that “Chinese citizens have begun to pay attention to the innate value of traditional culture”. Young people have switched from coveting foreign brands to preferring national ones, from wearing Western attire to wearing traditional costumes, and from favoring Western dance styles to traditional Chinese ones. Young Chinese identify more and more with the splendors of Chinese civilization. They are deeply proud of the Chinese nation, and are more active in promoting traditional Chinese culture and boosting cultural confidence across society.

(2) Better Physical and Mental Health

The key to China’s development lies in the younger generations. A strong body and mind are important for the healthy development of young people. Chinese youth in the new era are of the highest caliber. This is first reflected in their sound physical and mental health, which sustain them in trials and tribulations.

Improved physical health. In schools, as the class hours for physical education continue to increase, students study academic courses in class, and engage in physical activities on the playground. More than 37 million rural students receiving compulsory education have benefited from the student nutrition improvement program, and their physical health has markedly improved. In 2018, 92 percent of students aged between 14 and 19 passed the physical fitness test, and the proportion of those rated good or excellent increased substantially.

In communities, young people participate actively in mass sports. Running, swimming and ball games are popular. Sport and fitness venues are crowded. The Beijing Olympic Winter Games have boosted young people’s enthusiasm for winter sports in China. Youth aged 18 to 30 are the main force in winter sports, with the participation rate reaching 37.3 percent, the highest among all age groups.

In competitive sports arenas, especially in international events such as the Olympic Games and the Asian Games, Chinese youth have taken golds and silvers inspired by the Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team known for its unyielding spirit, living up to the new Olympic motto “Faster, Higher, Stronger - Together”. They have manifested the vigorous spirit of the Chinese nation. Chinese youth enjoy, value, and participate in sports, becoming an active force in building a country strong in sports.

Confidence and optimism. Young Chinese begin by doing small things around them, then work hard to turn their firm ideals and convictions, sound values, and strong cultural confidence into a healthy social mindset. Although they are under significant pressure in terms of employment, education, housing, dating and marriage, and often have to take care of elderly family members, yet with care and support from the Party, government and society, they rise up to the challenge.

A 2021 questionnaire on the emotions of China’s young people showed that 88 percent of the respondents believed that they were capable of managing their emotions. China’s mainstream youth are confident about their future, and dream of and pursue a beautiful life. Confidence, optimism and self-motivation are their salient characteristics.

(3) Stronger Intellectual Foundations

Knowledge can shape one’s future and education may change one’s life. As China makes headway with its education programs, the younger generations have borne witness to and benefited from the historic progress. They have received a better education on a fairer footing; their enthusiasm for learning keeps growing and their scientific and cultural achievements have flourished.

A much better education. Thanks to the strategy for invigorating China through science and education and the strategy on developing a quality workforce, hundreds of millions of young Chinese have been provided with opportunities to tap their potential and hone their talents through education. This has enabled them to create a better life and realize their value.

Take 2020 for example. The new additions to the workforce that year had an average education of 13.8 years, 1.1 years more than a decade earlier. More than 50 percent of employees with college or higher education were young people while young employees accounted for only 30 percent of the total workforce. Receiving higher and better education is still one of the best ways for young Chinese to shape their future, realize their dreams, and attain their ideals.

Learning is becoming popular. More and more young people take delight in learning and make it part of their everyday life, fostering a positive atmosphere of self-improvement through continuous learning.

A large number of young graduates pursue advanced studies after leaving school. In 2020, the number of adults receiving continuing on-campus education exceeded 7.7 million and more than 8.4 million people received online college education. Enthusiasm for on-the-job training is also very high. Surveys show that more than half of young workers have taken vocational training, choosing to add to their knowledge base after work. Thanks to the fast-growing network media, they have more study choices available: through MOOC (massive open online courses) for instance.

(4) Active Participation in Social Activities

Society offers an important space for young people to learn and practice skills. The younger generations of the new era have actively adapted to and integrated with society with more confidence and kept pace with social progress, displaying an acute sense of participation in society and the skills required, and acting as advocates and creators of positive energy.

Participation in political activities in an orderly manner. The younger generations are actively involved in politics and in China’s application of whole-process people’s democracy. Inspired by the lofty ideals of communism, they work hard and forge ahead, and an increasing number of them have applied to join the CPC and CYLC organizations.

By June 2021, the CPC had nearly 24 million members under the age of 35, accounting for 25 percent of its total membership. More than 80 percent of the CPC members admitted each year since the Party’s 18th National Congress in 2012 were under 35. The number of CYLC members (age range: 14-28) almost reached 74 million at the end of 2021.

A large number of young people have served as deputies to the people’s congresses or as members of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) committees at all levels. Through these organizations they have performed their duties and participated in the deliberation and administration of state affairs. In 2019, young people accounted for 10.9 percent of the deputies to the county-level people’s congresses and 13.7 percent of the countylevel CPPCC committees. Young people are active participants in democratic elections, decision-making, management and oversight, making suggestions on major issues relating to economic and social development, and exercising their democratic rights and engaging in consultation to reach agreement on issues concerning youth.

Active participation in social programs. In recent years, a growing number of young people have taken part in charity and public-welfare activities, providing services in the communities, protecting the eco-environment, conducting cultural programs, and offering elderly care and assistance to people with disabilities. While playing an important role in influential social organizations, they have also set up self-management and self-service bodies.

At present, there are more than 7,600 county-level organizations of volunteers or artistic and sports organizations for young people, which are operating under the guidance of the CYLC. With these as the driver, more than 150,000 youth organizations have been set up, covering all counties. Through such organizations, young people have played a constructive role in providing many public services on behalf of the government, enforcing industrial discipline, meeting diverse public needs for services, leading socially conscious lifestyles, and promoting communication between the public and the government. All of this displays their strong sense of participation and social responsibility.

III. Shouldering Heavy Tasks and Responsibilities

The new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a grand stage on which young people can enjoy bright prospects and accomplish great things. In the new era, China’s youth are striving to support high-quality economic growth, participate in the development of socialist democratic politics, create a flourishing socialist culture, promote socialist moral and ethical progress, and build a beautiful China. They are working hard and forging ahead boldly on this new quest to realize the second centenary goal of building a modern socialist country.

(1) Dedicated in Grassroots Work Posts

In the new era, respecting the PRC’s great tradition of “perpetual struggle”, treating their grassroots work posts as a stage to realize the value of their life, and applying their diligence, young Chinese are working for social progress and striving for happiness, national rejuvenation, and a bright future for the country.

Young people work in various fields - conventional fields such as industry, agriculture, commerce and the military, as well as in science, education, culture, health, and sports, and now in internet-based new business models, areas and occupations. Through their hard work in their grassroots work posts, they have turned the ordinary into the extraordinary, and make the impossible achievable.

In factory workshops, young workers hone their skills and strive for excellence. They tighten every screw and weld every joint to perfection. They vie to be “young people who excel at their jobs” and they help “made-in-China” gain a competitive edge in the global market. In rural areas, young farmers cultivate the fields meticulously, increase grain yield and field fertility with technology, and work hard to ensure food security. On construction sites, young migrant workers painstakingly work all hours of the day and night to build skyscrapers, making the city more beautiful. At training venues, young athletes train hard and persevere in spite of all difficulties. With sporting prowess and indomitable spirit, they strive for Olympic Games medals and see China’s national flag being raised at the awards ceremony. In city streets, couriers and takeaway delivery riders brave wind and rain to pass on happiness and warmth. Their sweat and toil demonstrate that Chinese youth have not forgotten the hard times, even though they now live in better days and no longer need to worry about food and clothing. They work hard and shine in their grassroots posts.

(2) Leading the Charge in Difficult Situations and Emergencies

In the new era China’s youth have shown no fear of difficulties and hardships in times of crisis, displaying their grit at critical moments. They rise to the occasion whenever the country and the people need them; they shoulder their responsibilities, make selfless contributions, and press ahead with the intrepidity typical of their generation.

Young people stand at the forefront in major projects emblematic of China’s composite national strength and national pride, in catastrophic natural disasters, and in other emergencies.

Youth teams have played a prominent role in the strategic projects that transport natural gas and electricity from western to eastern regions, divert water from the south to the north, and channel computing resources from the east to the west, as well as the construction of many milestone facilities, including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, Beijing Daxing International Airport, and Hualong One nuclear generator.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, young people have been risking their lives to combat this deadly disease. More than 5.5 million of them in 320,000 task groups have worked on the front lines of this combat, providing medical care, transporting supplies, and building facilities. They have made a tremendous contribution to the all-out people’s war on the virus. Of the 28,600 nurses from the medical teams sent to Hubei, 90 percent were born between 1980 and 1999. During the construction of the Huoshenshan and Leishenshan hospitals in Wuhan, young workers, who accounted for 60 percent of the workforce, established 13 task groups to spearhead the project. With an iron will and boundless courage, they created an engineering miracle. This was a shining example of how young Chinese can hold their own in the face of difficulties, face down threats, and rise to the challenge at critical moments.

(3) Tempering Themselves Through Community Service

The local community is the best place to temper young people in the new era, where they can learn through practice. By aligning their personal ambitions with the grand goals of the state and the Party, young people turn their pursuit of the Chinese Dream into pragmatic work, and hone their skills and increase their abilities through trial and experimentation.

Helping villagers solve problems in rural areas, providing services to residents in cities, and patrolling and guarding the frontiers ... More and more young people are now working in communities and in the places where they are most needed, fighting hardship to drive China’s modernization and realize their dreams.

Of the 1,981 individuals and 1,501 groups commended by the central authorities in 2021 who had stood out in China’s poverty alleviation campaign, many were young people. More than 1,800 people have died in the battle against poverty, and many of them were young people.

As the country implements the rural revitalization strategy, young people have led the efforts to establish specialized cooperatives, apply modern agricultural technologies, and develop new industries and new forms of business in rural areas. They have taken the lead in abandoning outdated social mores, nurturing civil social norms of conduct, and improving rural living environments, and helped villagers increase their incomes. All of these have contributed to giving rural areas a bright new image.

By 2021, 470,000 college graduates had worked in rural areas on posts related to teaching, agriculture, medical service and poverty alleviation, and during their vacations, millions of college students had conducted surveys or taken part in cultural activities and other activities to spread understanding of science and technology and information on health in the countryside. Through these efforts, young people have offered their support to China’s poverty alleviation and rural revitalization.

In the new era, China’s youth have shown rich imagination and creativity, open-mindedness, and a pioneering spirit. They have the spirit to engage in the field of international competition as it grows ever fiercer, and have become a strong force driving innovation and entrepreneurship.

Backed by policy incentives of the Party and the state, young people take the lead in innovation, starting businesses, and striving for excellence, serving the country and the people with their ingenuity and expertise in economic, social, technological and cultural fields. Under the innovation-driven development strategy and open competition mechanisms, a large number of world-class young scientists have come to the fore in major sci-tech programs, including China’s space station Tiangong, deep-sea manned submersible Jiaolong, the five-hundred-meter aperture spherical telescope (FAST) Tianyan, the dark matter probe satellite Wukong, the quantum science satellite Mozi, the Mars probe Tianwen-1, and the lunar mission Chang’e. The average age of the core members of the research groups on the Beidou Navigation Satellite System is 36; the corresponding figures are 35 for Mozi and 30 for Tianyan. Every year more than 3 million science and technology and engineering students graduate from Chinese universities, which continuously replenish the country’s ranks of engineers. Well-educated and highly-skilled, they give China an “engineering bonus”, adding impetus to the country’s development and improving its standing in international competition.

China has introduced a raft of policies supporting business startups, and young people are responding warmly. They are active in entrepreneurship programs like the China College Students’ Entrepreneurship Competition, China International “Internet+” College Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, carving out careers with their knowledge and ingenuity. Among the founders of market entities registered since 2014, more than 5 million are college students and new graduates. In creative industries such as IT services, culture, sports, entertainment and sci-tech, young people account for half or more of the workforce, and are at the helm of many unicorn and gazelle companies. Aligning individual inclination with national development, young people are putting their talents to use in innovation and starting businesses, and serving society in the process.