China marks Youth Day

On May 3, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a reply note to representatives of youth honour recipients, encouraging young Chinese to integrate their personal aspirations into the bigger picture of national development. Xi’s message came on the eve of China’s Youth Day on May 4, which commemorates the 1919 May Fourth Movement, which is widely seen as a turning point in the country’s modern history.

Giving various examples, an article carried by the Xinhua News Agency notes that around this time, Xi usually extends greetings to young people, underscoring the close link between youth empowerment and national progress.

In his message this year to representatives of recipients of the China Youth May Fourth Medal and New Era Youth Pioneer, Xi urged young Chinese to stay rooted in their roles, strive for new achievements and channel their youthful dynamism into advancing the nation’s new journey of development.

The article explains that: “About a decade ago, Xi guided the formulation of a national youth development plan that identified volunteer service as a priority. Through letters and in-person exchanges, he has repeatedly encouraged young volunteers to ‘serve where the country and the people need them most.’

“Xi’s own early experience has shaped his outlook. In his youth, he left Beijing to work in a rural village on the Loess Plateau, where he lived and laboured alongside farmers. Known for his diligence, he earned the trust of villagers and was elected local Party chief, where he led efforts to boost production and reduce poverty.

“Xi’s aspiration at that time was to ensure that all fellow villagers could have enough to eat. It was there that he forged the commitment to serving the country and the people.”

Also on May 3, it was announced that the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) had about 78.34 million members by the end of 2025, with about 9.14 million new members joining last year.

On April 30, 2019, Xi Jinping delivered an important speech marking the centenary of the May 4 Movement. Xinhua’s report of that event explains that:

“The May Fourth Movement started with mass student protests on May 4, 1919, against the government’s response to the Treaty of Versailles that imposed unfair treaties on China and undermined the country’s sovereignty after World War I. It then triggered a national campaign to overthrow the old society and promote new ideas, including science, democracy and Marxism… Xi said the May Fourth Movement was a great patriotic and revolutionary campaign pioneered by advanced young intellectuals and joined by the people from all walks of life to resolutely fight imperialism and feudalism.”

“As long as the banner of patriotism is being held high, the Chinese people can unleash great powers in the endeavours to transform China and the world,” Xi said. The essence of patriotism is having unified love for the country, the Party and socialism, he added, urging young Chinese to follow the instructions and guidance of the Party, and remain dedicated to the country and the people. Young people are also urged to establish belief in Marxism, faith in socialism with Chinese characteristics, as well as confidence in the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

Xi said Chinese youth of the new era should bear their responsibilities of the times and carry on the spirit of arduous struggle. He also encouraged young people to not only care about their family and country but also have concerns for humanity.

“We should listen to young people’s views on social issues and phenomena, as well as their opinions and advice on the work of the Party and the government,” Xi said. “Even if they express harsh or partial criticism, we should correct our mistakes when we have made any and guard against them when we have not.”

And on May 12, 2022, Xi delivered a speech marking the centenary of the Communist Youth League of China. Here he noted that:

“The destiny of the youth is always closely connected with the times. After the Opium War of 1840, China was gradually reduced to a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society and suffered greater ravages than ever before. The country endured intense humiliation, the people were subjected to great pain, and the Chinese civilisation was plunged into darkness. Many noble-minded patriots sought to pull the nation together. Many progressive young people were enlightened at this ‘Awakening Age.’ The great May Fourth Movement promoted the spread of Marxism in China, ushered in the new-democratic revolution, and marked the beginning of the youth’s role as the pioneers advancing social changes in China.

“With the youth awakened and advanced ideas disseminated, the dynamic revolution quickly swept across the vast land of China. As Marxism-Leninism was becoming closely integrated with the Chinese workers’ movement, the Communist Party of China was born. Since the day of its founding, the Party has paid particular attention to the youth and placed the hopes of revolution on them… Inspired by ideals and convictions, the Communist Youth League has organised and united young people with firm belief and scientific thinking. The first national congress of the League defined building a communist society as its ultimate ideal and made clear its banner of socialism, which has lit the beacon of ideals and convictions among generations of young people. This is the most fundamental and enduring cohesion of the League. History tells us that only by holding high the banner of communism and socialism, can the Communist Youth League form the most solid unity, forge the most effective organisation, and ensure that the youth are united under the banner of the Party’s ideals and convictions.”

Sharing a ‘few of his hopes’ with League members, Xi said:

“First, I hope the League would nourish the youth for the Party and remain a political school that leads the political advancement of the Chinese youth. Only those who aim high would scale the heights and look afar, and only those with a global vision would achieve great success. The passion of youth should be accompanied by firm ideals and convictions. By including the word ‘communist’ into the League’s name, the Party hopes that this youth organisation would always stand on the high ground of ideals and convictions, equip the youth with the Party’s theories, inspire them with the Party’s original aspiration and founding mission, guide them with the Party’s glorious banner, and shape them with the Party’s fine conduct.”

And towards the conclusion, he stated: “As a line in an old Chinese poem goes, ‘Everything in life must be experienced by oneself; it is the minor steps that take one to a wider world.’ Striving for progress is the most precious character of the youth, and it is also what is most expected of them by our Party and people. League members in the new era should be role models of upholding lofty ideals and firm beliefs, take the lead in studying Marxist theory, build the ideal of communism and a shared ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics, conscientiously practice core socialist values, and fully promote patriotism…

“For many years, the staff of the Communist Youth League have carried forward their fine traditions, diligently performed their duties, and thus made significant contributions to the Party’s work related to youths. League staff must refine their political character of being loyal to the Party, champion the spirit of pursuing noble ideals, and remain clear-minded and strong-hearted so that they make people feel the lucidness and purity of young officials at first sight. They must consciously practice the mass line and firmly establish a correct mass viewpoint, maintain close ties with youths, be friends instead of ‘bureaucrats’ to youths, and work to better benefit youths rather than themselves. They must develop a work style of being responsible and practical, refrain from empty talk to do more pragmatic work, have the courage to bear hardships, take on difficult tasks, shoulder heavy responsibilities, and face risks under harsh environments and at the community level, and conduct themselves properly and do solid work…

“Revolutionaries are always young. Today, a hundred years on from its founding, the Communist Party of China is still in its prime and remains as determined as ever to achieve lasting greatness for the Chinese nation. Quoting from Engels, Lenin once said, ‘We are the party of the future, and the future belongs to the youth. We are a party of innovators, and it is always the youth that most eagerly follows the innovators. We are a party that is waging a self-sacrificing struggle against the old rottenness, and youth is always the first to undertake a self-sacrificing struggle.’ Both history and reality have shown that the Communist Party of China is a party that always preserves its youthful features and a party that is worthy of the young people’s trust and worth following…

“As the Northern Shaanxi College was set up in 1937, Comrade Mao Zedong wrote the inscription ‘We need to cultivate a large number of personnel who will become the vanguard of China’s revolution. They are politically far-sighted and full of the spirit of struggle and self-sacrifice. They have largeness of mind and are loyal, active, and upright. They do not pursue any personal gain but work for the sole purpose of national and social liberation. They always meet difficulty head-on with resolve and brave persistence. They are neither swaggerers nor people who seek the limelight, but rather practical people who keep their feet firmly on the ground. Once our country has a large number of such vanguard, the task of China’s revolution will be carried out successfully.’ In present-day China, the Party and the people still need a large number of such vanguard, and the Party Central Committee earnestly hopes the Communist Youth League can deliver results in this regard. This is the ardent expectation of the Party as well as our motherland and people.”

The full text of this speech can be read here. The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.