On May 4 each year, China celebrates its Youth Day in tribute to the patriotic legacy of the May 4th Movement that took place in 1919.
President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has always had high expectations for the nation's young generation.
In his report to the 20th CPC National Congress in 2022, Xi urged the country's young people to steadfastly follow the Party and its guidance, aim high but stay grounded, and dare to think big and take action but make sure to be able to deliver.
"You should strive to be the new era's great young generation, a generation with ideals, a sense of responsibility, grit, and dedication," said Xi.
Responding to the clarion call, young Chinese people are redoubling their endeavors to help build China into a modern socialist country in all respects.
IDEALS
The youth has always played an active and vital role throughout the CPC's development since its inception.
In July 1921, the CPC's first national congress was attended by delegates with an average age of 28 -- exactly the age of Mao Zedong as one of the Party delegates.
Since then, generations of Party members have dedicated their youth and their whole life to the cause of seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
"If we have chosen the position in life in which we can most of all work for mankind, no burdens can bow us down, because they are sacrifices for the benefit of all." -- Xi cited the words from young Karl Marx on the occasion of commemorating the bicentenary of the birth of the German philosopher.
On the Youth Day of 2013, Xi participated in a themed Communist Youth League activity in Beijing.
During the event, welding technician Pei Xianfeng shared his personal growth experience. This rural youth transformed into a skilled technician after years of hard work and became the first Chinese contestant to earn a silver medal in welding in the history of the World Skills Competition.
"My dream as a youth and the happiness of my life can only be realized when I truly master the skills needed by the country's development," Pei said.
Xi praised him and said: "The career you have as a youth is closely aligned with the cause of the Party, the nation and the people. Therefore, the spectrum of your career is broadened and its energy is better stimulated."
Xi has pointed out the direction for the endeavor of young people in China today -- to strive for the realization of the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY
While delivering his 2023 New Year Address, Xi said: "Going forward, China will be a country with great expectations of its younger generation. A nation will prosper only when its young people thrive. For China to develop further, our young people must step forward and take on their responsibilities."
Xie Xiaoyu from Wuhan is one of the young Chinese who stepped forward in the country's tough fight against the COVID-19 epidemic.
When the virus was wreaking havoc in the city in early 2020, Xie, who was on her school winter break, became the youngest volunteer in her residential community.
In March 2020, as the anti-COVID battle was at a critical time, Xi paid a visit to Wuhan. During the visit, Xi came to the community where Xie worked and asked her if it was hard work being a volunteer.
"I want to do something meaningful," Xie replied.
Acknowledging the sense of responsibility epitomized by Xie, Xi said: "Some people used to say young people are fragile, but now we can see that they have become the main force in the frontline of the anti-epidemic fight."
As long as young people are brave enough to shoulder responsibilities and fight hardships and risks, socialism with Chinese characteristics will be full of vitality, potential and hope, Xi once said.
GRIT AND DEDICATION
China's young generation is characterized by their perseverance in diligent work.
Xi himself has set an example of hard work during his youth. At barely 16, he went to a small village called Liangjiahe in Northwest China's Shaanxi province to live and work alongside farmers.
Xi did all the farm work, including carrying manure and building dams. Local farmers praised him as "a young man who can endure hardship and works hard."
From the Liangjiahe years on, Xi has been known as a hard-working cadre. And he has often encouraged the young generation to carry on this tradition.
On various occasions, Xi visited and sent his greetings to hard-working young people who held their positions of work in harsh conditions.
He once wrote to representatives of Baoding University graduates who volunteered to teach in western regions, hailing their choice to teach and educate people in those grassroots areas with tough conditions.
In 2013, while interacting with young people during the Communist Youth League activity in Beijing, Xi also listened to a briefing by Chen Chen, a young college student who had scaled the summit of Mt. Qomolangma.
Expressing his respect for her, Xi said everybody is young only once, and only by making the most of their youth to work hard can they have something to look back on when they are old.
After winning a gold medal at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Chinese snowboarder Su Yiming wrote a letter to Xi.
Su said in his letter that he was born in a great country and raised in the best times, and he felt very lucky to have realized his dream through hard work.
In his reply letter, Xi expressed his hope for young athletes like Su to keep the motherland at heart, aim high, and have their feet firmly on the ground. He also urged them to strive for a splendid life and devote their youth and strength to the motherland and the people.