China issues white paper on its youth in new era Photo:Li Xuanmin/GT

China has released the first nationwide official document focusing on its youth, recording achievements in the country's youth development in the new era and reflecting its spirit. The official document was issued on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) under the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s leadership.

The document, titled "Youth of China in the New Era," was published by the Chinese State Council Information Office on Thursday. 

According to the document, young Chinese people in the new era are confident, hopeful and responsible. They wholeheartedly support the leadership of the Party. 

Gifted with global vision, they stand at the forefront of the times bursting with commitment: young people commit to pursuing lofty ideals with a firm belief in Marxism, communism and socialism with Chinese characteristics. 

The Chinese youth are strongly patriotic, sharing weal and woe with the country and the people and display the sterling quality of living up to responsibilities: Chinese young people seem to be the first to worry about the affairs of the state and the last to enjoy themselves, striving to be pioneers and pacesetters instead. 

This is what makes them admirable contributors to the country's development, the white paper said. 



History shows clearly that without the CPC, the Chinese youth movement would have achieved little. For China's youth, commitment to the CPC is the most valuable experience, and the revolutionary traditions passed down are the most precious wealth accumulated over the past century, said the document.

The official document also cited a survey conducted in 2020 which showed that the majority of China's youth wholeheartedly supports socialism with Chinese characteristics, and are full of confidence about the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

A large number of outstanding young individuals 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 their positive contributions. 

China has achieved two miracles - rapid economic growth and lasting social stability, which offers a sound foundation for China's youth to develop with increasing confidence. In 2021, its economy ranked second in the world in size, with its GDP exceeding 110 trillion yuan. As more than 25 million young people have escaped poverty, this generation can look forward to a better future of greater prosperity, according to the document.

The internet has profoundly shaped the current generation, and the current generation has also influenced the internet. At the end of 2020, the number of netizens aged 6 to 18 reached 180 million in China, with the internet available to 94.9 percent of minors, and the gap in internet accessibility between cities and rural areas narrowed to 0.3 percentage points from 5.4 percentage points in 2018. 

Young people in China enjoy equal and higher-quality educational opportunities as the country continues giving high priority to education. In 2021, the completion rate of compulsory education in China reached 95.4 percent, the gross enrollment rate in senior secondary education reached 91.4 percent, and the gross enrollment rate in higher education reached 57.8 percent, with 44.3 million students on campus, ranking first in the world. 

By 2020, subsidies had totaled over 240 billion yuan and assisted nearly 150 million students, achieving full coverage from preschool education, compulsory education, and senior secondary education to undergraduate and postgraduate education, across public and privately-run schools, and for all students from families with financial difficulties. 

With the extension of the strategy for coordinated regional development, young people in China, who used to flock to economically developed southern and eastern regions of the country, have gradually diversified the target cities where they seek development opportunities and where they can fit in and thrive. 

Studying abroad is the most important way for Chinese youngsters to learn about the world. Over the past four decades, the total number of Chinese people studying abroad has exceeded 6.5 million. The total number of overseas returnees has exceeded 4.2 million in the past more than four decades. 

Chinese youth enjoy, value, and participate in sports, becoming an active force in building a country strong in sports. 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.

China's mainstream youth are confident about their future, and dream of and pursue a beautiful life. 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.

The younger generations are actively involved in politics and in China's application of whole-process people's democracy. 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, according to the document.

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 environment, conducting cultural programs, and offering elderly care and assistance to people with disabilities.

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 war on the virus. Of the 28,600 nurses from the medical teams sent to Hubei, 90 percent were born between 1980 and 1999.

The era calls to the young people of the world to unite with one heart and jointly build a global community. China's youth therefore are calling on young people around the world to uphold the values of beauty, uprightness and goodness, to maintain a spirit of youth and vigor, to shoulder together the responsibility for national development and to contribute wisdom and strength to achieving world peace and international development.