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Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, called for more achievements in the Party's theoretical innovation while presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Friday, a day ahead of CPC's 102nd founding anniversary, which falls on Saturday.

Xi said the understanding of the Party's theoretical innovation must be continuously deepened. It is the solemn historical responsibility of today's Chinese Communists to open new frontiers in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, Xi said.

Chinese analysts said the remarks show that the CPC understands that in the next stage of its journey toward the goal of the Chinese modernization and the great rejuvenation of Chinese nation, there is no precedent from which the Party can learn, meaning the CPC needs to forge its path and renew or update its theories through its own innovation and practices.

An article by Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has been published on Saturday in this year's 13th issue of the Qiushi Journal, a flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee. In the article, the general secretary called on young officials to grow into people capable of shouldering the mission of the times.

The article urges young officials to become people who remain loyal and worthy of the trust of the Party and the people.

The healthy growth of young officials has a bearing on the cause of the Party and the people, which must be carried forward by future generations, the article noted, urging young officials to be loyal to the Party and dedicated to the cause of the Party and the people.

The article stresses the importance of firming up the faith in Marxism and striving for the great ideal of communism and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The article warns young officials to guard against corruption and moral decline, noting that corruption is the most serious problem facing the Party, easily leading to subversion of political power.

Across the nation, there are many young officials and Party members who were born after 1985 and in 1990s who have been appointed to crucial positions at both the grass-root level and key sectors, and these young Party members have been well-educated and are able to explore and innovate with new thoughts and ideas, experts noted.

Guided by a sense of mission and giving them trusts to let them have space to practice and innovate are the key for the Party to receive new strengths and impetus from the new generations, including those who born in 1980s, 1990s, and even 2000s, analysts added.

Shi Jiacheng, a graduate student at Shanghai Jiaotong University who became a probationary Party member in March this year, told the Global Times that young Party members in this new era share at least one thing in common with their predecessors - "we all fight for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the realization of Communism."

Shi also said that in the past century, older generations of the CPC members are fighting for the survival of the Party, the establishment of the People's Republic of China, and the development of the country.

"Over the past century, China has played a role of 'chasing' other developed countries, but in next two to three decades, when the people of my generation play key and leading role of the country, China may become one of the leading countries in the world, so we must explore a more reasonable and fairer global governance system, and to take responsibility to guide and contribute to the joint development of mankind. This is an unshakable duty and obligation," Shi noted.

The CPC saw the number of its members grow to 98.041 million as of the end of 2022, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee announced on Friday.

The number of CPC members increased by 1.4 percent from 2021, according to figures released by the department ahead of the 102nd founding anniversary of the CPC, the world's largest Marxist governing party.

Yang Xuedong, a professor of political science at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times that the CPC is now a large party with significant number of Party members, and that it needs to keep playing a leadership role and act as a vanguard to lead China's 1.4 billion people in overcoming unprecedented challenges amid a volatile global landscape. The Party must also realize great historic goals over the coming decades. All of these require the Party to innovate and explore, and find new strengths from new upcoming generations.