Students from a high school participate in a fun sports event, allowing them to relax and exercise while preparing for the college entrance examination, or gaokao, in Hohhot, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on May 13, 2024. This year's gaokao is set to kick off on June 7. Photo: IC

Starting from Friday, the country will enter the time of college entrance examinations, or gaokao. This year, 13.42 million people registered for gaokao, an increase of 510,000 from last year. Some provinces ushered in the year with the largest number of candidates. In order to support gaokao candidates, a large number of meticulous and thoughtful arrangements have been made across the country, including managing travels, food and accommodation, medical and health care, noise control, etc., so as to provide convenience for candidates as much as possible. When candidates go to the examination room, the whole society invests a lot of resources and energy to send them to the right place. This reflects a kind of humanistic care with China's own traditional and moral foundation.

Gaokao is a critical juncture in one's personal struggle, and it is also an important part of selecting elites for the country. Today, with the rapid development of science and technology and the ever-changing international situation, the spiritual connotation of gaokao, represented by fair competition, striving for progress, and determination for the country, has actually formed an indispensable part of China's competitiveness.

The principle of fair competition exercise in gaokao is an institutional guarantee for national competitiveness. Since the implementation of the gaokao system, it has gone through many reforms, but the purpose that has never changed is fair competition, and the continuously optimized rules are for more reasonable and fair competition. Fair competition is a beacon that lights up the dream for success of countless students, and a convincing ruler that "measures" outstanding talents for the development of the country. The increase in the number of gaokao candidates and the expansion of the gaokao "reservoir" prove the widespread recognition of this system in Chinese society and its positive role in improving the quality of the nation.

Gaokao not only effectively guarantees the fairness of talent selection from the institutional perspective, but has also become one of the cornerstones of credibility in Chinese society and an important basis for China's competitiveness. Gaokao allows the world to see that the solid foundation of the Chinese dream comes from the achievability of the goals of countless ordinary Chinese young people; and China's motivation to achieve high-quality development has become more abundant, and it's rooted in the peace of mind and confidence as well as continuous impetus for the healthy development of society brought about by an effective system that ensures fairness. 

The spirit of striving required in gaokao is the engine for improving national competitiveness. Gaokao has established a value system that takes pride in striving and progress. It is the epitome of the Chinese social value system formed over hundreds of years. The promotion of this kind of values is particularly necessary at present. As economic development has gone through a stage of rapid growth and the international landscape and world order are being reshaped at an accelerated pace, we have reached a critical moment. Creating a better future through hard work is the ordinary pursuit of more than 13 million gaokao candidates and the families behind them, and it is the essence of the extraordinary achievements of Chinese society over the past few decades. Obviously, the spirit of striving is not just exclusive for gaokao candidates. 
Now is the moment for the rise of the Chinese nation. Chinese society needs the spirit represented by gaokao more than ever. Life is endless and striving is ceaseless. This spirit allows everyone who has experienced gaokao to maintain a youthful spirit that never admits defeat. This spirit gives us the courage to overcome difficulties and the strength to move forward firmly. It makes our country and nation never stop at its past achievements, but will live a way of life in which it continuously improves its competitiveness.

The ideal of aspiration for the country encouraged by gaokao is the hope for improving the country's competitiveness. Judging from the situation in the past few years, the country's strategy for developing advantageous industries and key industries has been increasingly extended to colleges and universities, encouraging candidates to aspire for the country. For example, many well-known Chinese high-tech companies have established long-term cooperative relationships with relevant majors in some key universities, setting up a "fast track" for the cultivation of cutting-edge talents. The candidates sitting in the examination room today may tomorrow be China's pillars in high-tech fields such as new energy, chips and artificial intelligence. They will shoulder the important task of improving China's national competitiveness.

We wish every gaokao candidate to achieve their ideal results. Gaokao they face may be just the first mountain waiting to be climbed in their lives. The way up to the mountain is always a bit strenuous, but the beautiful scenery is at the top. If one keeps striving, hardworking and progressing, they can live a beautiful life through their own efforts.