The Youth Force in the Construction of Chinese Modernisation

By Wang Ka

 As a large country with a population of 1.4 billion, China's youth population accounts for 28.42% of the total population (according to the seventh national census data in 2020). The youth development is the future of the national development. The Chinese government has been trying hard to provide more space and opportunities for the young people, and the youth group has also demonstrated the unique spirit of Chinese youth in the process of exploring and promoting Chinese path to modernisation.

President Xi Jinping Xi Jinping pointed out that "young people are the most dynamic, ambitious, and least conservative group in society, containing infinite power to transform the objective world and promote social progress." The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has always positioned youth work from the strategic perspective of inheriting the cause of the Party. In April 2017, the first national level youth development plan since 1949 the Medium- and Long-Term Youth Development Plan (2016-2025) (hereinafter referred to as the Plan) strategically proposed the Party's management principle of youth work and creatively established the policy system framework for China's youth development.

The Plan first proposed the concept of "prioritising the youth development in the development of the Party and the state", and put forward specific development goals and targeted development measures in 10 areas including education, health, marriage, employment, culture, social participation and social security etc. It fully responded to the common concerns of contemporary youth and built up a youth development policy system that covers the main areas of youth needs and caters to the development characteristics of different youth groups. The Plan also proposes a number of key youth development projects, such as the Youth Physical Health Improvement Project, Youth Employment Internship Program, Youth Cultural Boutique Project, Youth Network Civilization Development Project, China Youth Volunteer Action, and Youth Affairs and Social Work Professional Talent Team Construction Project etc.

To promote the effective implementation of the Plan, a set of planning implementation mechanisms has also been established. An interministerial joint conference mechanism is established to promote the implementation of the Plan, with central-level leaders serving as conveners and the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League specifically responsible for coordination and supervision. At the same time, it is required that party committees and governments at or above the county level establish a joint conference mechanism for youth work, responsible for promoting the implementation of the Plan at local level. The pilot program for youth development oriented cities is an important carrier for promoting the implementation and trial of the Plan, advocating the concept of "cities being more friendly to youth and youth being more productive in cities", optimizing the education and employment environment of youth development oriented cities, accelerating the construction of talent apartments (youth apartments), affordable rental housing etc., and carrying out the layout transformation of youth friendly development from urban planning, construction, management and other aspects.

At the same time, youth groups are also becoming the main force in various fields of Chinese modernisation, mainly reflected in the following aspects:

Firstly, young scientific and technological talents are accelerating to become the main force of China's scientific and technological innovation. China has made significant achievements in cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and biotechnology. According to the information released by the Ministry of Science and Technology, over 80% of the participants in the national key researches and development programs are under the age of 45, and many project teams involved in major strategic scientific research tasks such as Beidou navigation, Lunar and Mars exploration have an average age of around 30 years old.

Secondly, youth is the driving force behind China's rural revitalisation. In recent years, many college students have moved from urban areas to rural areas, working hard on the front line of rural development, promoting the transformation and upgrading of traditional agriculture, improving the overall environment of rural areas, and assisting the modernisation of agriculture and rural areas. From 2012 to the end of 2022, the total number of entrepreneurs returning to their hometowns and starting businesses has reached 12.2 million in China.

Thirdly, youth is an emerging force in the construction of a beautiful China. The "Protecting the Mother River Action" launched by the All China Youth Federation has attracted over 600 million young people to participate, becoming a landmark activity for Chinese youth to participate in green development and winning the United Nations "Earth Guardian Award". The "Beautiful China-Youth Action" has guided a large number of young people to participate in environmental practices such as haze reduction, plastic reduction, emission reduction, resource conservation, and garbage classification. Youth are becoming advocates of China's green development concept, practitioners of green lifestyles, and explorers of green recovery and development.

Fourthly, young volunteers are the most active and prominent vanguard force in the field of voluntary service. In 2018, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League issued the Opinions on Promoting the Reform and Development of Youth Voluntary Service Work, proposing the overall goal of youth voluntary service: by 2025, the total number of registered youth volunteers in China will exceed 100 million. From community management to large-scale events, from poverty alleviation to health and hygiene, from emergency rescue to cultural heritage, youth voluntary services have covered various aspects such as economic and social development, governance innovation, civilisation progress, and improvement of people's livelihoods.

Fifth, young people play an indispensable role in national security and defence construction. In 2023, 12 million young people in China have applied to join the military. There are also many young people who have been stationed on the front line of the motherland's border for a long time, silently dedicating themselves in ordinary positions, and writing a chapter in the era of defending the country with their youth and passion.

* Wang Ka, Department of Social Work, China Youth University of Political Studies.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL of Independent Media.