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People from different sectors of society say they were inspired by Xi's speech

China's young people, united by the Communist Youth League of China, will continue to play a vanguard role in national rejuvenation in the new era, people from different sectors said after hearing President Xi Jinping's speech marking the 100th anniversary of the Youth League.

Speaking at a ceremony in Beijing on Tuesday, Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, hailed the contributions made by Youth League members over the past century.

Founded in 1922, the CYLC acts as a pioneer of China's youth movement, a faithful assistant of the Party and its reliable reserve. It has more than 73.7 million members nationwide aged 14 to 28, and about 43.8 million of its members are students, official data showed.

In his speech, Xi also put forward a new vision for the CYLC, calling on the youth movement to better unite, organize and serve young people, and encouraging the nation's youth to dedicate their wisdom and efforts to national rejuvenation.

Wu Qing, head of the Institute of Communist Youth League Work Theory, said he was impressed by the fact that the word "youth" was mentioned more than 30 times in Xi's speech.

Looking back at the century-old history of the Youth League, Wu said it has been following the Party by organizing and mobilizing young people to become the vanguard force in national rejuvenation.

In the new era, young people in China should continue to make achievements under the leadership of the Party and contribute their youthful strength under the mobilization of the Youth League, he said.

As a mass organization for the Party's youth work, the Youth League should better serve young people and act as a "bridge" and a "bond" connecting the Party with young people, Wu said, adding that it should also build itself into a strong youth political organization of the Party.

Jin Li, president of Fudan University in Shanghai, said that Xi's speech showed that the Party and the nation attach great importance to youth work, adding that he felt deeply inspired by it.

"The pursuit of progress is the most valuable trait of young people, which is also the ardent expectation of the Party and the people," he said, adding that the university will strive to cultivate young talent with patriotic ideals, humanistic feelings, a scientific spirit, professionalism and an international outlook.

Wei Qian, secretary of the CYLC Committee of the School of Chemistry at Beihang University in Beijing, said, "We should always keep young people in mind and become a 'bridge' linking the Party with them", and was impressed by the work the university's students had done in poverty alleviation, epidemic prevention and control, and volunteer services for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.

Zeng Ziqing, an undergraduate student at Tsinghua University and the CYLC committee secretary of his class, said he felt very fortunate and excited to attend the ceremony on Tuesday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to hear Xi's speech.

As someone from a mountainous village in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, he said that the Youth League helped him quickly become accustomed to life at the university and it has also helped him constantly pursue self-development.

"In the future, I will continue to assist the development of my classmates, help anyone in need, and promote the development and progress of the Youth League through organizing various activities," he said.

Liu Lijia, a senior undergraduate student at Beijing Normal University, said that as a Youth League member and a probationary member of the CPC, she is always grateful to the Party and the Youth League for assisting her development.

As an expression of her determination to devote her future career to the Party and the nation, she said that she had signed up to become a volunteer teacher in the country's western regions.

"I want to use what I have learned at the university, go to places where I am needed the most, and devote myself to bridging the educational gap between different regions," Liu said.

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Xi encourages youth to forge ahead on new journey  

President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at a gathering in Beijing on Tuesday to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Youth League of China.

Here are the highlights:

Xi encourages youth to forge ahead on new journey toward national

Xi said celebrating the centenary of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) is to encourage its members to forge ahead on the new journey to realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

A nation that places high hopes on its youth and maintains its youthful vigor can prosper, said Xi.

Xi speaks of milestone significance of CYLC founding

Xi said the founding of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) is a milestone in the history of the Chinese revolution and the history of youth movement.

Xi said the founding mission of the CYLC is to unwaveringly follow the CPC and strive for the Party and the people.

Xi sums up experience from youth league successes

The Party's leadership, firm beliefs and convictions, devotion to national rejuvenation, and its deep roots in the country's young people are key to the past and future successes of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC), Xi said.

Xi says young Chinese have bright prospects of realizing dreams

Young Chinese people in the new era have bright prospects of realizing their dreams, Xi said.

Comparing the realization of the Chinese Dream to a relay race, Xi called on young generations to strive for their best to help realize national rejuvenation.

Xi said the young people shoulder heavy responsibilities and have a broad space to give full play to their talents.

Xi asks youth league to be political school leading Chinese young people

Xi told the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) to always be a political school leading the ideological progress of young people.

Xi said the CYLC is a school for young people to understand socialism with Chinese characteristics and communism in practice, adding that the league should help them aim high at an early age and cultivate the trust in the Party, the confidence in socialism with Chinese characteristics and the belief in Marxism from the bottom of their heart.

Xi urges youth league to remain strongest bond between Party, youth

Xi urged the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) to remain as the strongest bond between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the youth.

The greatest strength of the CYLC, as the youth's own organization, lies in its broad reach at the grassroots and its deep involvement with young people, Xi said.

He asked the CYLC to continue serving young people, fulfill its responsibility in consolidating and expanding young people's support for the Party's governance, and offer solid help to the young people.

Xi stresses self-reform of youth league to maintain advanced nature

Xi urged the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) to have the courage to carry out self-reform to maintain its status as an advanced organization that closely follows the Communist Party of China (CPC) and keeps pace with the times.

Xi urged the CYLC to implement the overall leadership of the Party in the whole process of its work in all areas, follow the development path of people's organizations of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and further deepen reform.

The CYLC should explore new models of its grassroots organizations in light of the new changes in young people's work and life, lead youth and students federations in upholding the banner of patriotism and socialism, and constantly consolidate and expand the youth patriotic united front, Xi said.

He also highlighted the need to strengthen self-building of the CYLC.

CPC always worthy of trust, following of youth

Xi said the Communist Party of China (CPC) is a party that always maintains its youthful quality and is always worthy of the trust and following of young people.

Xi said that a hundred years on from its founding, the Party is still in its prime, and remains focused on achieving lasting greatness for the Chinese nation.

CPC always open to youth

Xi said the Communist Party of China (CPC) always opens its door to young people and warmly welcomes them to become the fresh blood of the Party.

Xi said Party organizations at all levels should attach great importance to the cultivation and development of young Party members, especially from outstanding CYLC members, to ensure that the socialist country will never change its nature.

Xi asks youth league to be vanguard force in mobilizing China's youth

Xi told the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) to shoulder its responsibilities and always be a vanguard force in mobilizing China's youth in continuous endeavor.

The cause of the Party and the people entails the endeavor and devotion by generations of young people, Xi said, stressing that young people should devote their youth to great undertakings of the Party and the people.

Xi asked the league to unite and lead young people to follow the call of the Party and the people and work hard in places where the country needs them the most.

Xi urges firm beliefs, fighting spirit in youth league members

Xi called on members of the CYLC in the new era to build up firm beliefs, and boost their courage and skills to carry out struggles, among others.

Xi urged CYLC members to be patriotic and innovative, while not being misguided or intimidated by difficulties.

CYLC members shall also be hardworking and willing to make selfless contributions, said Xi, adding that they should promote virtue, perform good deeds and observe discipline.

Hope of Party, country rests on youth

Xi said the hope of the CPC and the country rests on the youth.

Xi said for the Party and the country, youth are the most worthy of love and expectation, adding that young people are like saplings that thrive on the earth, and one day they will grow into towering trees.

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