屈谨斌 明德书院 

One hundred years ago, confronting the invasion of imperialists from England and other countries, countless Chinese young people bravely took the responsibility of striving for national independence, profoundly demonstrating that they are a generation of resilience and patriotism. One hundred years later, in the international community where the theme of “peace and development” is widely shared and China is on its way to a moderately prosperous society in all respects, can contemporary Chinese youth take up the responsibility of the times?

Fragile? Irresponsible? “Lying flat”? As a generation fully enjoying the benefits of today's developments and lives comfortably, contemporary Chinese youth are, however, sometimes questioned as a generation that has lost the spirit and struggle of China's former youth. As a matter of fact, this is merely a wrong and one-sided interpretation of the youth of today. To comprehensively understand contemporary Chinese youth, we need to recognize their "unchanged spirits" and "changed action".

The spirits of contemporary Chinese youth are unchanged: Just like Chinese youth who fought for national independence a hundred years ago, they still have a love for their nation and are passionate about contributing to the country. In 2019, in the face of the sudden outbreak of the Novel Corona Virus epidemic, Chinese youth of all peoples instantaneously responded to the country’s call and joined the battle to prevent and control the epidemic, which deeply revealed the patriotic spirit of contemporary Chinese youth. Wang Yiwei, a postgraduate of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, volunteered during the epidemic, braving hardships and dangers to be at the forefront. When asked why, he replied firmly, “As a member of the CPC (Communist Party of China), I need to come to the nation’s needs.” (Sun & Yup, 2020, n.d.) Wang Yiwei showed that youth is in no way synonymous with lying flat culture through his determination and action to contribute to the cause of the country. He is but one of many examples that show Chinese youth are willing and able to struggle for the interests of their motherland and the people. In President Xi’s letter of reply to the youth, he highly appraised that, “Contemporary young people showed the vigorous power of youth, eventually delivering a satisfying answer.” (Xi, 2020, n.d.) Some older generations may assume that the Chinese youth of today are one “beat generation” simply because the young enjoy the benefits of the times and live a comfortable life in their childhood, thus losing the spirits of patriotism and struggle. However, from the fight against COVID-19 and many other causes, countless Chinese young people, just like Wang Yiwei, prove that their spirits are unchanged: They are still the generation that struggles; the generation that is willing to dedicate their youth to the country and the people.

The concrete way contemporary Chinese youth practice their spirit has changed:  The youth of today is enthusiastic about using modern technology to spread the culture and voice of China. Unlike a hundred years ago when China suffered from foreign aggression, today’s China, in its participation in the world as the world's second-largest economy, is trying to build its own discourse. Gladly, the youth of today’s China has responded positively to this change. Li Ziqi, for example, is one young influencer who posts videos showcasing Chinese cultural heritage. Following her footsteps in the video, more and more overseas audiences were deeply immersed in the beauty of Chinese culture. According to the relevant statistics on Youtube, as of May 15, 2022, her most popular video, A Special Program on Chinese New Year Snacks, has over 110 million views. Undoubtedly, as a new-age youth, Li Ziqi has succeeded in spreading Chinese culture. Another video blogger, He Shijie, a student from the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, uploaded videos regarding technology on Bilibili (a well-known Chinese video website), sharing his thoughts and outlook on technology. On February 17, 2021, this 22-year-old conducted a nearly 20-minute interview with Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple Inc. In the interview, He Shijie vividly showed the contemporary youth's insights and views on technology. After the interview, Tim commented on the Chinese youth, “There’s no challenge young people can’t solve.” (Cook, 2021, n.d.) Maybe not every Chinese youth can be as famous as Li Ziqi or He Shijie, but one thing is for sure: They are all utilizing technology creatively to deliver a more comprehensive, realistic, and three-dimensional “voice” of China so that the world can understand the real China. And this is where the youths of today's China are changed: They fully take advantage of the advanced technology to present a comprehensive image of China to the world.

Compared with the youth in the past, the spirits of contemporary Chinese youth are unchanged: They inherited the patriotic spirit and national sentiment shared by Chinese youth and worked diligently in the cause of building motherland and serving the people. In the meanwhile, their action of practicing such spirits has changed: Along with the country's prosperity, they respond to the changes of the times, respond to the new needs of national development, and use advanced technology to expand the possibilities of China's development.

This is contemporary Chinese youth: one unchanged generation and one changed generation.

References

Cook, T. (2021, February 18). There’s no challenge young people can’t solve [Sina]. https://weibo.com/u/5524254784

Sun, J., & Yup, H. (2020, May 4). 青年有担当 国家有力量——新时代中国青年的战“疫”风貌. 人民网. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from http://edu.people.com.cn/n1/2020/0503/c367001-31696547.html 

Xi, J. (2020, March 16). 习近平给北京大学援鄂医疗队全体"90后"党员的回信. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1661292014429877272&wfr=spider&for=pc