农业与农村发展学院 蔡美兰

On May 4, 1919, a time of life and death for the Chinese nation, thousands of university youth with breadth of vision held a mass demonstration in Beijing to fight for national dignity and independence, marking the beginning of China’s national awakening. A century later, “lying flat” accidentally become one of the hottest Internet buzzwords to describe the youth in China. At the same time, some people take this opportunity to loudly criticize the young as the beat generation on the grounds that they only pursue materialism and lose the innovative vitality. Nevertheless, I still believe Contemporary Chinese youth are pioneers and pillars of the country because they not only carry the national responsibilities proactively, but also strive to bring China to the world.

In the view of critics, the youth of today only pursue materialism and ease. They claim that the young gladly take refuge in ivory towers and enjoy the thrill brought by banknotes. While it is true that material needs are the basis of human existence and it is human nature to covet comfort, there are numerous heroes in harm’s way with a bigger vision who renounce personal interests for the sake of the national development. For instance, on the journey of poverty alleviation, Huang Wenxiu, a graduate of Beijing Normal University, gave up the opportunity to stay in the metropolis, and served as the first secretary of the remote poor village, leading plenty of farmers to get rid of poverty. Instead of chasing individual comfortable life, Huang chose to actively respond to the call of the Communist Party of China and dedicate herself to society to achieve happiness for more people.

Meanwhile, it has also been argued that contemporary Chinese youth lose their innovative vitality. In this information age with advanced Internet, they smartly take advantage of the abundant resources of the ready-made Internet and are too lazy to think independently. Actually, there are many young people who have been immersed in scientific research with perseverance ten years like one day and always on the front line of innovation. In the early morning of December 17, 2020, the Chang'e-5 return module successfully landed, uplifting the staff of the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center and the whole country (“Average age,” 2020). And it may be inconceivable that the average age of the leaders in key positions is only 33 years old. For decades, these creative young people have designed a brand new engineering system aiming at independent innovation. They haven’t lost the vitality of innovation as critics say, they have been quietly cultivating in a certain field, waiting for a blockbuster day.

When the challenge strikes, Contemporary Chinese youth carry the national responsibilities proactively. After the sudden outbreak of novel coronavirus disease in 2019, thousands of youth commandos and young people took the initiative to fight in the frontline against the epidemic, among of which “post-80s” and “post-90s” account for nearly 90% and even the “post-00s” figured (“The Power,” 2020). Besides, many young netizens launched a “cyber war against the epidemic”, posting relief information online, contacting procurement channels and collecting medical supplies. In the face of hardships, these young people did not choose to live in fear of death, but recklessly rushed to the danger, shining with the most precious youth rhythm and human brilliance. They are real heroes who shoulder a mountain of responsibilities with their young arms and show the vigorous strength of youth.

Contemporary Chinese youth are striving to build a global community of shared future with an international perspective. During the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, more than 18,000 event volunteers participated in the service, and the main body of the volunteer team was composed of students from various colleges and universities (“Speech at,” 2022). In order to tell China’s stories well and make the voice of China heard, these lovely volunteers offered warm services to foreign friends with their youthful vigor and dedication, showing the vibrant and energetic image of the Chinese youth in the new era to the world. Their volunteerism is the best illustration and embodiment of the boundless love of Chinese youth in the new era, which enormously contributes to building a more friendly and harmonious world and a global community of shared future for mankind.

According to Liang Qichao, the renowned Chinese intellectual leader and social reformer, “The thriving youth leads to a thriving nation”. It’s quite true that China's future lies in the youth who dare to face daunting challenges on the road ahead, commit to building a global community of shared future for mankind, not just lie flat or pursue ease, and never lack the power of independent innovation. Living in the best times in Chinese history, I am firmly convinced that if we youth always forge ahead unremittingly and strive to be the new man of the times who can bear the heavy responsibility of national rejuvenation, we will definitely achieve a stronger and more prosperous China in the near future.

References

Average Age 33 Years! They Are the Youth Power of “Chang’ e”, (2020). The People's Liberation Army Daily. Retrieved from https://news.cctv.com/2020/12/18/ARTIlWSjiav2WmfX8Vuhhzjp201218.shtml 

Speech at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics Review and Awards Ceremony, (2022). Retrieved from http://news.cyol.com/gb/articles/2022-04/09/content_XXpYBip2Q.html 

The Power of Youth in the Fight Against the “Epidemic”, (2020). Retrieved from http://zqb.cyol.com/html/2020-03/23/nw.D110000zgqnb_20200323_1-02.html