[Original] Jiang Dujun and Wei Jinping: Let Youth Bloom More Brilliantly on the Track of National Rejuvenation
The realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has been the greatest dream of the Chinese people since the advent of modern times. The history of this rejuvenation tells us that "whether in the past, present, or future, Chinese youth have always been the vanguard force in achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!" Youth of the New Era are born into a great age and shoulder a historical mission. They must strive to be the first on the track of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, singing the "Song of Youth" [1] of the New Era with a heart of pure filial piety. In the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), General Secretary Xi Jinping expressed earnest hopes and heavy entrustments to the youth: "Our young people should steadfastly listen to and follow the Party, be both ambitious and down-to-earth, dare to dream and act while being capable and successful. You should strive to be good youth of the New Era who have ideals, dare to shoulder responsibilities, can endure hardships, and are willing to struggle, letting your youth bloom in the vibrant practice of building a modern socialist country in all respects."
I. Inheriting Red Genes: Youth of the New Era Must "Button the First Button" of Life Correctly
The formation and establishment of values are like "buttoning a coat"—if the first button is fastened incorrectly, all the subsequent buttons will be misaligned. The youth stage is at the critical juncture of the "joint-bursting and earing period" [2] of life. The value orientations of youth determine a person's ideals, beliefs, life goals, and direction; thus, one must "button the first button of life correctly." General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized in the report to the 20th CPC National Congress the need to "promote the spiritual pedigree of Chinese Communists, rooted in the Great Founding Spirit of the Party; conduct extensive outreach and education on the Core Socialist Values; deepen education in patriotism, collectivism, and socialism; and focus on nurturing 'era-defining newcomers' capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of national rejuvenation." Youth of the New Era are the vanguard force in comprehensively advancing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. We must educate and guide the youth to constantly maintain feelings of patriotism and the ambition to serve the country, strengthen cultural confidence, draw nourishment from the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation, inherit "Red Genes" [3], and nourish their sentiments with advanced socialist culture. We must encourage the youth to integrate their personal ideals with the future of the country and the destiny of the nation, aligning individual pursuits with the needs of society and the interests of the people.
Ideals and beliefs are the "calcium" of the Communists' spirit. Whether the youth of the New Era can "button the first button of life correctly" and tighten the "Master Switch" [4] of ideals and beliefs determines, to a certain extent, the progress and success of the great cause of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Our Party has united and led the people in carrying out a great revolution, opening the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and enabling China to catch up with the times in great strides. Today, we are closer to, and have more confidence and capability in, achieving the grand goal of national rejuvenation than at any other period in history. Why is the CPC capable? Why is' socialism with Chinese characteristics good? Ultimately, it is because Marxism works, and especially because the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism work. The youth must strengthen their faith in Sinicized and modernized Marxism, comprehensively study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, achieve the integration of study, thought, and application, and ensure the unity of knowledge, belief, and action. They must effectively transform the greatness of thought into a majestic force driving the practice of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
II. Holding High the Great Banner: Youth of the New Era Must Practice the Oath that "The Strong Country Has Me"
In the New Era, the cause of the Party and the state has achieved historic successes and undergone historic changes. These great achievements fully prove that socialism is achieved through action, and the New Era is forged through struggle. Since the May Fourth Movement [5], on the journey of national rejuvenation led by the CPC, generation after generation of Chinese youth have inherited the May Fourth tradition. They have remained firm in their ideals and beliefs in communism and socialism with Chinese characteristics, taking national independence, national prosperity, and people's happiness as their own responsibility. With hearts full of concern for the country and love for the people, they have bravely shouldered the heavy responsibilities of the times, integrating their personal ideals and pursuits into the cause of the Party and the people. They have cried out the resonant theme of the era—"rather be a shattered piece of jade than an intact tile" [6]—set the lofty ambition of "willingly shedding blood to defend China," and written youthful chapters of "pure love, only for China." They have composed soul-stirring songs of youth, becoming vanguard warriors for the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. For contemporary youth to grow into era-defining newcomers capable of shouldering the responsibility of national rejuvenation, they must hold high the great banner of Marxism, heed the call of the Party and the people, establish lofty ambitions, and always keep the country in their hearts and the people in their minds. They should "love what is beneficial to the country and loathe what is harmful to it," striving to be dream-catchers for the great ideal and a fresh force for the great cause. They should radiate youth and perform meritorious service in the realization of the "firm ideal of permanent struggle and sincere dedication for the motherland and the people."
The New Era belongs to those who struggle. The report to the 20th CPC National Congress emphasized: "From this day forward, the central task of the CPC will be to lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in a concerted effort to realize the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization." The grand new blueprint sketched by the 20th National Congress requires the joint efforts of all people. "Youth are the most active and vital force in the whole of society; the hope of the country rests on the youth, and the future of the nation lies with them." Undoubtedly, the great achievements of the New Era have opened a more beautiful "Broad Road" [7] and built a wider life stage for the youth. Youth of the New Era must persist in the principle of "people first," maintain a firm proletarian standpoint, dare to take responsibility, and be adept at taking action. They must personally practice the youthful oath of "Please the Party, rest assured; the strong country has me" [8] on the journey toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
III. Rejecting Arrogance and Delicacy: Youth of the New Era Must Take Up the Relay Baton of Willingness to Endure Hardship
The realization of the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is a historical relay race that requires successive generations of aspiring youth to struggle in continuation. The willingness to endure hardship is a long-standing spiritual character of the Chinese nation and an important guarantee for the CPC to move from victory to even greater victory. Youth of the New Era must take up the relay baton of the CPC's willingness to endure hardship. "Young people should demand progress, actively join the Communist Youth League and the Party, and use every opportunity to temper themselves. They should be hardworking and plain-living, and seek out hardships for themselves [‘zi zhao ku chi’]." Looking back at the century-long history of the Party, from the Red Army soldiers who "used the sky as a roof and the earth as a bed, ate grass roots and bark, crossed snow-capped mountains and marshes," to the aerospace workers who are "especially capable of enduring hardship, fighting, tackling key problems, and dedicating themselves," the excellent qualities of the CPC—not fearing hardship, being able to endure it, and being willing to seek it—have been passed down through generations. Youth of the New Era must immerse themselves in hard work and practical action, taking the initiative to go where the Party and the people need them most. They should not fear difficulties and should go to the arduous border regions, the front lines of scientific research, and the front lines of epidemic prevention and control to temper themselves and hone their skills. They should treat the grassroots as a "training ground" and a "grindstone" to temper their strong will, enhance their ability to struggle, improve their service level, and strive to walk the New Era's "path to the exams" [9] well.
Only in hardship is courage shown. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is by no means something that can be achieved easily with the "beating of drums and clanging of gongs." Realizing the Chinese Dream is like climbing Mount Tai; the youth should profoundly understand General Secretary Xi Jinping’s revolutionary spirit and noble sentiment of "seeking out hardships." They must reject "arrogance and delicacy" [10], remain self-confident and self-reliant, forge ahead with fortitude, and uphold the spirit of finding joy and honor in hardship. They must demonstrate the tenacity of working hard, acting practically, and striving forward. With the vigor of a "newborn calf that does not fear the tiger" and the courage to "move forward the more dangerous the path becomes," they must take up the baton of enduring hardship in the relay race for the Chinese Dream and strive to run their segment of the race well—producing a proud result that is worthy of history, the era, and the people.
IV. Carrying Forward the Spirit of Struggle: Youth of the New Era Must Inherit the "Hereditary Treasure" of Arduous Struggle
The journey is long; only struggle will suffice. Arduous struggle is a fine tradition and style of our Party, a "heirloom" [chuan jia bao] that has allowed the Party to lead the Chinese people to advance wave upon wave, overcome difficulties, and achieve great successes. The New Era is an era of struggle, and struggle is the bright background of youth. Youth of the New Era should have dreams while remaining down-to-earth. They must have the steady perseverance of "sitting on a cold bench for ten years" [11] and the tempered resilience of "clutching the green mountain and never letting go" [12]. They should unify their personal growth coordinates with national development, plunging their fiery youth into the torrent of building our great motherland, writing the chapter of the times with a struggling youth, and striving to achieve great things in an era where much can be accomplished. The great achievements of the past ten years of the New Era are engraved with the marks of the struggle of Chinese youth. In fields and workshops, at border outposts and sports arenas, at the frontiers of science and technology and in the waves of innovation and entrepreneurship, on the battlefields of poverty alleviation and the front lines of epidemic prevention and rural revitalization—wherever the motherland and the people need them most—they are dedicating their youth and performing meritorious deeds with a spirit of "seizing the day and seizing the hour," striving to grow into era-defining newcomers capable of shouldering the heavy task of national rejuvenation through arduous struggle.
When the boat reaches the midstream, the waves are more turbulent; when the person reaches the halfway point up the mountain, the road is steeper. The rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is at a critical "slope-climbing and hurdle-crossing" period. There are still many "Snowy Mountains" and "Marshes" to cross, and many "Loushan Passes" and "Lazikous" [13] to conquer. Struggle created a brilliant history, and struggle will create a beautiful future. Youth of the New Era must bravely shoulder the mission of national rejuvenation and struggle for the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country and the comprehensive advancement of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Arduous struggle is the foundation for establishing the Party and the country. Youth of the New Era must unswervingly listen to the Party, feel gratitude for the Party, and follow the Party. They must vigorously carry forward the spirit of arduous struggle, always keep the mission of national rejuvenation in mind, and unswervingly work with the people of the whole country to clear away obstacles, move forward courageously, work hard, and strive to walk the "New Long March" well.
Struggle is the eternal theme of youth. Youth of the New Era are the fresh force for the development of the cause of the Party and the state; they are both born at the right time and shoulder heavy responsibilities. On the new journey toward the Second Centenary Goal and in the practice of building a strong country through a Chinese path to modernization, the youth must profoundly understand the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments," strengthen the "Four Consciousnesses," firm up the "Four Confidences," and achieve the "Two Upholds." They must comprehensively and deeply study and implement the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress, hold high the great banner, remember the leader's entrustment, and never forget their original aspiration and founding mission. They should be modest and prudent, move forward with determination, and adopt the spiritual realm of "success does not have to be mine" and the historical responsibility of "I must contribute to the success." Anchored to the central task of the Party on the new journey, they must not deviate, fall behind, or drop out. They must roll up their sleeves and work hard, striving to become era-defining newcomers who are highly useful and capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities, letting their youth bloom with even more refined brilliance on the track of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!