Youth of China in the New Era
Stronger cultural confidence. Culture is the soul of a nation, and strong cultural confidence is a vital foundation for realizing national rejuvenation. China's youth draw nutrients from the best of China's traditional culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture, and gain strength from the time-honored Chinese civilization.
A youth survey in 2020 showed that more than 80 percent of the respondents believed that the reason for the enthusiasm for Sinology among youth and adolescents is that "Chinese citizens have begun to pay attention to the innate value of traditional culture". Young people have switched from coveting foreign brands to preferring national ones, from wearing Western attire to wearing traditional costumes, and from favoring Western dance styles to traditional Chinese ones. Young Chinese identify more and more with the splendors of Chinese civilization. They are deeply proud of the Chinese nation, and are more active in promoting traditional Chinese culture and boosting cultural confidence across society.
(2) Better Physical and Mental Health
The key to China's development lies in the younger generations. A strong body and mind are important for the healthy development of young people. Chinese youth in the new era are of the highest caliber. This is first reflected in their sound physical and mental health, which sustain them in trials and tribulations.
Improved physical health. In schools, as the class hours for physical education continue to increase, students study academic courses in class, and engage in physical activities on the playground. More than 37 million rural students receiving compulsory education have benefited from the student nutrition improvement program, and their physical health has markedly improved. In 2018, 92 percent of students aged between 14 and 19 passed the physical fitness test, and the proportion of those rated good or excellent increased substantially.
In communities, young people participate actively in mass sports. Running, swimming and ball games are popular. Sport and fitness venues are crowded. The Beijing Olympic Winter Games have boosted young people's enthusiasm for winter sports in China. Youth aged 18 to 30 are the main force in winter sports, with the participation rate reaching 37.3 percent, the highest among all age groups.
In competitive sports arenas, especially in international events such as the Olympic Games and the Asian Games, Chinese youth have taken golds and silvers inspired by the Chinese Women's Volleyball Team known for its unyielding spirit, living up to the new Olympic motto "Faster, Higher, Stronger－Together". They have manifested the vigorous spirit of the Chinese nation. Chinese youth enjoy, value, and participate in sports, becoming an active force in building a country strong in sports.
Confidence and optimism. Young Chinese begin by doing small things around them, then work hard to turn their firm ideals and convictions, sound values, and strong cultural confidence into a healthy social mindset. Although they are under significant pressure in terms of employment, education, housing, dating and marriage, and often have to take care of elderly family members, yet with care and support from the Party, government and society, they rise up to the challenge.
A 2021 questionnaire on the emotions of China's young people showed that 88 percent of the respondents believed that they were capable of managing their emotions. China's mainstream youth are confident about their future, and dream of and pursue a beautiful life. Confidence, optimism and self-motivation are their salient characteristics.
(3) Stronger Intellectual Foundations
Knowledge can shape one's future and education may change one's life. As China makes headway with its education programs, the younger generations have borne witness to and benefited from the historic progress. They have received a better education on a fairer footing; their enthusiasm for learning keeps growing and their scientific and cultural achievements have flourished.
A much better education. Thanks to the strategy for invigorating China through science and education and the strategy on developing a quality workforce, hundreds of millions of young Chinese have been provided with opportunities to tap their potential and hone their talents through education. This has enabled them to create a better life and realize their value.
Take 2020 for example. The new additions to the workforce that year had an average education of 13.8 years, 1.1 years more than a decade earlier. More than 50 percent of employees with college or higher education were young people while young employees accounted for only 30 percent of the total workforce. Receiving higher and better education is still one of the best ways for young Chinese to shape their future, realize their dreams, and attain their ideals.
Learning is becoming popular. More and more young people take delight in learning and make it part of their everyday life, fostering a positive atmosphere of self-improvement through continuous learning.
A large number of young graduates pursue advanced studies after leaving school. In 2020, the number of adults receiving continuing on-campus education exceeded 7.7 million and more than 8.4 million people received online college education. Enthusiasm for on-the-job training is also very high. Surveys show that more than half of young workers have taken vocational training, choosing to add to their knowledge base after work. Thanks to the fast-growing network media, they have more study choices available: through MOOC(massive open online courses) for instance.
