Xi Jinping: Speech at the Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the May Fourth Movement
Communist Youth League members, young friends, comrades:
100 years ago, the May Fourth Movement broke out on the land of China, which shocked both China and foreign countries. This was a major event of epoch-making significance in modern Chinese history.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the May Fourth Movement and the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. At this historic moment of special significance, we solemnly gather here to commemorate the lofty patriotism and revolutionary spirit of the May Fourth pioneers, summarize the valuable experience of the Party and the people in exploring and realizing the path of national rejuvenation. This is of great significance for carrying forward the May Fourth spirit, inspiring the whole Party and all ethnic groups in the country, especially the young people of China in the new era, to strive for the comprehensive construction of a moderately prosperous society, accelerating the construction of a socialist modernized country, and realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Young friends and comrades!
The May Fourth Movement, which broke out at a time of national crisis, was a great patriotic revolutionary movement led by advanced young intellectuals and participated by the broad masses of the people to thoroughly oppose imperialism and feudalism. It was a great social revolutionary movement launched by the Chinese people to save the nation from peril, defend national dignity, and unite national strength. It was a great ideological enlightenment movement and new cultural movement that spread new ideas, new cultures, and new knowledge. With great force, it inspired the aspirations and confidence of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation to achieve national rejuvenation.
The May 4th Movement, with its revolutionary nature of thorough anti imperialism and anti feudalism, progressive nature of pursuing the truth of saving the country and strengthening the country, and extensive participation of people from all walks of life of all ethnic groups, promoted China's social progress, promoted the spread of Marxism in China, promoted the combination of Marxism and the Chinese workers' movement, made ideological and cadre preparations for the establishment of the CPC, and created conditions for new revolutionary forces, revolutionary culture, and revolutionary struggle to step onto the historical stage. It is the turning point of China's old democratic revolution to the new democratic revolution, and has milestone significance in the historical process of the Chinese nation's pursuit of national independence, development, and progress since modern times.
——The May Fourth Movement raised the great banner of patriotism with the strength of the entire nation. The May Fourth Movement gave birth to the great May Fourth spirit with patriotism, progress, democracy, and science as its main contents, and its core is patriotism. Patriotism is the core of our national spirit and the spiritual bond of the Chinese nation's unity, struggle, and self-improvement. During the May Fourth Movement, in the face of the survival of the country and the nation, a group of patriotic youth stepped forward, and the people of the whole country rose up to resist, vowing that "the land cannot be cut off and the people cannot bow down", playing a magnificent patriotic song that will last forever.
History has shown profoundly that patriotism has always flowed in the blood of the Chinese nation since ancient times. It cannot be lost, broken, or extinguished. It is a powerful spiritual driving force for the Chinese people and the Chinese nation to maintain national independence and dignity. As long as the great banner of patriotism is held high, the Chinese people and the Chinese nation can unleash tremendous historical power in the struggle to transform China and the world!
——The May Fourth Movement inspired the great awakening of pursuing truth and progress through the actions of the entire nation. Before and after the May Fourth Movement, a group of advanced intellectuals and revolutionary youth in China spread new ideas and cultures in the pursuit of truth, bravely breaking free from the shackles of feudal thought, and fiercely challenging the feudal old ethics, morals, thoughts, and culture that had existed for thousands of years. The May Fourth Movement changed the previous struggle situation of only awakened revolutionaries and the lack of awakened masses, and achieved the first comprehensive awakening of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation since the Opium War. After the baptism of the May 4th Movement, more and more Chinese advanced elements gathered under the banner of Marxism. In 1921, the CPC was officially established, opening a new page in Chinese history.
History shows that with Marxism, the leadership of the CPC, and the great awakening of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation, the trend of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation's pursuit of truth and progress will never be stopped by anyone!
——The May Fourth Movement cultivated a great tradition of eternal struggle through the fighting of the entire nation. As early as 80 years ago, Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out that "China's youth movement has a good revolutionary tradition, which is' eternal struggle '." Through the May Fourth Movement, Chinese youth discovered their own strength, and the Chinese people and the Chinese nation discovered their own strength. The Chinese people and the Chinese nation have learned from the practice of struggle that the development of Chinese society, the revitalization of the Chinese nation, and the happiness of the Chinese people must be achieved through their own heroic struggle. No one will bestow upon us a bright China.
History has shown profoundly that as long as the Chinese people and the Chinese nation are brave enough to fight and sacrifice for changing their own destiny, our country will surely move towards prosperity and strength, and our nation will surely achieve great rejuvenation!
The 100 years since the May Fourth Movement have been a century of continuous struggle and triumphant progress for Chinese youth generation after generation, and a century of Chinese youth using their youthful selves to create a youthful China and a youthful nation.
For the past 100 years, Chinese youth have been full of childlike devotion to the motherland and the people, actively participating in the great cause of revolution, construction, and reform led by the Party, fighting for the people, dedicating themselves to the motherland, and striving for a happy life. They have dedicated their most beautiful youth to the motherland and the people, composing magnificent songs of youth one after another.
Practice has fully proved that Chinese youth are young people with lofty ideals and aspirations! Chinese youth are young people with a deep sense of patriotism! Chinese youth are young people with great creativity! Whether in the past, present or future, Chinese youth have always been the vanguard force in realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!
Young friends and comrades!
Today, under the leadership of the CPC, we have opened up the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, formed a theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, established a socialist system with Chinese characteristics, developed a socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, and pushed socialism with Chinese characteristics into a new era. The Chinese people have unprecedented confidence in their path, theory, system, and culture, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation presents an unprecedented bright prospect!
The theme of the Chinese youth movement in the new era, the direction of the Chinese youth movement in the new era, and the mission of the Chinese youth in the new era are to adhere to the leadership of the CPC and work with the people to achieve the "two centenary goals" and realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Youth is the most active and dynamic force in the entire society, the hope of the country lies in the youth, and the future of the nation lies in the youth. Today, Chinese youth in the new era are in the best period of development for the Chinese nation, facing both the rare opportunity to make achievements and the mission of the times that 'great responsibilities will be entrusted to us by heaven'. In the new era, Chinese youth should continue to carry forward the spirit of the May Fourth Movement, take it as their own responsibility to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, not disappoint the expectations of the Party, the people, and the nation, and not disappoint our great era.
Firstly, in the new era, Chinese youth should establish lofty ideals. The ideals and beliefs of young people are related to the future of the country. Young people have lofty ideals and firm beliefs, which are the unstoppable driving force for a country and a nation to move forward. Youth with lofty aspirations can stimulate their potential for progress, and their youth will not wander aimlessly like a boat without a rudder. As the saying goes, 'If one aspires to be holy, then holy; if one aspires to be virtuous, then virtuous.'. Young people may have different life goals and career choices, but only by integrating their own selves into the greater self of the country and the people, keeping pace with the times, and sharing the same destiny with the people, can they better realize their life values and elevate their life realm. Without the needs of the motherland and the interests of the people, any self indulgence will fall into a narrow and increasingly narrow world.
Chinese youth in the new era should build their faith in Marxism, socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, go to the masses of the people, to the new era Xintiandi, and let the ideals and beliefs sublimate in the entrepreneurial struggle, and let youth shine in innovation and creation!
Secondly, in the new era, Chinese youth should love their great motherland. Mr. Sun Yat sen said that the greatest thing in being a person is to know how to love their country. A person who does not love their country, or even deceives or betrays their motherland, is very shameful in their own country and in the world, and has no place to stand. For every Chinese person, patriotism is their duty and responsibility, and it is the attachment of their heart and the return of their emotions. For young people in the new era of China, loving the motherland is the foundation of their existence and success. In contemporary China, the essence of patriotism is to adhere to the high unity of patriotism, love for the Party, and love for socialism.
In the new era, Chinese youth should listen to the Party's words, follow the Party, have a heart of concern for the country and the people, love their country and the people, constantly dedicate themselves to the motherland and the people, and reflect their patriotism with a lifetime of sincere dedication and tenacious struggle. Let the great banner of patriotism always fly high in their hearts!
Thirdly, Chinese youth in the new era should shoulder the responsibility of the times. The times call for responsibility, and national rejuvenation is the responsibility of young people. Mr. Lu Xun said, "What young people have is vitality. When they encounter deep forests, they can turn them into flat ground; when they encounter open fields, they can plant trees; when they encounter deserts, they can dig wells and springs. On the new journey of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, it is urgent to have the spirit of responsibility to face major challenges, resist major risks, overcome major obstacles, and resolve major contradictions. As long as young people bravely shoulder heavy burdens, overcome difficulties, and fight risks, socialism with Chinese characteristics will be full of vitality, momentum, and hope. Youth should maintain the vigor and courage of a newborn calf, fearless of tigers, and move forward in the face of difficulties, standing at the forefront of the times and striving to be pioneers of the times. All thoughts and behaviors that view exploration and experimentation as a daunting task, all those that put a heavy burden on one's previous profession at a disadvantage, and all those that evade responsibility by hiding in a small building are unacceptable, unsuccessful, and difficult to truly achieve happiness in life.
In the new era, Chinese youth should cherish this era, shoulder the mission of the times, experience in their responsibilities, grow in their duties, let their youth bloom in the vast world of reform and opening up in the new era, and let their lives show brave running in the pursuit of realizing the Chinese Dream. They should strive to become socialist builders and successors with comprehensive development of morality, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor skills!
Fourthly, in the new era, Chinese youth should have the courage to forge ahead and strive. Struggle is the most brilliant foundation of youth. The mission of national rejuvenation relies on struggle to achieve, and the sail of life ideals relies on struggle to lift. Without the continuous and arduous struggle of the vast majority of the people, especially generations of young people, there would be no present of the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, let alone a tomorrow of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. For thousands of years, the Chinese nation has gone through hardships, but none of them have been able to defeat us. In the end, they have all promoted the sublimation of our national spirit, will, and strength time and time again. Today, our living conditions have improved, but the spirit of struggle cannot be lacking at all. The good tradition of Chinese youth's eternal struggle cannot be lost. On the new journey of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, there will inevitably be arduous and heavy tasks, as well as difficulties, dangers, and even stormy waves. It is particularly necessary for us to carry forward the spirit of hard work and struggle. Struggle is not just a loud slogan, but a reflection of spirit in doing every small thing well, completing every task, and fulfilling every responsibility. The road of struggle is not smooth sailing, often full of thorns and obstacles. Strong people always rise up from setbacks and never give up.
In the new era, Chinese youth should bravely be pioneers, pioneers, and contributors at the forefront of the times, fearlessly facing all difficulties and obstacles, forging ahead in the face of waves and obstacles, opening up new horizons in the face of difficulties and challenges, creating achievements in overcoming difficulties, and using youth and sweat to create new miracles that make the world sit up and take notice!
Fifth, in the new era, Chinese youth should develop excellent skills. Youth is a golden period of hard training and talent growth. "Youth is wasted without success, and white heads are sad." In today's era, the renewal of knowledge is accelerating, the social division of labor is increasingly refined, and new technologies, new models and new formats emerge in endlessly. This not only provides a broad stage for young people to display their talents and compete for their elegant demeanor, but also puts forward new and higher requirements for their ability and quality. Whether it is to achieve their own ideals in life or to shoulder the sacred mission of the times, young people should cherish their youth, live up to their youth, study hard to master scientific knowledge, improve their internal quality, and temper their excellent skills. so that their thinking vision, ideas, and level of understanding can keep up with the faster and faster development of the times.
In the new era, Chinese youth should enhance their sense of urgency in learning, study diligently, study diligently, study Marxist standpoints, viewpoints and methods, strive to master scientific and cultural knowledge and professional skills, strive to improve humanistic literacy, increase knowledge and character in learning, and increase in work. Talent, cultivate skills, serve the people with true talents and practical learning, and contribute to the country with innovation and creation!
Sixth, the new era of Chinese youth to temper moral cultivation. People do not stand without virtue, moral character is the foundation of people. To stop at the best, is the Chinese nation's constant pursuit of personality. The modern and powerful socialist country we want to build must be not only materially strong, but also spiritually strong. Spiritually strong, is more lasting, deeper, more powerful. Young people should closely combine correct moral cognition, conscious moral cultivation and positive moral practice, constantly cultivate their moral character, lay a solid moral foundation, and go further on the road of life. In the face of complex world changes, we must distinguish right from wrong, abide by the right path, and blindly follow suit. In the face of external temptations, we must maintain concentration, strictly abide by the rules, create a better life with hardworking hands and honest labor, refuse to be opportunistic and stay away from being smart. In the face of the good years, we should be grateful to the party and the country, the society and the people. In the struggle, we must experience the warmth of the world, the people's worries, and the contradictions of reality, and find the true meaning of life, the value of life, and the direction of career.
In the new era, Chinese youth should consciously establish and practice socialist core values, be good at drawing moral nourishment from the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation, feel moral demeanor from heroes and models of the times, and improve moral cultivation from their own introspection. We should be clear about great morality, abide by public morality and strict private morality, and consciously resist wrong ideas such as money worship, hedonism, extreme individualism and historical nihilism, the pursuit of a more high, more realm, more tasteful life, let the breeze and vitality throughout the whole society!
Young friends and comrades!
Since its founding, the Communist Party of China has always regarded youth work as an extremely important work of the party. Generation after generation of Chinese Communists, most of them joined the party organization with faith and pride in their youth, and fought for the party and the people for life. Young people with lofty ideals and a spirit of struggle have always been active in the ranks of the party, which is an important reason why our party has always been full of vigor and vitality after a hundred years of ups and downs. The Communist Party of China is determined to contribute to the great cause of the Chinese nation for thousands of years. It must always represent, win, rely on, and use great strength to do a good job in youth work, ensure that the party's cause is passed on, and ensure the sustainable development of the Chinese nation.
It is a major strategic task related to the future and destiny of the party and the country and the common political responsibility of the whole party to train the young generation into socialist builders and successors with all-round development of morality, intelligence, physique, beauty and labor. Party committees and governments at all levels, leading cadres at all levels, and the whole society should fully trust young people, enthusiastically care for young people, strictly demand young people, pay attention to their aspirations, help them develop, and support their entrepreneurship. Be bosom friends of young friends, enthusiasts of youth work, and guides of young people.
We should take the initiative to approach the youth, listen to the youth, and be the bosom friend of the youth. Contemporary young people are active in thinking, quick in thinking, novel in concept, wide in interest, energetic in exploring the unknown, quick in accepting new things, strong in subject consciousness and participation consciousness, and have a strong desire to realize the development of life. This kind of youth nature gives youth vitality, passion, imagination and creativity, which should be fully affirmed. At the same time, young people do not have a wide range of experience, easy to understand and understand the world from their own point of view, from the perspective of ideal state, inevitably bring limitations to them. This is the law of youth growth, we must respect this law. Trust is a prerequisite for understanding. We should respect the nature of young people, take care of their characteristics, often go to young people, have zero distance contact and face-to-face communication with young people, understand their ideological trends, value orientation, behavior and lifestyle, listen to their views on social problems and phenomena, and their opinions and suggestions on the work of the party and the government. Even if you hear sharp or even biased criticism, you must change it if you have it, and if you don't, you must be encouraged to become a close friend of young people who are willing to tell the truth, make sincerity, and tell the truth. Young people should learn from the elderly, and the elderly should also learn from the youth, learn from each other's strengths and complement each other's weaknesses, and trust and help each other.
We should care for young people, care for young people, and be enthusiastic about youth work. Young people are in the initial stage of life, and they often encounter various difficulties and troubles in study, work, and life, and they need the society to lend a helping hand in time. Contemporary youth have encountered many difficulties that we have never encountered in the past. Pressure is the driving force for the growth of young people, and pulling and helping at the key points of youth growth may be an important fulcrum for young people to withstand pressure and develop into talents. We must pay attention to what young people think, worry, and hope, and help young people solve their worries and troubles in graduation, job hunting, innovation and entrepreneurship, social integration, marriage and dating, elderly support, and children's education, and strive to create good for young people. Development conditions make them feel that care is around them and care is right in front of them.
We must carefully educate and guide young people, and be the guide of the young masses. Young people need to grow up smoothly and become talents, just like seedlings need to be carefully cultivated. When it is time to cultivate soil, when it is time to water, when it is time to fertilize, when it is time to apply medicine, when it is time to apply medicine, when it is time to prune, it is time to prune. We must adhere to the unity of care and love and strict requirements, respect for laws and active guidance, educate and guide young people to correctly understand the world, fully understand the national conditions, and grasp the general trend of the times. It is necessary to understand what young people think and open up the vast sky for them to gallop their thoughts, but also to actively educate and guide young people and push them to step onto a broad stage where they can make great achievements. When young people are confused in their thinking and understanding, and their life choices are at a crossroads, they should be encouraged to cheer up and move forward bravely. When young people make progress in their work, they should be warmly encouraged. When young people encounter difficulties in their career, they should be helped to regain their confidence. When young people make mistakes or do mistakes, they should be pointed out in time and help them correct them, we should educate and guide some young people's impulses or extreme ideologies, be tolerant and tolerant, give them more time and space to improve their self-awareness, and don't be too harsh. It is necessary to actively encourage young people to endure hardships and increase their talents on the hard front line, let them overcome difficulties and display their talents in important fields and important positions, and actively create for young people that everyone can become talents, everyone can become talents, and everyone can do their best. Development conditions for its talents.
Young friends and comrades!
Since ancient heroes out of youth. In the long history, the young heroes of human society have emerged in large numbers, and the young heroes of the Chinese nation have emerged in large numbers. Marx was 30 and Engels was 28 when the Communist Manifesto was published. Lenin was only 17 years old when he first took part in revolutionary activities. Newton and Leibniz were 22 and 28 when they discovered calculus, Darwin was 22 when he began his voyage around the world, and Einstein was 26 when he proposed special relativity. Jia Yi was less than 30 years old when he wrote "the best political theory of the Western Han Dynasty", and Wang Bo was only in his 20 s when he wrote the famous article "preface to Tengwang Pavilion. In the great historical process of our party leading the people to carry out revolution, construction, and reform, young heroes have emerged in large numbers. Mao Zedong was 28 when the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held, Zhou Enlai was 23 when he joined the Communist Party of China, and Deng Xiaoping was 18 when he joined the Communist Party of China in Europe. Yang Jingyu was 35 years old when he died, Zhao Yiman was 31 years old when he died, Jiang Jie was 29 years old when he died, Chen Shuxiang, commander of the 34th Red Division, was 29 years old when he died, Qiu Shaoyun was 26 years old when he died, Lei Feng was 22 years old when he died, Huang Jiguang was 21 years old when he died, and Liu Hulan was only 15 years old when he died. Wang Jicai, who has been guarding the island for 32 years, was 26 years old when he first boarded Kaishan Island. The average age of the Chang'e team and the Shenzhou team who serve the country in space is 33 years old, and the average age of the Beidou team is 35 years old. There are countless such young heroes! We should look at the innovation and creation of young people from the perspective of appreciation and praise, actively support them to be brilliant in life, praise and applaud the achievements and achievements of young people, and make youth a lasting scenery for the Chinese nation to flourish and advance by leaps and bounds. let young heroes become a vigorous force driving the Chinese nation to accelerate its great rejuvenation!
Young friends and comrades!
The Communist Youth League is the party's assistant and reserve army, and an important force in the party's youth work. In the glorious course of the Chinese youth movement, the Communist Youth League carried forward the fine tradition of "the party has a call and the league has action", won the hearts of young people for the party, gathered youth strength, and made positive contributions and played a role in various historical periods of revolution, construction, and reform. Played an important role. The party flag refers to the direction of the league flag. The Communist Youth League must unswervingly adhere to the leadership of the party, strengthen the "four consciousnesses", strengthen the "four self-confidence", and achieve the "two safeguards", unswervingly follow the development path of socialist groups with Chinese characteristics, and continue to maintain and strengthen politics Nature, advancement, and mass character, insist on training socialist builders and successors as the fundamental task, and consolidate and expand the party's ruling youth mass base as a political responsibility, we should focus on the center and serve the overall situation as the main line of work, conscientiously perform the duties of leading and uniting young people, organizing and mobilizing young people, and contacting and serving young people, constantly innovate work ideas, and enhance the cohesion, organization, and appeal to young people. unite and lead Chinese youth in the new era to constantly explore, innovate and make great efforts in the process of realizing the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
It is the common responsibility of the whole society to care for and support young people. All party and government organs, enterprises and institutions, the people's Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force, all people's organizations and social organizations, the vast number of urban and rural grass-roots autonomous organizations, all new economic organizations and new social organizations should care about the growth of young people, support their development, give them more opportunities and give them better play to their role.
Young friends and comrades!
Young people are the future of the country and the future of the world. The Chinese dream is closely related to the world dream, and the Chinese nation should make greater contributions to human society. In the new era, Chinese youth must have the feelings of family and country, as well as human care, carry forward the spirit of the four seas and the world as the public that Chinese culture advocates, and strive to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, to promote the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" and to promote the construction of A community with a shared future for mankind.
Young friends! A generation has a generation of long march, a generation has a generation of responsibility. Building a modern socialist power and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is a relay race. We are determined to achieve a good result for the youth, and we also look forward to better results for the younger generation in the future. I sincerely hope that the Chinese youth in the new era will actively embrace the new era and forge ahead in the new era, so that youth will shine more brilliantly in their dedication to the motherland, the people, the nation, and mankind!
In a few days, it will be May 4th Youth Day. Here, on behalf of the Party Central Committee, I would like to extend my warm congratulations to the youth of all ethnic groups throughout the country!
Information source: Xinhua News Agency
Editor He Yang of this website/Organizing
