[Editor's Note] Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the work of the Communist Youth League. Comrade Xi Jinping issued a series of important statements around the work of the Communist Youth League, deeply expounded the major theoretical and practical issues of the work of the Communist Youth League under the new situation, and pointed out the direction for the next step of development and reform of the work of the Communist Youth League. Carefully studying and implementing Comrade Xi Jinping's important statement is of great guiding significance to accurately grasp the basic requirements and key tasks of the work of the Communist Youth League.
The 18th National Congress of the Communist Youth League of China was held in Beijing from June 26 to 29. On this occasion, the People's Daily Online and the Communist Party News Network of China launched an excerpt of Xi Jinping's discussion on the work of the Communist Youth League, so that readers can learn together.
From July 6 to 7, 2015, the group work meeting of the Central Party was held in Beijing. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the State and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered an important speech at the meeting. Photographed by Lan Hongguang, a reporter from Xinhua News Agency
In the work of the Youth League, we should remember the truth that "heroes from ancient times make teenagers"
We should use the Chinese Dream to stimulate the sense of historical responsibility of young people, carry forward the glorious tradition of "the Party has a call and the Youth League has action", find the entry point and combination point of our own work in the overall work of the Party and the state, and organize and mobilize young people to support reform, promote development, and maintain stability. We should actively provide services for the majority of young people to realize their dreams, earnestly improve their work style, go deep into the grass-roots level, go to the youth, think about what the youth think and what the youth want, represent and maintain the universal interests of young people, and strive to create a good environment for the growth and success of the majority of young people.
——Speech at the Symposium with Outstanding Youth Representatives from All walks of life (May 4, 2013), Selected Works of Important Documents Since the 18th CPC National Congress (I), Central Literature Press, 2014 edition, page 281
The fundamental task must be to train builders and successors of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The healthy growth of the young generation is directly related to the continuation and prosperity of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. As a college where young people learn socialism and communism with Chinese characteristics in practice, the Communist Youth League must always put the work of cultivating people for the Party and the people in the first place and throughout.
——Speech at the Collective Talk with the New Leading Group of the Communist Youth League Central Committee (June 20, 2013)
We must take it as our political responsibility to consolidate and expand the youth mass base of the Party in power. The broad masses of the people, including the youth, are the foundation of our Party's governance. As the bridge and link between the Party and the government and the youth, the Communist Youth League must closely connect with the youth, effectively attract the youth, and widely unite the youth, so that the majority of the youth can be closely gathered around the Party.
——Speech at the Collective Talk with the New Leading Group of the Communist Youth League Central Committee (June 20, 2013)
The key to improving the attractiveness and cohesion of the league is to hold high the banner of ideals and beliefs. Ideal and belief are the strong spiritual pillar for us to overcome difficulties and move from victory to victory. Without ideals and beliefs, we will lose the direction of progress and the motivation of struggle. The Communist Youth League must stand on the high ground of ideals and beliefs if it wants to do a good job in guiding young people's thinking, enhancing its attractiveness and cohesion.
——Speech at the Collective Talk with the New Leading Group of the Communist Youth League Central Committee (June 20, 2013)
The Communist Youth League should be an organization of advanced youth, and its members should be advanced and have a sense of honor. Where does the sense of advancement and glory come from? A very important aspect is the advanced ideals and beliefs. If the League members are the same as ordinary young people, it is difficult for the League organization to have strong attraction and cohesion. Attraction and cohesion cannot be achieved by organizing some activities and distributing some funds alone, but it must be understood that only ideological and spiritual attraction and cohesion are inherently strong and lasting. The key factor determining the attractiveness and cohesion of the League is whether the League organization and its members can walk in the forefront of the times and youth.
——Speech at the Collective Talk with the New Leading Group of the Communist Youth League Central Committee (June 20, 2013)
Correct ideals and firm beliefs must start from youth. Youth is an era full of passion and vitality, an era of flying ideals and making life brilliant. A person's correct ideals and firm beliefs established in his youth are of great significance to his growth and life struggle. It should be the primary task of the Youth League to help the youth establish correct ideals and firm beliefs. Only by doing a good job of this work can we really grasp the root. This is the Party's first requirement for the work of the Communist Youth League.
——Speech at the Collective Talk with the New Leading Group of the Communist Youth League Central Committee (June 20, 2013)
The Communist Youth League should work hard to help young people establish the lofty ideal of striving to realize the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and firmly follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We should take a form that is popular and acceptable to young people, arm them with scientific theories, enlighten them with a historical perspective, inspire them with great goals, and motivate them with a bright future, so that they can constantly enhance their confidence in the road, theory, and system, and constantly increase their trust, belief, and confidence in the Party.
——Speech at the Collective Talk with the New Leading Group of the Communist Youth League Central Committee (June 20, 2013)
We should be firm in our ideals and beliefs, not empty slogans, but must combine them with reality. The Communist Youth League has a glorious tradition of "the Party has a call and the League has actions". The central work of the Party and the state is the stage where the Communist Youth League plays its role and embodies its value. We should focus on the goals and tasks set at the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, stimulate the sense of historical responsibility and the spirit of struggle of young people, mobilize them to make contributions in the process of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, transform their aspiration to serve the country into work performance based on their posts, and transform the spirit of active dedication into practical actions to serve the people New fields of social construction, the forefront of scientific and technological innovation, the first line of key projects, and the melting pot of grassroots practice contribute intelligence and write a chapter of youth.
——Speech at the Collective Talk with the New Leading Group of the Communist Youth League Central Committee (June 20, 2013)
When doing league work, we should keep in mind the principle that "heroes from ancient times make teenagers". Why? Because youth is the force leading the trend. To do a good job in youth work, we must have the ability to lead the fashion and the ethos, so that we can attract young people to our surroundings and gather them in the cause of the Party and the people as widely as possible. If the youth are advancing, and the Youth League does not keep pace with the times, it cannot become the leader of the youth, but rather the tail of the youth, how can we talk about uniting the youth? What about expanding effective coverage? Can't keep up!
——Speech at the Collective Talk with the New Leading Group of the Communist Youth League Central Committee (June 20, 2013)
I believe that the Communist Youth League of China, with its glorious tradition, will hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, follow closely the Party's lead in the times and the youth, and unite and lead the youth to continue to write new glory in the journey of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!
——Speech at the Collective Talk with the New Leading Group of the Communist Youth League Central Committee (June 20, 2013)
The Communist Youth League is the Party's assistant and reserve force. It must always maintain its advanced nature. The youth members of the Communist Youth League are determined to follow the Party, which is their original intention. It is the political choice of our youth and the life direction of our youth not to forget this original intention.
——Speech during the inspection at China University of Political Science and Law (May 3, 2017), People's Daily, May 4, 2017
