BEIJING — President Xi Jinping hailed the contributions made by young communists over the past century, and called on them to offer energy and creativity to push forward national rejuvenation.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks on May 10 while addressing a ceremony held in Beijing to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC).

Founded in 1922, the CYLC has closely followed the Party's lead and written a "youthful chapter" in the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Xi said.

The ceremony, broadcast from the Great Hall of the People to a national audience, was presided over by Wang Huning, and attended by Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng. All of them are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

The CYLC had more than 73.71 million members by the end of 2021.

Speaking at the ceremony, He Junke, first secretary of the Secretariat of the CYLC Central Committee, attributed the robust vitality of Chinese youth in the new era to the leadership of the Party.

Young people must play a vanguard role and closely follow the Party, He said.

IMPORTANT FEATS

In his speech, Xi enumerated the contributions made by CYLC members in the past 100 years.

League members have accomplished important feats in the victory of the Chinese revolution, the development of the motherland, reform and opening-up and socialist modernization, as well as in securing historic achievements and shifts in the cause of the Party and the country in the new era, Xi said.

The CYLC has proven itself to be the vanguard of the Chinese youth movement, he noted.

Using past experience as an outline for the CYLC in the future, Xi said the League achieved success because it upheld the leadership of the Party, reinforced faith in communism and socialism, committed itself to national rejuvenation, and remained rooted in Chinese youth.

Chinese youth in the new era, blessed with a spacious and promising platform, should also shoulder important responsibilities, Xi said.

The pursuit of the Chinese Dream is a relay race, Xi said, adding that young Chinese today should strive to excel in contributing to national rejuvenation.

PARTY'S "SCHOOL" AND "BRIDGE"

On his expectations for the CYLC, Xi said the League should educate young people for the Party and always serve as a political school guiding the ideological progress of young people.

The League should always be a vanguard force in mobilizing China's youth in continuous endeavor, he added.

Xi told the League to always serve as the strongest "bridge" and "bond" that connect the Party and Chinese youth, as well as to conduct self-reform.

League members must play exemplary roles in life and work, earnestly attend political training, and strive for the glorious goal of becoming qualified CPC members, Xi said, urging them to build up firm beliefs, and boost their courage and skills to carry out struggles.

They should also be patriotic and innovative, while not being misguided or intimidated by difficulties, he added.

Noting that the CPC is always worthy of trust and to be followed by young people, Xi said the Party always opens its door to young people and warmly welcomes them to become the new blood of the CPC.

"The Party and the country place our hopes on young people!" Xi said.

"I feel so motivated and I will continue to make my youthful contributions to social development and the pursuit of the Chinese Dream," said Ruznaguri Shatar, a local League cadre in the city of Turpan in northwestern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, after hearing Xi's speech.

The speech also inspired Zou Bin from Central China's Hunan province. Once a bricklayer, Zou is now a construction project manager and national lawmaker.

"This is an era when everyone has the opportunity to shine," Zou said after hearing Xi's speech. "As a young Chinese working on construction sites, I will pay close attention to every detail of my work and help build quality projects and beautiful cities for the country."