President's reply extends his festive greetings ahead of national Youth Day

President Xi Jinping has encouraged Chinese youth to integrate their personal aspirations into the bigger picture of national development, while extending his festive greetings to young people nationwide ahead of China's Youth Day, which falls on Monday.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a reply letter to representatives of recipients of the China Youth May Fourth Medal and the New Era Youth Pioneer award.

In his reply, Xi commended those exemplary young people for their dedication in grassroots and frontline positions, such as sci-tech innovation, rural vitalization, social services and border defense, and highlighted that they have written a meaningful chapter of youth through practical work and responsibility.

This has demonstrated the confident, self-reliant and high-spirited outlook of Chinese youth in the new era, he added.

Citing that this year marks the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, Xi said it is a prime time for young people to contribute to the country's development. He expressed hope that those representatives will uphold lofty ideals, remain committed to hard work, and inspire more young people to integrate their personal pursuits into the country's overall development.

The president urged young Chinese to strive for new accomplishments in their posts and inject youthful dynamism into advancing the nation's new journey of development.

The China Youth May Fourth Medal and the New Era Youth Pioneer award are designed to honor outstanding young role models who demonstrate political advancement, high moral character, and make significant contributions to society.

Recently, 16 awardees who have won the titles since 2012 wrote to the president to report on their work and insights from serving at the grassroots level, and reaffirmed their resolve to contribute to national development.

This year, 29 individuals and 30 organizations have been awarded the China Youth May Fourth Medal, the country's highest youth honor for Chinese people aged from 14 to 40. Meanwhile, 749 young individuals received the New Era Youth Pioneer award.

Li Yao, a recipient of 2026 China Youth May Fourth Medal and a grassroots official of Kantiangezhuang village in Tangshan, Hebei province, said he felt profoundly inspired by Xi's reply and pledged to translate the encouragement into concrete action in promoting rural vitalization.

He said that he will work with fellow villagers to develop local specialty industries, improve the living environment, and encourage more young people to engage in agriculture and rural development — all with the aim of boosting the village's economy and increasing residents' incomes.

Qiu Kunfeng, also a 2026 China Youth May Fourth Medal recipient and dean of the Beijing-based China University of Geosciences' School of Earth Sciences and Resources, said that Xi's message has offered young people renewed motivation to contribute to the nation's broader development goals.

He said he will remain dedicated to teaching and research, venture into new technological frontiers, and work to address key challenges in strategic mineral exploration.

Zou Shuo contributed to this story.