An aerial drone photo taken on April 25, 2025 shows Ling Jiajun taking group photos with his classmates during a field research in Shuijing Village of Jingqiao Town, Lishui District of Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua/Wang Meiqi)

As the CPC marks its 104th anniversary on Tuesday, the latest data has shown that over 1.78 million people under the age of 35 joined the Party in 2024, making up 83.7 percent of the Party's net membership growth that year.

By the end of 2024, young Party members in this age group exceeded 23 million, accounting for over one-fifth of the Party's total membership, data shows.

As a dynamic force, these members play a key role in the CPC's modernization efforts. With scientific and technological innovation central to China's modernization, the CPC aims to build China into a strong country in science and technology by 2035.

In this process, the Party stresses the role of young professionals, assigning them critical tasks in major national initiatives.

In 2020, as China's Long March-5 rocket prepared for launch at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan Province, Zhou Chengyu, who was 24 years old then, calmly directed operations as the site's first female commander of a sub-system.

Zhou's growth in professional skills had been swift. Over the course of two years, she took part in five major launch missions -- each time in a different role -- before being appointed commander.

Zhou, for her part, proved worthy of the trust that was placed in her. For one mission, she had to climb more than 180 near-vertical steel steps to reach an 8-square-meter test cell packed with cables and pipelines.

She made four such climbs each day and kept that up for 60 days. In recognition of her dedication and performance, her then position was later designated a "vanguard Party member post."

"I've chosen the right path. As young people, our ambitions should go hand in hand with the country's goals," the young commander said.

Official data indicates that key scientists behind China's Beidou satellite system, quantum research initiatives and FAST telescope project are in their 30s.

Indeed, a new generation of CPC members is stepping into the spotlight, rising to meet the demands of the times while realizing their own potential.