Beijing Youth Daily:

I have two questions. One is about veteran Party members. Last year, the CPC Central Committee awarded commemorative medals to CPC members bearing five decades of Party membership. The awarding of such honors, the first time within the Party, was widely applauded. Will there be such awards this year? The other question is about young Party members. Each year since the 18th CPC National Congress, young people aged 35 and below account for more than 80% of newly-recruited Party members. What has been done to attract young people to the Party? Thank you.

Qi Jiabin:

Thank you for your interest in the work and life of old Party members and also our work in admitting young people into the Party. As we celebrated the centenary of the Party last year, the CPC Central Committee honored Party members bearing five decades of Party membership with commemorative medals for the first time. Nearly 7.3 million eligible old Party members received the medals. The awarding was applauded by the whole Party and society. This year, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee issued the Measures on the Awarding and Management of the "Glorious 50 Years as a CPC Member" Medals, establishing a system for regular medal awarding. The document stipulates that the medals are awarded to those who have been Party members for 50 full years or longer and have consistently performed well in their roles. The awarding is slated to take place once a year, usually around July 1. In special cases, the medals will be awarded to old Party members in a timely manner as approved by the organization department of the Party committee (Party working committee) at the county level or above. The measures also set out specific rules in other respects. You can read the document for more details.

At the beginning of this year, we made arrangements for the medal awarding in various regions and organizations. Now, relevant work is underway in an orderly manner. Friends from the press are welcome to report on the medal awarding and the touching stories of the recipients who have stayed loyal to the Party and made contributions throughout their lives. That's the update on the "Glorious 50 Years as a CPC Member" medal awarding.

The other question is about admitting young people into the Party. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, to ensure the continuity of the national rejuvenation endeavor and the vitality of the Party, we have actively admitted young people into the Party. Each year, we receive about 4 million new applications to join the Party, and more than 80% of newly-recruited Party members are aged 35 and below. We have focused on the following aspects when admitting you people into the Party.

First, we have strengthened political guidance. By organizing theoretical lectures, promoting exemplary deeds, and visiting revolutionary education bases, we have guided young people to study the Party's innovation theory, understand the Party's founding mission, deepen their understanding of the Party, and strengthen their attachment to the Party. As we celebrated the centenary of the Party, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee organized an oath-taking activity at the Museum of the Communist Party of China, involving more than 1,000 newly-recruited Party members. Various localities and departments and grassroots Party organizations also held oath-taking activities to inspire newly-recruited Party members to pass down revolutionary traditions and make contributions in the new era.

Second, we have strengthened education and cultivation in key areas and key groups. We have stepped up efforts to spot and cultivate potential candidates among young workers, farmers, students, high-caliber talent, and workers engaged in new forms of employment.

Third, we have always toughened and tested activists who applied for Party membership. During the fight against COVID-19, many medical workers and volunteers born in 1990s and 2000s expressed their strong will to join the Party, and more than 8,200 of them joined the Party on the front line.

At the same time, we have upheld political integrity as the primary criterion. We have adopted strict standards, procedures, and discipline to ensure that Party members are disciplined through stringent activities of the Party organizations from the very beginning of joining the Party. A large number of progressives, especially outstanding young people, have been attracted to the Party, fully demonstrating the strong vigor and vitality of our Party.

That's all for my answer. Thank you!

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you for the speakers and the journalists. Today's news conference is concluded. Goodbye.

Translated and edited by Wang Yiming, Zhang Liying, Zhu Bochen, Wang Yanfang, Xu Kailin, Huang Shan, Zhang Tingting, Wang Wei, Duan Yaying, Liu Sitong, Zhang Jiaqi, Ma Yujia, Lin Liyao, Zhang Junmian, He Shan, Yuan Fang, Yang Xi, Li Huiru, Guo Yiming, David Ball, Tom Arnsten, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.