In this undated photo, students at a vocational school study practical electronics in Handan, Hebei province. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BEIJING - The State Council Information Office of China published a white paper titled "Youth of China in the New Era" on Thursday.

The white paper is the first of its kind focusing on China's youth. The document records achievements in the country's youth development in the new era, and reflects the spirit of its youth

The white paper is the first of its kind focusing on China's youth. The document records achievements in the country's youth development in the new era, and reflects the spirit of its youth.

READ MORE: Full Text: Youth of China in the New Era

With improved physical and moral qualities and all-round ability, China's youth are growing into a new generation that is capable of shouldering the responsibility of national rejuvenation, the white paper said.

More than 37 million rural students receiving compulsory education have benefited from the student nutrition improvement program, and their physical health has markedly improved, according to the white paper.

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In 2018, 92 percent of students aged between 14 and 19 passed the physical fitness test, and the proportion of those rated good or excellent increased substantially.

Noting that the Beijing Olympic Winter Games have boosted young people's enthusiasm for winter sports in China, the white paper said youth aged 18 to 30 are the main force in winter sports, with the participation rate reaching 37.3 percent, the highest among all age groups.

A 2021 questionnaire on the emotions of China's young people showed that 88 percent of the respondents believed that they were capable of managing their emotions, the white paper added.

Living in the best times in Chinese history, the current young generation enjoys an enabling environment for development, a broad space to grow, and wonderful opportunities to make a good career, said the white paper.

Noting that more than 25 million young people have escaped poverty along with the country's fast development, the document said that this generation can look forward to a better future of greater prosperity as their prospects for development are supported by a solid material foundation.

For example, at the end of 2020, the number of netizens aged 6 to 18 reached 180 million in China, with the internet available to 94.9 percent of minors, according to the white paper.

With rapid economic and social development, young people in China in the new era have more equal access to education, diverse career options, unimpeded mobility and more development opportunities.

In the meantime, they can grow and prosper in a better legal environment and enjoy stronger policy support, more reliable social security, and greater care from a range of organizations, said the white paper.

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Medics board on buses heading to the Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport in Chongqing, Southwest China, April 14, 2022. (WANG QUANCHAO / XINHUA)

China's youth are striving to support high-quality economic growth, participate in the development of socialist democratic politics, create a flourishing socialist culture, promote socialist moral and ethical progress, and build a beautiful China, according to the white paper.

In the new era China's youth have shown no fear of difficulties and hardships in times of crisis, displaying their grit at critical moments.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, young people have been risking their lives to combat this deadly disease, said the document. More than 5.5 million of them in 320,000 task groups have worked on the front lines of this combat, providing medical care, transporting supplies, and building facilities. They have made a tremendous contribution to the all-out people's war on the virus.

By 2021, 470,000 college graduates had worked in rural areas on posts related to teaching, agriculture, medical service and poverty alleviation, and during their vacations, millions of college students had conducted surveys or taken part in cultural activities and other activities to spread understanding of science and technology and information on health in the countryside. Through these efforts, young people have offered their support to China's poverty alleviation and rural revitalization.

Every year more than 3 million science and technology and engineering students graduate from Chinese universities, which continuously replenish the country's ranks of engineers. Among the founders of market entities registered since 2014, more than 5 million are college students and new graduates.

The average age of the core members of the research groups on the Beidou Navigation Satellite System is 36; the corresponding figures are 35 for the quantum science satellite Mozi and 30 for the five-hundred-meter aperture spherical telescope (FAST) Tianyan.

In both urban and rural areas, in the workplace or on campus, young people champion pursuit of excellence and the greater good, and set healthy trends, according to the document.

As of the end of 2021, more than 90 million people aged between 14 and 35 had registered at the volunteering platform Chinavolunteer.mac.gov.cn.