"Essential Course for Employment"... Where Chinese University Students Flock After Xi Jinping's Remark

'Employment Guarantee' Competition for Joining Gongcheongdan and the Communist Party

Chinese President Xi Jinping is seen delivering a congratulatory speech at the 100th anniversary ceremony of the Communist Youth League (CYL) held in the capital Beijing on May 10. His image is displayed on a large TV screen in the city. The CYL, regarded as a training ground for future leaders of the Communist Party of China, marks its 100th year this year. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] Amid worsening employment difficulties due to the spread of COVID-19, Hong Kong media outlet Hong Kong 01 reported on the 6th that competition to join the Communist Youth League or the Communist Party is fierce among Chinese university students.

According to Hong Kong 01, recently Chinese youth perceive joining the Communist Youth League or the Communist Party as a job guarantee and are competing to become members.

The media outlet reported that among Chinese university students about to graduate, there are complaints such as "Wherever new hires are made, party membership is required."

According to the outlet, a university student in Beijing said, "All the outstanding friends around me are members of the Communist Youth League," adding, "It is a kind of recognized status and a way to secure superior competitiveness, so the competition to become a member of the Communist Youth League is intense."

A Hong Kong student attending a university in Beijing stated, "Chinese university students who join the Communist Youth League or the Communist Party fall into three categories: those who feel honored as if they have been recognized, those who sincerely think they can participate in 'nation-building,' and those who see it as an unavoidable 'mandatory course.'"

He added, "Joining the Communist Youth League is regarded as an evaluation equivalent to being selected as 'Student of the Year' at a university in Hong Kong, and it is much more helpful for employment than being selected as Student of the Year in Hong Kong."

Chinese President Xi Jinping praised the Communist Youth League at the 100th anniversary ceremony of its founding on the 10th of last month, calling it "the vanguard in the great journey to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," and emphasized the importance of the Youth League's role by stating, "Realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is a major task of the new era Chinese youth movement," and "We must guide youth to have ideals and be willing to struggle."

Ultimately, since President Xi himself praised the Communist Youth League, companies have no choice but to consider it a mandatory requirement.

The Communist Youth League was founded in 1922, based on the May Fourth Movement on May 4, 1919, led by students in Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin who opposed imperialist Japan. As of the end of last year, out of 73.715 million members, student members numbered 43.81 million, the largest group.

The Communist Youth League is focusing on raising patriotic public opinion in line with the trends of the Chinese Communist Party.

Meanwhile, China, which is expected to produce a record 10.76 million university graduates this summer, has seen a sharp rise in unemployment and much more difficult employment conditions due to the economic shock caused by the spread of COVID-19 and lockdowns. In April, China's urban unemployment rate was recorded at 6.1%, with youth unemployment soaring to 18.2%.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.