Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping said the May Fourth Movement’s patriotism is the core spirit of the milestone event in 1919 which ought to be continuously pursued by all Chinese people.

The May Fourth Movement, with its mighty force, inspired the ambition and confidence of the Chinese people and nation to realize national rejuvenation, Xi said Tuesday at a gathering to commemorate the centenary of the movement. His speech was broadcast by China Central Television and the Xinhua News Agency online.

The movement was a great patriotic and revolutionary campaign pioneered by advanced young intellectuals and participated by people from all walks of life to resolutely fight imperialism and feudalism, said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

It was a great social revolutionary movement launched by the Chinese people to save the nation from subjugation, safeguard national dignity and pool national strength together, Xi said.

It was also a great enlightenment and new cultural movement of disseminating new thought, new culture and new knowledge, Xi said.

He stressed that patriotism is the core spirit of the movement, and urged Chinese youth in the new era to love the country and the Party, and should adhere to the leadership of the CPC.

Su Wei, a professor at the Party School of the Communist Party of China Chongqing Municipal Committee, told the Global Times on Tuesday that “main missions for Chinese youth in the May Fourth Movement are to introduce democracy and science in China, but the goal is to save the country from the weak, the poor and invasion by the imperialists, so patriotism is always the core of the whole movement.”

It is a shame for a Chinese citizen not to love his or her motherland, Xi said.

Yang Xiao, 22, a student from Tsinghua University who watched Xi’s speech with his classmates on Tuesday, said that “without patriotism, the youth will get lost. Because they will forget what they should serve and love, and then they will unable to make contribute to the correct object.”

Six key requirements

Xi mentioned six key requirements to the Chinese youth in the new era during his speech: to set up great ambition, to love the great motherland, to bear the responsibility of the era, to have striving spirit, to learn more and strengthen capability, and to improve morality.

Xi also said that the Party and the government should listen to opinions and suggestions from the youth. Even if some criticisms are sharp and radical, the Party and government should correct mistakes if they have made any and guard against these mistakes if they have not, he noted.

Su said Xi’s remarks were delivered to both the youth and officials. “Currently, China’s reform is deepening and widening in all directions. Chinese youth, like their peers all over the world, are thoughtful and outspoken, and willing to contribute to social-economic construction of the country. At the same time, how to provide better guidance to the youth, and give their potential into full play, is important for the ruling Party and the government,”

The Party and the government should become “sincere friends that the youth would love to share their honest voices, opinions and emotions,” Xi said.

(In association with Global Times)