Political Work

"Let Youth Shine Through Unceasing Struggle for the Party's Cause" Series | Bravely Shoulder the Responsibilities of the Age, Forge Ahead with Determination

“让青春在为党的事业接续奋斗中闪光”系列谈丨勇担时代重任锐意开拓进取

PLA Daily (解放军报) 2 August 2026

Summary

The fifth installment in PLA Daily's 'Let Youth Shine Through Unceasing Struggle for the Party's Cause' series, authored by Zhang Hong and Yin Yigao, calls on young officers and soldiers to embrace hard work, innovation, and sacrifice, citing named exemplars including special-grade pilot Kong Xianghui of the Seventh Army, 'Steel Company Commander' Sun Jinlong, military AI researcher Zhao Yandong, and martyrs Zhang Chao and Chen Xiangrong. This is standard political work content directed at junior personnel; its value is as a record of how the PLA frames the 'lying flat' (躺平) cultural phenomenon as an institutional threat requiring active counter-messaging, and how it positions military AI development (信息化、智能化) as a domain where youthful initiative is ideologically mandated.

Translation

Bravely Shoulder the Responsibilities of the Age, Forge Ahead with Determination

— "Let Youth Shine Through Unceasing Struggle for the Party's Cause" Series, No. 5

■ Zhang Hong, Yin Yigao

● History and practice have fully proven that when youth bravely shoulder responsibilities and forge ahead, the Party's cause will coalesce powerful driving forces.

Youth are the pillars of national rejuvenation and the vanguard of building a strong nation and a strong military. At the rally celebrating the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Chairman Xi offered heartfelt words to the youth of the new era: "You must unwaveringly listen to the Party and follow the Party, establish lofty aspirations, bravely shoulder the responsibilities of the age, integrate personal pursuits into the cause of the Party and the nation, seize every moment and not squander your prime years, run well the historical relay race on the new journey, pave the road with youth, and let ideals shine!" The Party's cause is passed down from generation to generation, and the tide of the era surges ceaselessly. The broad ranks of young officers and soldiers should firmly bear in mind Chairman Xi's earnest exhortations, bravely shoulder the responsibilities of the age, forge ahead with determination, serve as the main force, lead the charge, and tackle difficult problems in their own posts, striving to create new achievements worthy of the era and worthy of their youth.

Upon the historical waves of every era, we can always see the fearless figures of young people stepping forward and bearing heavy responsibilities. One hundred and five years ago, a group of young people with an average age of only 28, on the South Lake in Jiaxing, accomplished "the great transformation that opened heaven and earth." Ninety years ago, a young force whose soldiers averaged under 20 years of age and whose commanders averaged only 25, relying on steadfast conviction and indomitable will, completed the world-renowned Long March of ten thousand li. "Break the bones and the sinews still hold; strip away the flesh and the heart remains; as long as there is still one breath left, crawl if you must to reach Yan'an!" More than 80 years ago, in Yan'an during the flames of the War of Resistance, large numbers of young people arrived every day after crossing mountains and rivers, seeking the truth of resisting Japan and saving the nation. It is precisely by relying on generation after generation of youth stepping forward to bear responsibility and carrying on the struggle that the Party's cause has been able to withstand one test after another and achieve one victory after another.

Entering the new era, the broad ranks of youth have taken up the historical baton and, in the great practice of building a strong nation and a strong military, have displayed the youthful spirit of striving and forging ahead that defines the new era. On the front lines of major projects such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the "Hualong One" nuclear power units, countless "youth assault teams" (青年突击队) have stepped up, tackled hard problems, and continuously written new miracles of "great national instruments" (大国重器). On the battlefield of poverty alleviation, hundreds of thousands of young cadres stepped forward to serve as first-secretary village officials in impoverished villages, pouring their sweat across the land of the motherland and becoming well-deserved vanguards of the era. When youth advance, the cause advances. History and practice have fully proven that when youth bravely shoulder responsibilities and forge ahead, the Party's cause will coalesce powerful driving forces.

Only by striving to be a doer (实干者) can one forge ahead tirelessly. The greater the cause, the more it is filled with challenges, and the more it requires bearing heavy burdens with full awareness and struggling without cease. Only through hard and earnest work, steadfast and tireless action, can one be tempered into steel and accomplish great things. Kong Xianghui, a model "Four-Haves" ("四有") new-era revolutionary servicemember of the Seventh Army, has been tempered through training and preparation for war on the front lines, successfully completing more than 60 major exercise and training missions, cumulatively developing more than 60 outstanding flight cadres, and himself growing into a special-grade pilot. Sun Jinlong, a "Most Beautiful New-Era Revolutionary Servicemember," has painstakingly honed his skills to defeat the enemy, repeatedly achieved outstanding results in various competitions and contests, and led officers and soldiers in exploring new training methods and tactics for new-type infantry fighting vehicles, earning the title of "Steel Company Commander." On the journey of building a strong nation and a strong military, there will be no "lying down to win" (躺赢) by reaching goals effortlessly, nor will "lying flat" (躺平) in inaction be tolerated. History will only favor the resolute, the advancing, and the striving—it will not wait for the hesitant, the slack, or those who shrink from difficulty. If one chooses to seek ease and comfort at the age when one should be striving hardest, one will miss the great opportunities to accomplish things and build a career. The broad ranks of young officers and soldiers should always maintain a vigorous and upward-striving mental state, cultivate the character of down-to-earth earnest work, not indulge in empty fantasies or chase hollow fame, guard against arrogance, eliminate impetuousness, and shed lethargy, and with a posture of tireless striving, write the youthful answer sheet of the new era in ordinary posts.

Only by daring to be a pioneer (开拓者) can one boldly forge ahead and achieve results. Youth are the most vigorous and vital group of our era; daring to be first and forging ahead are the most brilliant hallmarks of youth. Zhao Yandong, a recipient of the 2026 China Youth May Fourth Medal, has devoted himself to scientific research in the field of military artificial intelligence, innovatively proposed new operational concepts, led his team to boldly venture into the "no-man's land" (无人区) of military artificial intelligence, and advanced our military's equipment toward the leap to informatization and intelligentization (信息化、智能化). Only the innovative are strong; only the innovative prevail. At present, the form of warfare is accelerating its evolution toward informatization and intelligentization, and profound transformations are occurring in weapons and equipment, training models, and operational methods. Faced with new battlefield environments and operational requirements, following convention and adhering rigidly to established rules will inevitably fall behind the pace of the era and miss opportunities for development. New-era young officers and soldiers must keep a close eye on changes in science and technology, changes in warfare, and changes in the adversary; boldly explore new training methods and new tactics from their combat positions; dare to break through the shackles of thinking and tear down rigid barriers; and inject new momentum into the cause of military strengthening with a pioneering spirit, striving to become pioneers who stand at the forefront of the era.

Only by willingly being a contributor (奉献者) can one shoulder difficult and dangerous tasks and take on the heavy burden. The development of the Party's cause places its hopes in the responsibility of youth and the dedication of their prime years. For new-era young officers and soldiers, dedication is not only a lofty spiritual pursuit but also an inevitable choice for shouldering the heavy responsibility of military strengthening. From Zhang Chao, the "vanguard of military strengthening who pursued dreams across sea and sky," who died heroically, to Du Fuguo, the "demining hero soldier," who cried out "Stand back, let me do it" at the moment between life and death, to border-defense martyr Chen Xiangrong, who with his life made the heartfelt declaration "Pure love, only for China"—countless outstanding young officers and soldiers have proven through their actions that dedication has never been an empty slogan, but a concrete practice woven into every training session and every mission. The broad ranks of young officers and soldiers should take them as models, vigorously carry forward the spirit of dedication, dare to take on the heaviest burdens, dare to gnaw on the hardest bones, dare to catch the hottest potatoes, always ensure that at critical moments and in the face of major missions they can be deployed, advance, and win, and strive to leave shining youthful footprints on the journey of building a strong nation and a strong military.

Original Chinese

勇担时代重任锐意开拓进取 ——“让青春在为党的事业接续奋斗中闪光”系列谈⑤ ■张红尹义高 ●历史与实践充分证明，青年勇担重任、开拓进取，党的事业发展就会凝聚起强劲的推动力量青年是民族复兴的栋梁，也是强国强军的先锋。在庆祝中国共产党成立105周年大会上，习主席深情寄语新时代青年：“要坚定不移听党话、跟党走，树立远大志向，勇担时代重任，把个人追求融入党和国家事业，只争朝夕、不负韶华，在新征程上跑好历史接力赛，用青春铺路、让理想闪光！”党的事业薪火相传，时代大潮奔涌不息。广大青年官兵应牢记习主席殷切嘱托，勇担时代重任、锐意开拓进取，立足本职岗位当主力、打头阵、攻难关，努力创造出无愧于时代、无愧于青春的新业绩。每个时代的历史浪潮之上，我们总能看到青年人挺身而出、肩负重任的无畏身影。105年前，一群平均年龄只有28岁的青年人，在嘉兴南湖，完成了“开天辟地的大事变”。90年前，一支战士平均年龄不足20岁、将领平均年龄仅25岁的年轻部队，凭着坚定的信念、顽强的意志，走完了举世瞩目的万里长征。“打断骨头连着筋，扒了皮肉还有心，只要还有一口气，爬也要爬到延安城！”80多年前，抗战烽火岁月中的延安城，每天都有大批青年跋山涉水来到这里，追寻抗日救国真理。正是靠着一代代青年挺膺担当、接续奋斗，党的事业才能经受住一个又一个考验、取得一个又一个胜利。进入新时代，广大青年接过历史的接力棒，在强国强军事业的伟大实践中，展现出新时代青年拼搏进取、奋发有为的青春风采。在港珠澳大桥、“华龙一号”核电机组等重大工程的一线，无数支“青年突击队”担当作为、攻坚克难，不断书写着“大国重器”的新奇迹；在脱贫攻坚的战场上，数十万青年干部挺身而出，担任贫困村驻村第一书记，将汗水挥洒在祖国大地上，成为当之无愧的时代先锋。青年向上，事业向前。历史与实践充分证明，青年勇担重任、开拓进取，党的事业发展就会凝聚起强劲的推动力量。争当实干者方能奋进拼搏不懈怠。越是伟大的事业，越是充满挑战，越需要知重负重、不懈奋斗。只有苦干实干、笃行不怠，方能百炼成钢、成就事业。陆军第七届“四有”新时代革命军人标兵孔祥辉，扎根练兵备战一线摔打锤炼，先后圆满完成60余项重大演训任务，累计带出60余名过硬飞行骨干，自己也成长为特级飞行员；“最美新时代革命军人”孙金龙，刻苦锤炼克敌制胜本领，在各种比武竞赛中屡获佳绩，带领官兵探索新型步战车训法战法，被誉为“钢铁连长”。在强国强军征程上，不会有轻松抵达目标的“躺赢”，也不会容许无所作为的“躺平”。历史只会眷顾坚定者、奋进者、拼搏者，而不会等待犹豫者、懈怠者、畏难者。倘若在最该奋斗的年龄选择贪图安逸，就会错失干事创业的大好机遇。广大青年官兵应始终保持昂扬向上的精神状态，涵养脚踏实地的实干品格，不驰于空想、不骛于虚声，戒骄气、除躁气、去暮气，以永不懈怠的拼搏姿态，在平凡岗位上书写属于新时代的青春答卷。勇为开拓者方能敢闯敢拼有作为。青年是我们这个时代最富有朝气和活力的群体，敢为人先、开拓进取是青春最亮眼的底色。2026年度中国青年五四奖章获得者赵彦东，潜心军事智能领域科研攻关，创新提出新型作战概念，带领团队勇闯军事智能领域“无人区”，推动我军装备向信息化、智能化跨越。惟创新者强，惟创新者胜。当前，战争形态加速向信息化、智能化演进，武器装备、训练模式、作战方式发生深刻变革，面对新的战场环境和作战需求，因循守旧、墨守成规必然会落后时代步伐、错失发展机遇。新时代青年官兵要紧盯科技之变、战争之变、对手之变，立足战位大胆探索新训法、新战法，敢于突破思维桎梏、打破僵化壁垒，以开拓进取的精神为强军事业注入新动能，努力成为走在时代前列的开拓者。甘做奉献者方能担难担险挑大梁。党的事业发展，寄望于青年的担当、青春的奉献。对于新时代青年官兵而言，奉献不仅是一种崇高的精神追求，更是担当强军重任的必然选择。从“逐梦海天的强军先锋”张超英勇牺牲，到“排雷英雄战士”杜富国生死关头喊出“你退后，让我来”，再到戍边烈士陈祥榕用生命深情告白“清澈的爱，只为中国”……无数优秀青年官兵用行动证明，奉献从来不是一句空洞的口号，而是融入到每一次训练、每一项任务中的具体实践。广大青年官兵当以他们为榜样，大力弘扬奉献精神，敢挑最重的担子、敢啃最硬的骨头、敢接最烫的山芋，始终做到在关键时刻、重大任务面前拉得出、上得去、打得赢，努力在强国强军征程上留下闪光的青春足迹。