BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping on Sunday sent a reply note to representatives of youth honor recipients, encouraging young Chinese to integrate their personal aspirations into the bigger picture of national development.

The message came ahead of China's Youth Day on May 4, which commemorates the 1919 May Fourth Movement, a youth-led patriotic campaign widely seen as a turning point in the country's modern history.

Around this time, Xi usually extends greetings to young people, underscoring the close link between youth empowerment and national progress.

In his message to representatives of recipients of the China Youth May Fourth Medal and New Era Youth Pioneer, Xi urged young Chinese to stay rooted in their roles, strive for new achievements and channel their youthful dynamism into advancing the nation's new journey of development.

A year ago, he replied to a group of young volunteers teaching at a remote border school in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, commending their contributions to improving local education, promoting ethnic unity and supporting rural development in border regions.

Volunteer service has become a key channel for young Chinese people to fulfill their social responsibilities.

About a decade ago, Xi guided the formulation of a national youth development plan that identified volunteer service as a priority. Through letters and in-person exchanges, he has repeatedly encouraged young volunteers to "serve where the country and the people need them most."

Xi's own early experience has shaped his outlook. In his youth, he left Beijing to work in a rural village on the Loess Plateau, where he lived and labored alongside farmers. Known for his diligence, he earned the trust of villagers and was elected local Party chief, where he led efforts to boost production and reduce poverty.

Xi's aspiration at that time was to ensure that all fellow villagers could have enough to eat. It was there that he forged the commitment to serving the country and the people.

That formative period has had a lasting influence on him. As China's top leader, Xi has stressed that the country's future depends on young people who are committed, resilient and willing to work hard.

Describing youth as the hope of the country's future, Xi also highlighted their role in driving technological innovation.

China's modernization, he has noted, depends on advances in science and technology. The country is steadily moving toward becoming a global leader in innovation, ranking ninth worldwide in global innovation rankings.

Ahead of the Youth Day last year, Xi visited a startup hub in Shanghai, where he spoke with young entrepreneurs, describing AI as a dynamic emerging sector "that belongs to the young."

Han Dongcheng, founder of EASPEED, a firm focusing on imaging technology, is among those working at the forefront of innovation.

Leading a research team with an average age of over 30, he is advancing the integration of holographic imaging technology with AI.

"The 'youthful' nature of AI lies not only in its cutting-edge technology, but also in young people's willingness to explore and integrate knowledge across disciplines," Han said.

Beyond cities, China's vast rural areas have also become a stage for young talent. Now that rural areas have been lifted out of poverty, rural revitalization has taken center stage today.

In 2023, Xi wrote to students at China Agricultural University, praising their contributions to rural areas. For over a decade, the university has run a program that sends graduate students in agricultural disciplines to rural communities to solve practical problems.

The initiative has since expanded nationwide, involving more than 200 universities and over 10,000 graduate students to support farmers and help build a strong agricultural sector.

Xi has said that striving for national rejuvenation is the defining theme of China's youth movement. "Whether in the past, present, or future, Chinese youth have always been a pioneering force in realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," he said.