Nong Benhao (left) instructs two young team members on how to master the operational skills of fire-fighting equipment during an outdoor training session in Fangchenggang, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Photo: Courtesy of Nong
Editor's Note:
Chinese people believe that letters are as valuable as gold. For thousands of years, letters, across mountains and oceans, have been delivering the writers' sentiments and conveying friendship and expectations.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has managed to find time to reply to some letters from different sectors of society and different parts of the world despite his busy work schedule.
Through these letters, he has corresponded with people from all walks of life on numerous occasions, part of a series of excellent stories of China in the new era.
Therefore, the Global Times traced and contacted some of the recipients of these letters to hear the inspiring stories behind the letters and their understanding of modern China.
In this installment, we focus on outstanding young representatives of contemporary China, honored with titles like the China Youth May Fourth Medal and New Era Youth Pioneer. The reply letter has reinforced their resolve to carry forward the spirit of the May Fourth Movement, integrate personal pursuits into national development, and inject youthful dynamism into China's drive for modernization in the new era.
In the bustling robotics lab of Leju Robot in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, Leng Xiaokun leans over a newly upgraded training platform, his eyes fixed on the embodied robot's seamless movements.
As founder and chairman of one of China's influential humanoid robot firms, two recent developments have him energized: a reply letter that carries extraordinary weight, and a breakthrough in his team's work on embodied intelligent robotics - simplified to building a high-quality database, a "highway" for technological evolution.
The reply letter, which arrived ahead of China's Youth Day on May 4, came from Chinese President Xi Jinping. In the reply letter, Xi commended these exemplary young people, who work in grassroots positions spanning sci-tech innovation, rural revitalization, social services and border defense, noting that they epitomize the confident, self-reliant and high-spirited outlook of Chinese youth in the new era, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Leng is one of the 16 recipients of the China Youth May Fourth Medal and New Era Youth Pioneer Award who recently received the reply letter.
The year 2026 marks the opening year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), the present time presents a prime opportunity for young people to contribute to the country's development, read the reply letter, Xinhua reported.
In their letter, 16 awardees who have won the titles since 2012 reported on their work and insights from serving at the grassroots level, and reaffirmed their resolve to contribute to national development.
Across today's China, more talented young individuals like Leng are emerging in every field, from busy industrial hubs and vibrant research labs to remote border outposts and community service stations, injecting strong momentum into the pursuit of Chinese modernization. What image do they present to the world, and what enables them to seize the opportunities of this era?
The Global Times sought answers from several of these youth representatives. Inspired by the reply letter, they shared their frontline experiences and unwavering dedication to serving the country, offering a vivid, nuanced portrait of today's Chinese youth to the world.
‘Confidence to face world's technological frontiers'
Upon receiving the reply letter, Leng found himself reflecting on his entrepreneurial journey. His story captures a shared experience of young tech entrepreneurs of his generation: In the beginning, he was short on technology, robot components and experience. However, he was never short of the determination needed to succeed.
"In our letter, I conveyed the gratitude and aspirations of the recipients of the China Youth May Fourth Medal and New Era Youth Pioneer Award, especially we tech entrepreneurs," Leng said. "We deeply feel that our country has provided us with a superior R&D environment, attractive talent incentives and precise policy support. It is because we live in such a great era that we can dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly to tackling key core technologies."
Leng noted that when his team developed its first full-size humanoid robot in 2018, nearly all core components were imported. "The project cost exceeded 3 million yuan ($441,000), we faced bottlenecks in key technologies and domestic production accounted for less than 10 percent."
What kept him going was his lifelong passion for robotics, as well as his firm conviction that humanoid robots would see explosive growth in China, and that core technologies for robotics cannot be acquired or purchased, but must be developed independently.
"More importantly, our country has attached growing importance to the development of embodied intelligence in recent years. Meanwhile, authorities are actively guiding us to build a complete upstream and downstream industrial ecosystem, enabling robots to be deployed in more real-world applications," Leng stressed during the interview.
Backed by the world's most comprehensive industrial manufacturing system in China, together with government guidance and support, we dare to explore paths no one has taken before, he said, noting that, today, the domestic self-sufficiency rate of core components for his company's "Kuafu" robot has surpassed 95 percent.
"We have firmly taken control of key technologies and core components," he declared proudly.
Leng Xiaokun observes the movements of his company's humanoid robot in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. Photo: Courtesy of Len.
Leng Xiaokun observes the movements of his company's humanoid robot in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. Photo: Courtesy of Leng
After receiving the reply letter, Leng became even more determined. "Under such favorable conditions, Chinese youth can bravely shoulder the responsibility of advancing technological development, so that cutting-edge technologies can truly benefit every family."
Leng's breakthrough is far from an isolated case. On the track of rejuvenating the nation through science and technology, a new generation of Chinese youth is demonstrating remarkable tenacity and daring.
At the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Professor Yang Zhengjin focuses on ultra-thin, high-performance ion-exchange membranes - a critical "heart" component in modern energy and chemical engineering, long exposed to foreign technological blockades.
"Technological innovation is the core driving force behind a leap in productivity. For young researchers of our generation, the greatest honor is to apply our work to serve the country," Yang, a recipient of the New Era Youth Pioneer award, told the Global Times.
Yang emphasized that China's young generation stands at a historic vantage point, dedicated to turning research into service for the country. "We have the confidence to face the world's technological frontiers and address national strategic needs. By staying true to our original aspirations and focusing on our specialized fields, we will ground our efforts in reality and steadily advance scientific innovation."
Rooting on the frontline
In Fangchenggang, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nong Benhao has served as a grassroots firefighter for more than a decade. Receiving the reply letter deepened his understanding of what it means to "stay rooted in their posts, strive for new achievements," he said.
To local residents, Nong and his teammates are like "all-purpose heroes." Beyond fighting fires and disasters, their daily work also includes removing troublesome wasp nests, rescuing trapped children and even unlocking doors for elderly people living alone.
Yet the responsibility of youth lies precisely in these ordinary, unremarkable moments.
Nong will never forget Typhoon Kai-tak in 2012. A bus carrying 26 passengers was trapped by floodwaters, threatening to sweep the vehicle away at any moment. Without hesitation, Nong and his teammates jumped into the raging torrent and used their own bodies to form a "human bridge," transferring every passenger to safety one by one.
"In those moments, I didn't think much," Nong said. "When the country needs us and people are in danger, we have to step up," Nong told the Global Times.
For Nong, "serving the people with all sincerity" isn't a slogan on the wall. "It is the action of showing up whenever we are called," he said. During the interview with the Global Times, Nong shared a detail: He regularly trains intensively with his young teammates. On one occasion, in waist-deep floodwater, a young firefighter's legs were badly cut and bleeding from hidden debris, yet he barely noticed - all to carry trapped residents to safety as quickly as possible.
"For young firefighters in the new era, this fearless, all-out spirit is the most down-to-earth definition of 'striving,'" Nong said.
The same devotion plays out along another border in Southwest China's Yunnan Province. Li Jinjing, deputy head of the first duty team at the Mengpeng branch of the Yunnan Qinghe frontier inspection station, spends his days patrolling, inspecting and combating cross-border crime. Li was awarded the 2026 China Youth May Fourth Medal.
Choosing to guard the nation's borders means embracing dreams, passion and conviction - but it also means enduring loneliness, hardship and even sacrifice. Day after day of patrolling and standing duty, facing snowstorms and solitude, what keeps us going, Li said, is a simple, heartfelt commitment to the interests of the nation and its people.
"We will continue to engrave our conviction into every patrol and every set of data," Li told the Global Times, referring to the inspection records, case intelligence and all mission-critical information collected along the border.
The torch passes
Li often says that the spirit of the May Fourth Movement from a hundred years ago has been passed into the hands of contemporary youth.
China's Youth Day on May 4 commemorates the 1919 May Fourth Movement, a youth-led patriotic campaign widely seen as a turning point in the country's modern history, read the Xinhua report.
"We were born in a rapidly developing China. Faced with challenges, we are no longer the 'delicate generation.' Instead, we have shown unimaginable perseverance and a sense of responsibility on every front - whether in scientific research, border posts, or community services," he said.
While the youth of a century ago fought for the nation's survival, today's youth strive for its rejuvenation. The spirit remains the same, even if the battlefield has changed.
For some time now, there have been attempts by some so-called "overseas observers" to distort the truth and pin labels like "lying flat" on Chinese youth, which is sharply different from the reality.
"Young people in the new era have light in their eyes." When nurturing young talents in his company, Leng observed: "They refuse to chase short-term gains, are willing to endure loneliness, tackle tough problems, and align their personal interests with national needs. With such young people, China's science and technology will never stand still."
Wang Yu, a professor at the USTC, shares this sentiment. In recent years, he has focused on fire disaster research and emergency rescue, focusing on areas "that others pay little attention to but are vital to ordinary people's lives."
At the USTC, Wang launched an all-English course on fire science. As soon as it went online, it was snapped up by students.
Wang noted that the new generation of youth researchers are not afraid of hardship. They choose to dive into areas others overlook, focusing on fields that are often unglamorous but crucial to saving lives.
Young people in the new era also have their feet firmly on the ground. Mao Dehua from the Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, spends years conducting fieldwork across Northeast China. As a researcher in wetland ecological remote sensing, his laboratory lies in the vast wilderness.
"We must not only study diligently and hone our skills but also endure loneliness, root ourselves in the land, and write our research papers on the black soil and wetland waters," Mao said.
"Embodying the spirit of the May Fourth Movement and staying true to their mission, China's youth have set a shining example. We stand ready to forge ahead on this new journey, turning our passion and perseverance into tangible contributions to the future of the country and the world alike," he said.
（By Lin Xiaoyi, Leng Shumei and Liang Rui）
Source：Global Times（2026-05-10）
Link：https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202605/1360689.shtml
