The Chinese Communist Party is struggling to inspire the young

By Alice Su

“Atree cannot grow sky-high in a greenhouse, and a lazy person cannot accomplish great things,” bellowed the People’s Daily newspaper in a message to Chinese youth. The Communist Party has repeatedly exhorted the young to embrace suffering for the sake of national rejuvenation. China’s president, Xi Jinping, says they should work in the countryside, where rural labour strengthens their sacrificial spirit. His calls for young people to “eat bitterness”, or suffer for a worthy cause, will continue in 2024. But Chinese youths will persist in not doing so.