Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday went to the Renmin
University to celebrate the Chinese Youth Day with students and
called on them to learn from the people and grow up through
practice.
Together with State Councilor Chen Zhili, Wen arrived at the university
around 10:00 AM.?In front of the university library, Wen
warmly shook hands with students and wished them a happy Chinese
Youth Day. Hearing that Premier Wen came, more and more students
flocked to the front door of the library and greeted the
premier.
Faced with hundreds of students, Wen congratulated on the 70
years of establishment of the university, and expected the students
to better develop themselves in three aspects:
First, students should stick to the study style of blending
theory with practice, better understand the society and national
situation, and have a good command of theory. In the meantime, they
should devote themselves to turning theory into practice. Only in
this way can they shoulder the heavy task of building the
motherland.
Secondly, students should be dedicated to pursuing truth. They
should learn to think independently, be brave in innovation, and
surpass their predecessors.
Thirdly, students should have a strong sense of responsibility
for the nation and the people. The deeper their love of the nation
and the people, the stronger their sense of responsibility will be.
The students were also encouraged to stay away from ostentation and
to be conscientious in their study.
Wen's speech gained rapturous applauses.
Asked how young people should carry on the tradition of the May
4th Movement, Wen said that patriotism and the promotion of science
and democracy are enshrined in the May 4th Movement. Today people
should continue to emancipate their minds, seek truth from facts,
keep pace with the times, stick to the socialist road with Chinese
characteristics, and build China into a prosperous, democratic,
civilized, harmonious and modern country.
In the library, librarians introduced to Wen some ancient books
they preserved, and some publications during the Liberation War
period in the late 1940s. Wen carefully listened and asked the
staff to preserve the precious files well.
In a reading room full of students, Wen sat and chatted with the
students who asked the premier about the country's agriculture,
finance, energy and social justice, among other topics.
Answering the question about countryside, agriculture and
farmer, Wen said the government had worked out a series of policies
in this regard in recent years, including rescinding agricultural
tax, increasing agricultural investment, pushing forward free
compulsory education in rural areas, and building new-type rural
cooperative medical system and rural subsistence allowance
system.
He encouraged students to learn more about countryside and
farmers. "In China, failing to know countryside and farmers means
failing to know the national situation," he said, encouraging
students to read more books.
The premier then visited students' dormitories and had lunch
together with students.
The Chinese Youth Day was established in 1949 to commemorate the
beginning of the May 4th Movement in 1919.
May 4th Movement was a world-famous political and cultural
movement against imperialism and feudalism. It was also seen as the
starting point of modern China.
(Xinhua News Agency May 5, 2007)
