Youth power drives China's rural revitalization push

Editor's note: Chinese President Xi Jinping urged young people to take the lead in key areas including scientific and technological innovation, rural revitalization, green development and social services in a recent article published in Qiushi Journal. As China celebrates Youth Day on May 4, CGTN presents a three-part series recounting the stories of young individuals contributing to the country's modernization across various sectors.

While most graduates flock to cities chasing dreams, Wang Lingli, a 1990s-born college graduate, defied expectations. In 2015, she turned her back on urban opportunities and returned to her rural hometown in southwest China – not as a visitor, but as a determined farm manager.

Her journey began with a daunting challenge: managing a 3,000-mu (200-hectare) cooperative in Chongzhou City, Sichuan Province, while facing skepticism from locals. "You went to university just to come back and farm?" villagers questioned. Others dismissed her: "This city-educated girl won't last a season."

But Wang didn't just persevere – she revolutionized. Introducing advanced machinery and smart farming techniques, she transformed productivity: yields surged, farmers' incomes jumped, and soon, she was overseeing multiple cooperatives.

In 2023, her operations spanned 7,000 mu (467 hectares), producing over 6,000 tonnes of wheat and rice, benefiting over 2,000 households. During peak farming periods, average yields per mu rose by 25 kilograms, farmers earned more than 5,000 yuan (around $688) per month, and machinery operators could make 300 to 400 yuan a day.

In recognition of Wang's contributions to local rural revitalization, she was honored as a national role model worker in Beijing on Monday, ahead of International Labor Day. It's the first time someone from her hometown has received this distinction.

Wang is part of a new generation of "farm managers," often called "new farmers." These well-educated young people bring fresh ideas and skills to rural communities, choosing to pursue opportunities in the countryside instead of urban careers.

These "new farmers" are becoming a key driving force in China's rural revitalization, using innovative solutions to tackle longstanding challenges. According to Han Wenxiu, executive deputy director of the Office of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs, more than 12 million people have relocated to rural areas to start businesses – marking a major trend in rural development.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has long emphasized the vital role of youth in China's modernization efforts. 

"A nation will prosper only when its young people thrive. For China to develop further, our young people must step forward and take on their responsibilities," President Xi said in his 2023 New Year Address.

In a 2023 letter to students from China Agricultural University participating in a rural work-study program, Xi encouraged them to integrate textbook knowledge with hands-on practice in the countryside and dedicate their youth and energy to accelerating rural and agricultural modernization.

The government has introduced a range of policies to support young people eager to contribute as China's rural development strategy enters a new phase of comprehensive revitalization.

In 2017, China released the Youth Development Plan for 2016–2025, its first state-level initiative focused specifically on youth. The plan aims to narrow educational disparities and increase investment in less-developed western regions. By 2023, China's gross enrollment ratio for higher education had reached 60.2 percent, according to the Ministry of Education.

The government has also rolled out initiatives to support young people and other groups, such as migrant workers, in returning to their hometowns to start businesses. These measures include guaranteed loans, financial subsidies and professional training programs.

In 2022, 1.95 million young people received government-subsidized entrepreneurship training, helping them start businesses in their local communities.