The youth of China represents a huge segment of the nation’s population. Statistics of the 2005 population census show that China has 283 million young people aged between 14 and 29. At the 12th anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond, this report hereof is presented to provide a general picture of the situation of Chinese youth. The 12 years from 1995 to 2006 are critical years in the process of China’s reform, opening up and modernization, and also in the course of development of Chinese youth.

During the past 12 years, China has accomplished the transformation from the planned economic system to the socialist market economic system, established the framework of the socialist market economic system with Chinese characteristics, and is marching forward to a prosperous, democratic, civilized and harmonious society. The Chinese economy has seen sustained, rapid and healthy growth at above 9% annually in average, even 10% in recent years, with GDP rising to RMB￥21.09 trillion in 2006 from RMB￥4.38 trillion in 1995. Adhering to the adoption of the reform and opening-up policy, the nation had shaped the pattern of opening up that covers all aspects, levels and domains. During the past 12 years, China has kept improving the socialist democracy and legal system and pursuing coordinated economic, social and environmental development while sticking to promoting the national economy, deepening the reform and expanding the opening up. Democracy has been improved continuously at grass-roots levels and civil rights has been put into effect constantly, the public has been given more and more chances to participate in decision-making, and power was put under increasingly extensive and strict control and supervision. Significant progresses had been achieved during the past 12 years in such social affairs as education, science, culture and health.  

Economic and social development is the precondition of youth development. Development of the economy and society on one hand provides constantly optimized conditions to meet the needs of the youth for advancement in education, employment and living; and on the other hand raise higher requirements concerning developing young human resources, improving quality of the youth and bringing their role into full play, and create more learning and participation opportunities for the youth.

The rapid economic growth and social development in 1995 through 2004 has brought to Chinese youth who are growing up during the 12 years more advantageous conditions and wider space for their development, compared with all previous young generations.  First, such opportunities and space for development are for all members of the youth as a whole. Every young Chinese, either in a city or in a rural area, and regardless of the poor or rich of his family, is possible to get a chance to develop himself. For instance, young people in poor rural areas may improve their condition and social status through receiving higher-level education and migrating into cities for jobs. They are encouraged to do so by the Chinese government, which was however impossible under the planned economic system. Secondly, the improvement of development conditions of Chinese youth during the 12 years covers all dimensions. They have seen obvious improvement in the 10-year period in conditions of education, employment, participation in society, health, protection of rights and interests, and leisure activities. That is the reason behind the unprecedented quality improvement of Chinese youth as a whole, as well as depth and scope of their participation in social development. Following the priority areas identified in the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond such as education, employment, environmental protection and participation in society and decision-making, this report provides an evaluation of the improvement of overall quality of Chinese youth and their participation in social development during the 12 years.

It must be noted that all conflicts and problems emerging during the period of accelerated transition of the Chinese society will inevitably bring impacts on development of the youth. Therefore, some youth problems which appeared during the 12 years from 1995 to 2006 are uniquely associated with societies in transition period. The emergence of these problems has made youth protection an issue highly concerned by the government and society. The report discusses the youth problems appeared during the transition period of the Chinese society including poverty, juvenile delinquency and drug abuse, and introduces the efforts made by the Chinese government and society for solving the problems. The problems have both universal nature and Chinese characteristics.

Besides, special discussions are also presented herein on new concerns emerging after the adoption of World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond, such as globalization, information and communication technologies, AIDS and the youth, and so on.

In short, World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and beyond provides policy framework and feasible guidelines for national actions and international cooperation aiming at improving situation of the youth. It helps promote youth development in all countries. The Programme also gives clear train of thoughts for outline of this report hereof, enabling the research and analysis of the situation of Chinese youth to be done within the same framework for researches and analysis on youth in other countries, and thus facilitating exchange, comparison, and experiences sharing. In order to ensure accuracy, all data citied in this report is based on publicized governmental documents and official reports of related authoritative agencies.