On January 19, 1979, the ACYF held an enlarged meeting of the Standing Committee of the Fourth National Committee of the ACYF in Beijing after a suspension of 12 years. More than 80 people attended the meeting. This meeting discussed the draft plan for the formation of the Fifth National Committee of the ACYF and the work report and the revision of the Charter of the ACYF which would be submitted to the First Session of the Fifth National Committee of the ACYF for deliberation.
　　The First Session of the Fifth National Committee of the ACYF was held in Beijing from May 3 to 9, 1979. Four hundred and sixty members of the ACYF were present at this Session, and Hu Qili was elected President of the ACYF. At the Conference, Hu Qili delivered the work report entitled "With China on Mind, Devoted to Four Modernizations". He declared in the report that the ACYF resumed its work. In the wake of restoration of the ACYF, local youth federations were beginning to be restored too. Besides, new youth federations were established in places such as areas inhibited by ethnic peoples, townships of overseas Chinese, port cities as they were needed and conditions were available.
　　The period from 1979 to 1984 was a period of restoration. The ACYF primarily carried out the following work: intensifying organizational work of youth federations at all levels; assisting relevant organs to earnestly implement various policies and doing some down-to-earth work to help the young to solve their difficulties; creating opportunities for strengthening contacts between young people of different nationalities, and striving to consolidate and develop the youth patriotic united front.
　　Marked by the Third Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, a historic turning-point, China entered a new historic development era. In the context of rapid development of the Chinese society, the ACYF, after a few years of restoration, ushered in its new development period.
　　During this period, youth federations throughout the country have been by and large restored. Having undergone a period of exploration and development, youth federations at all levels expanded the scope of their work. While laying stress on domestic work, they began to take into consideration the work among overseas Chinese and foreigners. They became more flexible in work style. Their coverage of work grew wider. The work of the ACYF, either in guiding principles or in practice, made much new headway. It was manifested primarily in the following aspects:
　　1. 　　Significant progress and development were made with regard to the guiding principles of the ACYF.
　　In August 1981, the Second Session of the Fifth National Committee of the ACYF summed up its basic experiences and put forward the principle of "Unity, Patriotism and Following the Party" for its work. It expressly determined the major tasks of the ACYF: in the spirit of patriotism, consolidate unity among young people of all ethnic groups and all walks of life, and, under the leadership of the Communist Party, lead them work hard for the rise of the Chinese nation.
　　The First Session of the Sixth National Committee of the ACYF was held in Beijing from August 17 to 24, 1983. Hu Jingtao was elected President of the ACYF. The Conference expressly pointed out that the ACYF should "unite with young people of all ethnic groups and all circles and be devoted to the cause of reunification and prosperity of the motherland"; require local youth federations at all levels to "hold aloft the banner of patriotism, advocate unity and go all out for the great cause of four modernizations"; call young people of all ethnic groups and all circles to strive to be a new generation of patriotism and aspiration, and to become talented people so as to better serve the nation. This Session of the ACYF clarified in a fairly concrete manner the organizational basis, membership requirements, main tasks and work principles of the ACYF in a new historical period. It prepared the ACYF to comply with the reform and for the future development.
　　2. 　　The scope of work of the ACYF expanded unremittingly through practice
　　Guided by the new work principles, activities organized by the ACYF developed remarkably. This was demonstrated mainly in the following: the stress of work was further clarified; the work of the ACYF in the new period would be carried out in line with the central task of the Communist Party and the People's Government as well as in consideration of benefits of the young people. The scope of work needed further expanding from traditional political realm to the economic realm, from domestic sphere to overseas. The work style should be more flexible and different needs of different age groups throughout the country should be as much as possible considered simultaneously and satisfied. The form of the organization of youth federations kept developing; and youth federations rallied a number of youth associations and other organizations around them, which in a way extended arms of the federations.
　　3. 　　Competitions were carried out with economy as the primary theme
　　In order to give full play to talents of the youth federations, the ACYF sponsored a competition entitled "Make Contribution to the Seventh Five-year Plan". Since 1986, this event has achieved considerable results in all parts of the country. According to preliminary statistics of 1989, more than 95% of youth federations at the level of province, autonomous region and centrally administered municipalities, cities and prefectures under direct administration of the governments at the provincial level and almost 40,000 members of youth federations took part in competitions.
　　4. 　　In a new historical period, methods of the work of youth federations have become more varied and flexible
　　Due to the shift of emphasis of work in the new period and changes of target for service, youth federations at all levels have resorted various methods for various work; and tried their best to respect and meet the needs of young people. They have, for instance, carried out extensive surveys on young people with high education, helped them solve their difficulties and problems; held various cultural seminars, competitions and shows of calligraphy, fine arts and photography for young people; held all kinds of salons, dance parties, evening moon-viewing parties; held head-hunting activities according to the need of society. Flexible methods and varied forms have enriched activities of youth federations, attracted and had wider contacts with more young people, which, in return, have promoted the development of the work of youth federations. The development of the work of youth federations is also manifested in appearance of various associations and other organizations of young people.
　　Since 1990s, guided by Deng Xiaoping's theory of building a socialism with Chinese characteristics, the history of China has turned a new page, so has the history of the work of the ACYF and all local youth federations.
　　The First Session of the Seventh National Committee of the ACYF was held in Beijing from August 19 to 23, 1990. This Conference further clarified the guiding principles for the future work: Under the banner of patriotism and socialism, rally as many as possible Chinese youth of all ethnic groups and all circles both at home and abroad, strive for young people to grow healthily, to become talents, strive for China's social stability, progress, prosperity and reunification, strive for world peace and development. Its basic tasks were "upholding the banner of patriotism, creating a great cause; advocating unity and promoting reunification of the motherland; carrying out friendly exchanges and seeking for peace and development; taking the road of reform and doing a better job in self-betterment". The Conference adopted a revised Charter of the ACYF, and elected Liu Yandong President of the new National Committee of the ACYF.
　　In 1991, the ACYF actively responded to the call of the principles laid down at the Seventh Plenary Session of the 13th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and, based on its own actual work and with the "Eighth Five-year Plan" as the main theme, earnestly organized a number of activities to encourage young people to make contributions to economic development and opening to the outside world by doing their own jobs well so as to thoroughly implement the "Eighth Five-year Plan". The launch of the "National Program of Annual Ten Top Chinese Youth", "National Youth Program of Science and Technology", "National Commendation of Young Scientists", "Competition of Essays on Unity and Progress of Youth of All Nationalities", "Gala Party Between Youth of Both Sides of the Taiwan Strait" enabled young people to play a very positive role in serving the public and the motherland.
　　From 1992 to 1994, youth federations at all levels centered their work on accomplishment of the central task of the Communist Party of China by enthusiastically providing services to and participating in economic construction. In May 1992, the ACYF launched the "First National Prize Awarding to Young Scientists" which was held biannually. From that year on, the ACYF began organizing young scientists, specialists and scholars into service teams and sending them to run training classes to disseminate knowledge of culture, science and technology in remote backward areas of minority nationalities, so as to help local people to learn more about modern science and technology and enhance their cultural level. In May 1993, at the proposal of the ACYF, the Chinese Young Scientists Association was established in Beijing. At the same time, the ACYF and all local youth federations did much publicity and carried out a lot of educational activities with an aim to promote unity and stability which were highly acclaimed by young people of ethnic groups. In 1993, the ACYF and the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League jointly initialized the "Cross-century Youth Civilization Project" and the "Cross-century Young Talents Project". Themed on those two projects, the ACYF carried out the youth volunteer service activities among all local youth federations and members of the federations. The ACYF also made effort in promoting reunification of the motherland among young people of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao and overseas Chinese youth organizations abroad by carrying out various activities that were rich in content and varied in forms.
　　The First Session of the Eighth National Committee of the ACYF was held in Beijing from July 18 to 22, 1995. Present at this Conference were 1,006 members from all nationalities and all circles throughout the country. The Conference revised and adopted a new Charter, and Liu Peng was elected President of the ACYF. It laid down objectives for the youth work and provided organizational guarantee for the future cross-century youth work.
　　The Eighth National Committee of the ACYF led young people of all ethnic groups and all circles to devote themselves in economic development, social stability and reunification of the motherland, and thus created a new situation as far as the work for young people was concerned. The ACYF decided to press forward with education of patriotism, arouse young people's enthusiasm both at home and abroad to make contribution to the rise of the Chinese nation; encourage them to plunge into the great practice of building the country by relying on science and technology and make new contribution in promoting the progress of science and technology and economic development; participate social activities and bring their role to the full in promoting progress of civilization; make an effort in recommending outstanding youth and strengthening training of talented young people, and provide intellectual support to the building of modernizations; intensify work among young people in ethnic regions; expand exchanges with young people of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and carry out international cultural exchanges so as to pool their effort in promoting unity of all nationalities, reunification of the motherland and the world peace; promote self-betterment and increase the cohesiveness of youth federations.
　　The First Session of the Ninth National Committee of the ACYF was held from July 12 to 15, 2000. The Session elected Bayin Chaolu President of the ACYF and adopted the "Revised Edition of the Charter of the ACYF". The Third (Enlarged) Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Ninth National Committee of the ACYF was convened in Beijing from December 16 to 17, 2001. Sun Jinlong, former executive secretary of the secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League was elected President of the ACYF. Cui Po, Zhao Yong, Qiu Xiaohua were elected Deputy Presidents. Besides, 21 people were augmented into the Standing Committee, and an additional 171 people became members of the ACYF. More than 180 people including members of the Standing Committee, leading members and secretary-generals of local youth federations attended the meeting.
　　In the face of fierce international competition, the Chinese nation, with an intensifying urgency, seizes the opportunity and greets the challenge, and will march with firm steps towards the great rise of China. As an youth organization of the patriotic united front, the ACYF and all local youth federations bear on their shoulders a historical responsibility of uniting with young people of all nationalities and all walks of life in the fight for the rise of the Chinese nation in the new century. To accomplish this historic mission, the ACYF and all local youth federations will do a better job in the following respects: press forward in promoting scientific and technological innovations, promote a closer combination of science and technology and economy; plunge into the great development in the west regions and make contribution for further development of China's economy; actively participate in building socialist culture with Chinese characteristics and stand in the forefront in pushing forward the social civilization; provide services and help to young people on their way to become useful and talented and strive to build an contingent of talents needed by the new century; work among young people and religious young people in ethnic regions so as to promote unity of nationalities and social development; further expand exchanges with young people of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and make contribution to the realization of early reunification of the motherland; broadly carry out cultural exchange and cooperation with young people of countries all over the world so as to promote world peace and development.
　　For the past half century, under the leadership of the Party, the ACYF and all youth federations have united with young people of one generation after another; have been fighting together with the people of the whole country, and going forward together with the motherland and making their contribution of historic significance. A new century cherishes a new hope. The new hope belongs to the Chinese youth. The ACYF will continuously display the glorious traditions of patriotism, unity and progress, march forward and endeavor to fight for realization of the great revival of the Chinese nation.