国内英语新闻:China has 88 mln Communist Youth League members

BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- As of the end of last year, China has over 88.2 million Communist Youth League (CYL) members and more than 3.87 million grassroots CYL organizations.

The figure was released by the organization department of the CYL Central Committee on Sunday.

Chinese Youth Day falls on Monday and the CYL also announced awards for 25 young people, including villagers, scholars, business persons, cadres of grassroots Communist Party organizations and military officers, as well as three youth groups for their excellent work.

The Chinese Youth Day was established in December 1949 to commemorate the beginning of the May 4 Movement in 1919, a student protest that grew out of dissatisfaction with the Treaty of Versailles settlement. It is regarded by China as a patriotic movement against imperialism and feudalism.

Also on Sunday, the CYL announced honorary titles for individuals and groups for outstanding services to CYL organizations.

The CYL is the organization of youths with progressive ideas under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC). It acts as the assistant and reserve for the CPC.