The country's largest children's organization, the Chinese Young
Pioneers, is scheduled to hold its 5th national congress in Beijing
from June 1 to 3.
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The event is held once every five years, aiming to gather
experience from the intervening years and to formulate future plans
for the organization, which has 130 million members.
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"The number of participants this year is the biggest in the
congress' 20 years history," said Zhang Xiaolan, member of the
Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Youth League Central
Committee, which is led by the Communist Party of China.
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"About 790 young pioneers, tutors, and organization staff from the
country's 56 ethnic groups will attend the meeting," she
said.
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Along with the congress, a series of activities will be held for
delegates. There will be a pigeon-releasing ceremony at the China Millennium
Monument?in central Beijing on May 31. And on June 1,
children will attend a national flag-raising ceremony at Tian'anmen
Square.
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Forums collecting children's wishes and suggestions, and discussing
issues important to them will also be held at Peking University
during the event.
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The Young Pioneers, whose members are mainly primary and secondary
school students 7 to 14 years old, constitute the majority of
Chinese children.
(Xinhua News Agency May 31, 2005)