China's 'national rejuvenation' rings hollow for next generation

Layoffs, poor job prospects and sputtering growth paint grim picture for youth

Tourists flock to Shanghai's Nanjing Road, decorated with flags for China's National Day, on Oct. 1. Young people in China are losing their sense of euphoria about the country's economic prospects. © Getty Images

CK TAN, Nikkei staff writer

October 21, 2022 17:49 JST

BEIJING/HONG KONG -- China's state-media headlines this week trumpeted President Xi Jinping's call for a "national rejuvenation" as the Communist Party's top leadership meeting got underway.

But the political theater in Beijing means little to 26-year-old Ye Shaoyi and other younger Chinese expected to carry the weight of Xi's modernization dreams despite increasingly dire career prospects in a sputtering economy.