Taiwan's Central News Agency (April 21) reported that He Junke, the First Secretary of the
Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League (CYL), said, “The state
attaches great importance to the deep-rooted problems reflected in the ‘lying flat’ movement.
The pressure of work, study and of life that the young generation faces are serious and realistic”.
He also quoted Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, who said,
“Happiness comes out of struggle, and struggle itself is a kind of happiness.”
(Comment: The term “lying flat” became trendy in 2021. It refers to a lifestyle that calls for
“not buying a house, not buying a car, not getting married, not having a baby, not consuming,”
and “maintaining a minimum standard of living. It means refusing to become a machine for
others to make money and a slave to be exploited.” “Lying flat” was said to reflect the over
competition in Chinese society to such an extent that many young people no longer believe that
hard work results in a better life. Right after this movement gained in popularity, the state media
published articles criticizing this view. Since 2021, the term “lying flat” has become popular
among young Chinese people. Recently, the chief administrative body of the central
government State Council released a white paper on “China’s Youth in a New Era” and held a
press conference.)
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