People aged 14 to 35 would be required to do at least 40 hours' unpaid public service work every year, under a proposal put forward by the Shanghai Committee of the Communist Youth League of China.

In its Shanghai Youth Development Plan, the league maps out plans on education, employment, public welfare, health and leisure.

The plan needs government approval before it becomes a mandatory regulation and is subject to changes, committee officials said.

The youth league is the largest youth organization in China and regarded as the reserve force for the Communist Party of China.

Under the plan, local young people can choose more than 1,500 service bases designated by the committee, most of which are tourism spots such as Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall and Shanghai Museum, to carry out their service.

They can also be organized to serve local rest homes, schools or other public units, officials said.

"Young people nowadays, especially middle school and university students, are very enthusiastic about public service activities. Most of them won't have difficulty fulfilling the 40-hour requirement," said Li Jin, chief secretary at Shanghai Volunteer Association.

Shanghai had more than 9 million people aged 14 to 35 at the end of last year.

The association has opened online registration accounts for volunteers to have their service time recorded on its Website.

Nearly 300,000 people who have given time for public service in the city have access to the account.

The account is planned to be open to all local youth in two or three years, the association said.

Big conferences or sports events like the Formula One Grand Prix this September, are also ideal choices for young people. More than 6,000 locals applied last month to serve at the Grand Prix, for which only 1,000 volunteers are needed.

(Shanghai Daily April 15, 2004)