Video blogger Li Ziqi. Photo: screenshot of Li Ziqi's video

The newest members of the All-China Youth Federation, a joint organization of Chinese youth groups with the Communist Youth League of China as its core force, were announced on Saturday. The inclusion of some well-known web celebrities such as YouTuber Li Ziqi and vlogger Viya on the list sparked discussion on Chinese social media.

In total of 1,375 young people were selected as part of the federation's 13th membership drive, Chinese media outlet The Paper reported on Saturday.

The related hashtag "Li Ziqi and Viya were selected for the All-China Youth Federation" had been viewed more than 470 million times on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo as of Sunday afternoon. While some netizens questioned whether web celebrities had the necessary qualifications for the federation, a majority of comments supported the new list.

"We should respect all lawful professions. Li Ziqi and Viya's jobs are not traditional or mainstream, but so what? They are outstanding and have a positive impact on today's young people, so they can be included in an organization that represents young people," netizen Kengqiangmeigui commented on Sina Weibo.

CCTV News host Li Zimeng also approved the list on Saturday's program, saying that members of the All-China Youth Federation are people who set an example for young people. They are respected for their great efforts in their professional field and do not give up when it comes to accomplishing their goals.

In addition to internet celebrities, outstanding members of other novel industries including esports players and graffiti artists have previously been selected for entry into the All-China Youth Federation.

These young people have strong appeal on the internet and are very popular and influential among young people in China. According to The Paper, they set a good example for young people by participating in various public welfare activities and passing on positive energy.

Li Ziqi's videos tend to focus on traditional Chinese food and showcase the bucolic life of Chinese rural communities. Li's YouTube channel has 11.9 million followers, more than BBC's YouTube channel, even though her channel does not offer English subtitles. She has been praised for promoting Chinese culture overseas.

Viya, who has 18.9 million fans on Chinese ecommerce platform Taobao, assists 37 schools in poor areas as well as others with her charity efforts. In 2019, she helped sell 110 million yuan ($15.8 million) worth of products from China's poverty-stricken areas as part of charity events. 

"All of them have accomplishments in their industries and are worthy of respect. I am willing to learn from them," a 26-year-old Beijing resident surnamed Wan told the Global Times on Sunday. 

"All professions are equal and all people working in different industries have a chance to be successful. This is what I learned from the list."

Among the 1,375 new members, 237 are from ethnic minorities, accounting for 17.2 percent, while the number of new female members is 427, 31.1 percent of the list.