A women's development forum was held on July 13, 2022, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and five Central Asian countries –– Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The theme was "harnessing women's strength, creating a promising future shared by China and Central Asia." The forum was held via video link in three cities — Beijing, Shenyang and Dalian (both in Northeast China's Liaoning Province). Shen Yueyue, Vice-Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, President of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) and President of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (GNFCC SCO), attended and addressed the forum. Huang Xiaowei, Vice-President and First Member of the Secretariat of the ACWF, and Deputy Director of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council, presided over the forum.

Participants included Zhang Guoqing, Secretary of the Liaoning Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and Chairperon of the Standing Committee of Liaoning Provincial People's Congress; Li Lecheng, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Liaoning Provincial Committee, and Governor of Liaoning; Ma Zhaoxu, Vice-Foreign Affairs Minister; Lin Yi, Vice-President and Member of the Secretariat of the ACWF; Cui Li, Vice-President of the GNFCC SCO; diplomats from the five Central Asian countries' embassies in China; and representatives from various international organizations. Li welcomed participants to attend this forum.

Shen Yueyue, Vice-Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, President of the ACWF and President of the GNFCC SCO, addresses the forum.

During the past 30 years, Shen said, China and the five Central Asian countries have been committed to mutual respect, good-neighborly friendship, solidarity in trying times, and mutual benefit. China will always remain a good neighbor, a good partner, a good friend, and a good brother that Central Asian countries can trust and count on. In January, Shen added, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed remarks at the Virtual Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations Between China and Central Asian Countries, and President Xi pointed out a direction for creating a promising future of diplomatic relations between China and the Central Asian countries.

Women's exchanges represent an important component of the people's friendship between China and Central Asia, Shen noted. During the past three decades, women from China and the five Central Asian countries have supported each other, deepened cooperation, and launched brand initiatives such as SCO Women's Forum and China-Central Asia Women's Development Forum. Chinese women have contributed their strength — as "half the sky" — to advance the development of relations with the Central Asian countries and to maintain regional development, Shen said.

At present, and especially amid the intertwined impact of major changes in the world and the ongoing pandemic (COVID-19, novel coronavirus disease), both unseen in a century, all countries are coping with challenges in economic development and improvements in people's livelihoods. Yet, relations between China and Central Asian countries are proceeding at a golden time for creating a vigorous future, Shen added.

Shen called for implementation of the consensus reached by President Xi and leaders of other States, building the Global Security Initiative (GSI), which advocates a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and strengthening regional security so every woman and child can live in peace and happiness.

Shen also called for the continuous advancement of women's communications and cooperation, with various measures to help eliminate the epidemic's impacts on women, so women can participate in entrepreneurship and innovation and achieve all-round development, and so every woman will have the opportunity to live a colorful life and fulfill her dreams.

Shen talked about the need to maintain traditional friendships, promote the Silk Road spirit, build the Belt and Road together, and help people from all countries, including women and children, benefit equally from regional development. More contributions will be made to build a closer community with a shared future between China and Central Asian countries, Shen added.

Huang Xiaowei, Vice-President and First Member of the Secretariat of the ACWF, and Deputy Director of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council, presides over the forum.

Several participants delivered speeches during the forum, including Tanzila Narbayeva, Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Aida Balayeva, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, Family and Demographic Policy under the President of Kazakhstan; Zamira Akbagysheva, President of the Congress of Women of Kyrgyz Republic; Hilolby Kurbonzoda, Head of the Committee on Women and Family Affairs of Tajikistan; Akjemal Durdyeva, Head of the Central Council of the Women's Union of Turkmenistan; Baktygulova Kanaiym, Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to the People's Republic of China; Zhang Ming, SCO Secretary-General; and several outstanding women representatives from China and five Central Asian countries from the fields of science, technology, innovation and health care.

The foreign speakers expressed gratitude to China for its efforts to promote women's friendly cooperation between China and Central Asia. They spoke of China's economic- and social-progress achievements and its accomplishments in the development of women's undertakings. They also expressed their wishes that the 20th CPC National Congress will be a great success.

The speakers also reviewed women's development in China and the five Central Asian countries during the past 30 years. They shared the good practices of their respective countries and expressed their willingness to enhance communications and deepen cooperation, to help advance regional peace, security and prosperous development, promote global cooperation in women's affairs, and continue greater next 30 years of the relations between China and Central Asian countries. The proposal to commemorate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the five Central Asian countries was passed in Dalian.

The women's development forum, an important event under the framework of the ninth China-Central Asia Cooperation Forum, was organized by the ACWF, the GNFCC SCO, and the People's Government of Liaoning Province, in collaboration with the Dalian Municipal People's Government, the Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government of Liaoning Province, Liaoning Women's Federation, the Foreign Affairs Office of the Dalian Municipal People's Government, and Dalian Women's Federation. More than 200 participants attended the forum online or in person.

Following are highlights of speeches delivered during the women's development forum:

Li Lecheng, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Liaoning Provincial Committee, and Governor of Liaoning, outlined the expectation that China will make efforts with the five Central Asian countries to advance all-round development of women's undertakings. Li said, during the new journey, China and the Central Asian countries will learn from each other the good practices on women's rights protection, and they will better safeguard women's equal participation in politics, the economy, culture and social affairs management to keep raising women's social status.

Li Lecheng, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Liaoning Provincial Committee and Governor of Liaoning

Tanzila Narbayeva, Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, noted cooperation with China must be deepened, especially in terms of rural women's entrepreneurship and poverty reduction. She spoke of the significance of the Virtual Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations Between China and Central Asian Countries, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and held on January 25. Over the past 30 years, cooperation between China and the five Central Asian countries has reached long-term development, and the relationship between Uzbekistan and China has achieved new progress, especially in gender equality. Narbayeva said she hoped the SCO Women's Forum, which will be held in Uzbekistan in August, will let SCO countries make joint efforts to advance gender equality and safeguard women’s participation in politics and economy.

Tanzila Narbayeva, Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, speaks via video link

Aida Balayeva, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, Family and Demographic Policy under the President of Kazakhstan, said women's organizations can make contributions in all fields to advance their countries' development. She expressed gratitude to the ACWF for the great event it organized, and for its important contributions to promoting gender equality, safeguarding human rights and raising women's social status. The ACWF has contributed to China's prosperity and progress and has set a good example for other countries. ACWF's participation in social and economic construction and its participation in the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative are examples of a women's organization's positive role in a nation's development, Balayeva added.

Zamira Akbagysheva, President of the Congress of Women of Kyrgyz Republic, called on women to work hand in hand to help maintain world peace and social progress, lightening a road for the world to move on. She said, with the support from Du Dewen, Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, the Congress of Women of Kyrgyz Republic launched a program to provide women with free training in information and communication technology, business planning, speech and fine arts skills. With ACWF's support, a sewing skills training center has been established, she added.

Hilolby Kurbonzoda, Head of the Committee on Women and Family Affairs of Tajikistan, talked about the connection between the city of Beijing and women's rights protection worldwide. Kurbonzoda said the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, held in 1995, passed the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, which stressed women's rights represent an indispensable part of human rights, and a series of concrete measures on women's rights protection were proposed during the conference. Kurbonzoda thanked the ACWF for its support when the third SCO Women's Forum was held in Tajikistan in 2021.

Akjemal Durdyeva, Head of the Central Council of the Women's Union of Turkmenistan, talked about the priority of true fulfillment of gender equality. Durdyeva said Turkmenistan and China have continuously enhanced communications and cooperation on culture, education and sports during recent years. The Women's Union of Turkmenistan formed friendly cooperation with the ACWF, and delegations from both countries have discussed policies, good practices and achievements related to gender equality. Durdyeva believed the women's development forum will help enhance regional cooperation, and will contribute to peace, stability, sustainable development and support of women's increased participation in the economy, social progress and their cultural lives.

Foreign speakers: Aida Balayeva (left, up row), from Kazakhstan; Zamira Akbagysheva (right, up row), from the Kyrgyz Republic; Hilolby Kurbonzoda (left, down row), from Tajikistan; Akjemal Durdyeva (right, down row), from Turkmenistan

Baktygulova Kanaiym, Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to the People's Republic of China, said the forum's theme, "harnessing women's strength, creating a promising future shared by China and Central Asia," was timely and significant in helping women cope with the impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ambassador agreed with ACWF President Shen Yueyue's proposals, and said women from various countries will make efforts together to implement the proposals raised by the Chinese side during the forum.

Baktygulova Kanaiym, Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to the People's Republic of China

Zhang Ming, SCO Secretary-General, said SCO is willing to create more and better opportunities for women to participate in economic and social development. He said he was glad that women have made achievements in politics, the economy, science and technology, education, culture and health care in the big family composed of SCO countries. In recent years, Zhang noted, China and the Central Asian countries have improved the legal systems for safeguarding women's rights and interests, and they have strengthened top-level and long-term planning to integrate women's development into the overall economic and social progress.

Zhang Ming, SCO Secretary-General

Liao Hong, a member of the standing committee of the ACWF, and a professor with Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, shared her green-agriculture research experiences, including the improvement of root growth and soil ecology. As a woman who works in the field of science and technology, Liao said she is lucky and happy to participate in the great reform taking place in the new era. She talked about the importance of CPC's firm leadership and the support from women's federations and women scientific workers' organizations.

Liao Hong, ACWF's standing committee member and a professor with Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University

Kunsulu Zakaria, General Director of the Research Institute of Biological Safety Problems of Kazakhstan, spoke of women's roles in the advancement of science and technology. She said statistics indicate women make up 54 percent of scientific workers in Kazakhstan. Under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China, Kazakhstan has supported economic cooperation and good neighborliness. Zakaria hoped cooperation and exchanges will be deepened to help her country cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and maintain life safety.

Kunsulu Zakaria, General Director of the Research Institute of Biological Safety Problems of Kazakhstan

Raya Mamakeevna Sultanalieva, communications academic with the Kyrgyz Academy of Sciences, talked about teaching the Chinese language in Kyrgyzstan. She said women scholars under age 40 make up 20 percent of the scholars in her academy, and outstanding women scholars have made great contributions to the development of science and technology in her country. Effective teaching of the Chinese language has been provided in several colleges, she added.

Raya Mamakeevna Sultanalieva, communications academic with the Kyrgyz Academy of Sciences

Ganieva Munira, Director of the National Center for Reproductive Health under the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Tajikistan, said women's participation in State governance will boost rapid social progress. Given the support of State policies, Tajikistan's women have achieved great development in both politics and their social lives. At present, 72 percent of medical workers in Tajikistan are women, and 37 percent of medical institutions are led by women, she said.

Elmira Irkinovna Basitkhanova, Deputy Minister of Health of Uzbekistan, said the health of mothers affects the health of their next generation. During the past five years, Uzbekistan has carried out reforms to improve women’s lives. The country issued a national program, on April 25 this year, to safeguard people’s health, especially women and children’s health. She said women medical workers ought to make greater contributions to support their country’s development.

Elmira Irkinovna Basitkhanova, Deputy Minister of Health of Uzbekistan

Photos by Yang Rui

(Source: Liaison Department of the All-China Women's Federation/Women of China English Monthly)