Chinese President Xi Jinping's congratulatory letter, sent to the 2023 Pujiang Innovation Forum on September 10, generated much excitement among attendees of the Second Women Scientists Summit.

Many of those in attendance vowed to strengthen their readiness to shoulder their responsibilities, push for innovation with a pioneering spirit, focus on enlightening, popularizing and bolstering the spirit of innovation, and contribute their unique efforts to help the country achieve sci-tech self-reliance and self-strengthening at higher levels and improve the universal well-being of all mankind.

The summit, with the theme Exploring Boundlessness, Linking to the Future, was held in Shanghai on September 9. It was part of the 2023 Pujiang Innovation Forum, held in the city from September 9-11. 

Huang Xiaowei, Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group and Vice-President and First Member of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), Zhang Biyong, Member of the Leading Party Members' Group of the Ministry of Science and Technology and President of Science and Technology Daily, and Wu Qing, Deputy Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, attended the summit. Zhang Xiaolan, Vice-President and Member of the Secretariat of ACWF, presided over the summit. 

Huang said women sci-tech workers, who always bear in mind the important instructions of President Xi, and also the country's most fundamental interests, have made unique contributions to the country's high-quality development, and to global sci-tech innovation and development. She called on the women to strive to undertake great causes, be advocates of civility and trailblazers in chasing their dreams during the process of promoting sci-tech self-reliance and self-strengthening at higher levels and advancing Chinese modernization.

Zhang Biyong said the population of women sci-tech workers has grown rapidly in recent years. She noted the Ministry of Science and Technology has always attached great importance to the work of women sci-tech workers, encouraged women to undertake major national sci-tech-research programs, improved support systems and mechanisms for women scientists to further uncover their innovative vitality, and deepened the cultivation of women sci-tech workers.

Wu said Shanghai has accelerated its pace of building a world-class sci-tech-innovation center. He added, on the journey ahead, the city will continuously support the cultivation of women sci-tech workers. It will also create more open service platforms, a more inclusive institutional environment, and better service guarantees so women researchers can demonstrate their talents.

During the summit, women scientists and experts shared their research results, innovative mindsets and practical experiences, and they participated in exchanges involving their new missions, responsibilities and deeds in advancing global innovation.

(Source: Publicity Department of the All-China Women's Federation)