[For Women of China]

The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) hosted the Virtual Meeting of Women Leaders of Lancang-Mekong Countries on Innovation and Women's Development, in Beijing on July 20, 2022. This was the first meeting of women leaders ever held under the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Mechanism.

Shen Yueyue, Vice-Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and President of the ACWF, delivered the keynote speech. Huang Xiaowei, Vice-President and First Member of the Secretariat of the ACWF, and Vice-Chairperson of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council, presided over and delivered closing remarks at the meeting.

Shen said the Lancang-Mekong countries (China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) are intimate and friendly neighbors and they are naturally cooperative partners who have the "shared river and shared future." Chinese President Xi Jinping has been in close communication with leaders of the Mekong countries, setting a direction for friendly cooperation among the six countries, Shen added. Women of the six countries have adhered to the LMC spirit, and they have made efforts to reinforce friendship and advance gender equality and women's all-round development. Shen said, while focusing on poverty elimination and women's empowerment, several workshops and practical skills training programs have been organized to help women in the Lancang-Mekong countries to improve their practical skills. Also, development achievements have been shared among the Lancang-Mekong countries to enhance people-to-people connectivity and to advance sustainable regional economic and social development.

[For Women of China]

Shen said the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese Government have always attached great importance to women's roles and development; in particular, women's undertakings have achieved historic progress since the 18th CPC National Congress was held in 2012. Many women scientific workers have made contributions to independent and self-relying development of science and technology in China, and the women have helped write a new chapter in China's high-quality development in the new era.

Facing the intertwined impact of major changes in the world and the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, both unseen in a century, Shen stressed if innovation persists, it will help promote global development to enter a balanced, coordinated and inclusive new phase. China is willing to work with the other five Lancang-Mekong countries, practice true multilateralism, enhance women's communications and cooperation, and advance common development.

Shen made three suggestions on gender equality, innovation and women's development. First, she suggested women's potential in innovation and development should be fully released, and achievements made by women talents in science and technology should be widely reported. By doing so, more women will be inspired to be brave and participate in innovation, and thus, women will live their lives to the full.

Second, Shen suggested a friendly environment should be created to foster innovation and women's development, and the sense of gender equality should be enhanced in innovation planning and drafting of relevant policies. By doing so, gender equality will be integrated deeply with women's empowerment and innovation.

Third, Shen suggested women's cooperation on innovation and development should be deepened, that women should enhance cooperation in fields such as science and technology, health and digital economy, and better share knowledge and their achievements in innovation. By doing so, people of the six Lancang-Mekong countries will gain more benefits, good neighborliness will be deepened, and people will make joint efforts to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

During her closing remarks, Huang noted President Xi had addressed the Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations (held in November 2021), and had announced with leaders of ASEAN countries the establishment of a China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Xi stressed to continue to promote exchanges in areas including women's exchanges, so as to build better understanding, bring hearts closer together and form one big family between our peoples.

[For Women of China]

Huang said in her speech: "Today, we gather here to implement the consensus reached by leaders of our respective countries, walk firmly on a path of win-win cooperation, and support women as they equally participate in innovation and development, share fruitful results while walking towards a future with great equality, inclusiveness and sustainability, and support women as they make contributions to the building of a community with a shared future of peace and prosperity among Lancang-Mekong countries."

Huang added the ACWF is willing to work with all sides to advance regional women's empowerment, innovation and development, and to expand common ground and achieve the greatest possible convergence of interests in the building of a better and more prosperous region and world.

Participants who gave speeches via video link included Kheng Samvada, Acting Minister of Women's Affairs of Cambodia; Inlavanh Keobounphanh, Member of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, and President of the Lao Women's Union; Thet Thet Zin, President of Myanmar Women's Affairs Federation; Chen Xiuzhen, President of Thai Chinese Women Association; Do Thi Thu Thao, First Vice President of the Vietnam Women's Union; Chen Hai, Ambassador of China to Myanmar; Myo Thant Pe, Ambassador of Myanmar to China; and, women representatives from the fields of science, technology and innovation in China and the Mekong countries.

The speakers reviewed the deep friendship that has formed over many years among the women of the Lancang-Mekong countries, and they shared their good practices of women's efforts to promote innovation and development. Representatives from the Lancang-Mekong countries spoke of the great progress reached in China's economic and social development, as well as in the development of women's undertakings. They also spoke of the achievements reached by women in their countries as the women have participated in science, technology, innovation and the advancement of regional development. They expressed gratitude to the ACWF for its efforts to organize the meeting. The speakers agreed consensus had been reached during their dialogue, which had enriched the meaning of LMC and added a new drive to deepen women's friendship among Lancang-Mekong countries.

The participants agreed to enhance women's communications and cooperation, advance women's participation in science, technology and innovation, and help women share their achievements, so as to contribute women's strength in regional prosperity and development. The Initiative on Innovation and Women's Development of the Lancang-Mekong Countries was adopted during the meeting.

Participants also included: Lin Yi, Vice-President and Member of the Secretariat of the ACWF; ambassadors of China to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam; ambassadors of Myanmar and Laos to China; diplomats from the Mekong countries; heads of relevant departments of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China; presidents of women's federations; and members of relevant groups under ACWF. The 100-plus participants attended the meeting either online or in person.

(Women of China English Monthly)