Chinese Vice Premier Calls for More 'She Power'

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong gives a speech at the closing ceremony of the seventh China-U.S. Women's Leadership Exchange and Dialogue in Washington D.C., the United States, on June 23. [Women of China/Fan Wenjun]

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong on June 23 called for stepping up exchanges between women in China and the United States.

Liu, the woman who holds the highest government position in China, made the remark at the closing ceremony of the Seventh China-US Women's Leadership Exchange and Dialogue (WLED), part of the ongoing Sixth China-US High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange (CPE), held from Tuesday to Wednesday in the US capital.

The vice premier lauded the WLED's role in promoting gender equality and women's development in both nations. As a key part of the CPE, the WLED has helped women from the two sides achieve fruitful results in a wide range of areas such as career choices, science and technology, education and health, through exchange and dialogue.

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, reached at the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing 20 years ago, still serves as a guiding document for global women development and progress, she added.

Since then the Chinese government has honored its commitments on women's cause and made great progress in the areas of gender equality, legal protection of women's rights and women's participation in economy, Liu said.

During China's pursuit of a well-off society by 2020, the Chinese government will further promote gender equality, encourage hundreds of millions of women to take a more powerful role in the cause of national rejuvenation, said the vice premier.

Since its launch in 2011 by Liu and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Women-LEAD has increased exchanges between senior women leaders from the two countries, including an expert exchange to provide technical assistance in preventing and responding to domestic violence in Wuxi and Beijing earlier this year.
Liu called for further exerting the WLED and the CPE's role as platforms for exchange and cooperation between women in both nations, encouraging them to launch businesses, attract investment, improve competitive ability and share leadership experience among each other.

In addition, she said, the two nations should strengthen cooperation and deepen understanding while work together to promote global women's development at various global institutions including the United Nations.

Enhanced exchanges between women of the two nations will further foster the people-to-people exchanges between the two sides and contribute to the task of building a new type of major-country relationship between the two countries, she added.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. Liu said the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action issued by the conference remain the guiding documents for the development of women worldwide.

According to Liu, China will host a Global Women's Summit in partnership with the United Nations in September.

Chinese American Michelle Kwan is joining Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and will work on outreach programs.

The nine-time US figure skating champion, five-time world champion and two-time Olympic medalist has worked for the State Department as a US public diplomacy envoy. Her paid role with the Clinton campaign will include discussing issues that matter to working families.

Kwan says she is "really excited to join the team."

While at the State Department, Kwan served as an adviser to Women-Lead, a program focused on opportunities for women and girls. She worked closely with the secretary of state's Office of Global Women's Issues and is a member of the Council to Empower Women and Girls Through Sports, which also was launched by Clinton.

A group photo of officials from China and the United States.. The seventh China-U.S. Women's Leadership Exchange and Dialogue was held in Washington D.C., the United States, on June 23. [Women of China/Fan Wenjun]

Heather Higginbottom, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, makes remarks at the seventh China-U.S. Women's Leadership Exchange and Dialogue in Washington D.C., the United States, on June 23. [Women of China/Fan Wenjun]

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong gives a speech at the closing ceremony of the seventh China-U.S. Women's Leadership Exchange and Dialogue in Washington D.C., the United States, on June 23. [Women of China/Fan Wenjun]

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong gives a speech at the closing ceremony of the seventh China-U.S. Women's Leadership Exchange and Dialogue in Washington D.C., the United States, on June 23. [Women of China/Fan Wenjun]

(Women of China)