The Chinese embassy in Israel refuted the Israeli leader's recent remarks that China is using social media to impose a "media blockade "against Israel as groundless and detrimental to bilateral relations.
\nAccording to local media, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a meeting with a delegation of state legislators from the United States on Monday, claimed that some countries, including China and Qatar, are using social media to carry out a "media blockade" against Israel.
\nIn a statement released on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Israel said that China is shocked by the remarks made by the Israeli leader, which are completely groundless and detrimental to China-Israel relations. China strongly opposes and expresses grave concerns over such remarks, the spokesperson said.
\nBy blaming social media and then China for the criticism it is facing, Israel is making a misguided move that targets the wrong party and offers the wrong solution, the embassy stated.
\nThe spokesperson said the international community has been highly concerned about the situation in Gaza and broadly supports an early ceasefire and an end to the conflict — a move that would also help ensure the safe and prompt return of Israeli hostages. Within Israel, there have been growing reflective voices emphasizing that what the country needs is not a prolonged conflict, but a lasting solution for peace, the spokesperson said.
\nFurthermore, the lopsided results of numerous votes on Palestinian issues at the United Nations and other multilateral forums clearly reflect the position of the majority of the international community, the spokesperson pointed out.
\nEmphasizing that unilateral security is unsustainable, the spokesperson called for shared security as the only viable path to lasting peace. Israel's legitimate security concerns must be respected, just as Palestine's right to exist, to statehood, and to development must be fulfilled, the statement read.
\n"We call on Israel to heed the strong voice of the international community, immediately halt military operations in Gaza, and secure a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire as soon as possible," the spokesperson said.
\nyangran1@chinadaily.com.cn
\nThe Chinese embassy in Israel refuted the Israeli leader's recent remarks that China is using social media to impose a "media blockade "against Israel as groundless and detrimental to bilateral relations.
\nAccording to local media, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a meeting with a delegation of state legislators from the United States on Monday, claimed that some countries, including China and Qatar, are using social media to carry out a "media blockade" against Israel.
\nIn a statement released on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Israel said that China is shocked by the remarks made by the Israeli leader, which are completely groundless and detrimental to China-Israel relations. China strongly opposes and expresses grave concerns over such remarks, the spokesperson said.
\nBy blaming social media and then China for the criticism it is facing, Israel is making a misguided move that targets the wrong party and offers the wrong solution, the embassy stated.
\nThe spokesperson said the international community has been highly concerned about the situation in Gaza and broadly supports an early ceasefire and an end to the conflict — a move that would also help ensure the safe and prompt return of Israeli hostages. Within Israel, there have been growing reflective voices emphasizing that what the country needs is not a prolonged conflict, but a lasting solution for peace, the spokesperson said.
\nFurthermore, the lopsided results of numerous votes on Palestinian issues at the United Nations and other multilateral forums clearly reflect the position of the majority of the international community, the spokesperson pointed out.
\nEmphasizing that unilateral security is unsustainable, the spokesperson called for shared security as the only viable path to lasting peace. Israel's legitimate security concerns must be respected, just as Palestine's right to exist, to statehood, and to development must be fulfilled, the statement read.
\n"We call on Israel to heed the strong voice of the international community, immediately halt military operations in Gaza, and secure a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire as soon as possible," the spokesperson said.
\nyangran1@chinadaily.com.cn
\nA growing number of provinces in China have extended marriage leave to up to 30 days or are considering doing so as part of efforts to build a fertility-friendly society amid declining birth rates.
\nIn May, health authorities in Sichuan province proposed increasing the duration of marriage leave from five to 20 days for all newlyweds, with an additional five days granted to couples who voluntarily undergo premarital medical examinations.
\nThe proposal was included in a draft amendment to a local population and family planning regulation, which closed for public feedback on June 30. Authorities said in July that the final version would be published by the end of the year.
\nFor decades, the standard duration for marriage leave across China was three days. Some regions previously offered extended leave to those marrying at what was then considered a relatively older age, defined as men over 25 and women over 23.
\nAmid a growing trend of completely avoiding or delaying marriages among younger generations, along with decreasing birth rates, many regions have eliminated incentives for late marriage and instead extended marriage leave for all couples to encourage marriage and childbirth.
\nThe longest marriage leave, lasting 30 days, is currently implemented in Shanxi province in North China and in Gansu province in the northwest.
\nAuthorities in Shandong province announced in January that they would provide up to 18 days of marriage leave. Since June, residents in Hubei province have been entitled to 15 days of marriage leave, which can be taken all at once or split up over time.
\nA few provinces, including Guangdong, Hunan and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region have maintained the three-day marriage leave policy.
\nJiang Quanbao, a professor at the School of Labor Economics at the Capital University of Economics and Business, said the three-day leave is insufficient given China's high population mobility.
\nHe said extending marriage leave can make it more convenient for young people to travel, stimulate consumption, improve wellbeing and even boost willingness to have children.
\nWei Shaoling, a marriage and family lawyer at Beijing Jingsh Law Firm, told Xinhua News Agency that marriage leave policies are designed based on factors such as regional demographic structure, marriage and fertility trends, and the capacity of employers.
\nShe suggested that companies adopt flexible working arrangements, allowing employees to adjust their schedules around marriage leave to reduce the impact of their absence.
\nOfficial data shows that more than 6.1 million couples registered for marriage in 2024, a decrease of 20.5 percent compared with 2023.
\nwangxiaoyu@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", @@ -45869,6 +45847,732 @@ "image": null, "description": "China Daily全文RSS。获取更多全文RSS：https://feedx.net", "items": [ + { + "title": "001FRONT - Xi: Win-win results key for China-US ties", + "description": "President Xi Jinping has urged the United States to avoid taking unilateral trade restrictive measures in order to prevent undermining the achievements from multiple rounds of economic and trade consultations.
\nXi made the remarks during a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump on Friday.
\nBoth leaders had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on current China-US relations and issues of mutual concern, providing strategic guidance for the stable development of bilateral ties in the next stage. The conversation was "pragmatic, positive and constructive", according to a press statement issued following the phone talks.
\nNoting that the countries' relationship is greatly important, Xi emphasized that China and the US can fully achieve mutual success and common prosperity to benefit both nations and the world.
\nTo realize this vision, both sides need to make joint efforts to achieve mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, Xi said.
\nThe phone talks followed the fourth round of high-level economic and trade talks between the two countries in Madrid, Spain, which concluded on Monday. A framework agreement on the issue of the short-video platform TikTok was reached during the two-day talks.
\nXi said that recent trade talks between the two countries reflected the spirit of equality, respect and mutual benefit. He called for continued efforts by both sides to properly handle prominent issues in bilateral relations to strive for win-win results.
\nHe noted that China's position on the TikTok issue is clear — the Chinese government respects the will of firms, and is glad to see them conduct business negotiations in line with market rules and reach a solution that conforms to Chinese laws and regulations, and balances interests.
\nChina hopes Washington will provide an open, fair and nondiscriminatory business environment for Chinese companies investing in the US, Xi said.
\nWhile speaking over the phone, Xi also noted that China and the US were allies fighting side by side during World War II.
\nHe talked about inviting descendants of the Flying Tigers to watch the military parade held in Beijing on Sept 3, when China held a grand gathering to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War.
\nXi said that the Chinese people will not forget the valuable support provided by the US and other allied countries during China's resistance against Japanese aggression. Both countries should cherish peace and forge a better future while honoring the martyrs and bearing history in mind, he added.
\nIt was the third time that the two presidents talked over the phone this year, with previous ones taking place in January and June.
\nThe conversation on Friday marked the latest efforts by the two major countries to stabilize their relationship. The two countries are at odds on an array of issues, including the tariff war initiated by the US and TikTok.
\nTrump said that US-China relations are the most important bilateral relationship in the world, and the two countries can work together to get a lot of things done that are conducive to world peace and stability.
\nHe said that the US is committed to maintaining a long-term, sound and great relationship with China.
\nThe US hopes to promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation and will support the teams from both sides in consultations to properly resolve the TikTok issue, Trump said, adding that Washington is willing to work with China to strive to uphold world peace.
\ncaodesheng@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "content": "President Xi Jinping has urged the United States to avoid taking unilateral trade restrictive measures in order to prevent undermining the achievements from multiple rounds of economic and trade consultations.
\nXi made the remarks during a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump on Friday.
\nBoth leaders had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on current China-US relations and issues of mutual concern, providing strategic guidance for the stable development of bilateral ties in the next stage. The conversation was "pragmatic, positive and constructive", according to a press statement issued following the phone talks.
\nNoting that the countries' relationship is greatly important, Xi emphasized that China and the US can fully achieve mutual success and common prosperity to benefit both nations and the world.
\nTo realize this vision, both sides need to make joint efforts to achieve mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, Xi said.
\nThe phone talks followed the fourth round of high-level economic and trade talks between the two countries in Madrid, Spain, which concluded on Monday. A framework agreement on the issue of the short-video platform TikTok was reached during the two-day talks.
\nXi said that recent trade talks between the two countries reflected the spirit of equality, respect and mutual benefit. He called for continued efforts by both sides to properly handle prominent issues in bilateral relations to strive for win-win results.
\nHe noted that China's position on the TikTok issue is clear — the Chinese government respects the will of firms, and is glad to see them conduct business negotiations in line with market rules and reach a solution that conforms to Chinese laws and regulations, and balances interests.
\nChina hopes Washington will provide an open, fair and nondiscriminatory business environment for Chinese companies investing in the US, Xi said.
\nWhile speaking over the phone, Xi also noted that China and the US were allies fighting side by side during World War II.
\nHe talked about inviting descendants of the Flying Tigers to watch the military parade held in Beijing on Sept 3, when China held a grand gathering to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War.
\nXi said that the Chinese people will not forget the valuable support provided by the US and other allied countries during China's resistance against Japanese aggression. Both countries should cherish peace and forge a better future while honoring the martyrs and bearing history in mind, he added.
\nIt was the third time that the two presidents talked over the phone this year, with previous ones taking place in January and June.
\nThe conversation on Friday marked the latest efforts by the two major countries to stabilize their relationship. The two countries are at odds on an array of issues, including the tariff war initiated by the US and TikTok.
\nTrump said that US-China relations are the most important bilateral relationship in the world, and the two countries can work together to get a lot of things done that are conducive to world peace and stability.
\nHe said that the US is committed to maintaining a long-term, sound and great relationship with China.
\nThe US hopes to promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation and will support the teams from both sides in consultations to properly resolve the TikTok issue, Trump said, adding that Washington is willing to work with China to strive to uphold world peace.
\ncaodesheng@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_001_68cdd39ced50ccabe1519e37.htm#001FRONT", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:08 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "18a2dd2df2d4ddc906bcb882e067c268", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "001FRONT - China Zhi Gong Party hailed on founding centenary", + "description": "President Xi Jinping called on Friday for the China Zhi Gong Party to widely unite overseas Chinese, returned overseas Chinese and their relatives, and Chinese students studying abroad to make new and greater contributions to the building of a strong country and national rejuvenation.
\nXi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a congratulatory message on centenary of the founding of the China Zhi Gong Party, one of the non-Communist parties participating in the governance of State affairs under the leadership of the CPC.
\nOn behalf of the CPC Central Committee, Xi extended warm congratulations and sincere greetings to all members of the party.
\nAs the earliest-founded among China's non-Communist parties, the China Zhi Gong Party has always stood together with the CPC through thick and thin, and made active efforts in China's revolution, construction and reform, he said.
\nIt has contributed its wisdom and strength to the nation's struggles for independence, liberation, prosperity, and the well-being of its people, he added.
\nXi expressed the hope that on the new journey ahead, the China Zhi Gong Party would continue to uphold the leadership of the CPC, remain committed to its mission to cooperate with the CPC, carry on its fine traditions, strengthen its own development, and actively serve the great cause of national reunification.
\nXi's congratulatory message was conveyed at a conference in Beijing in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the China Zhi Gong Party.
\nWang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, attended the event.
\nHe said that Xi's congratulatory message fully demonstrates the CPC Central Committee's high regard for the development of political parties participating in national governance under socialism with Chinese characteristics.
\nIt is of guiding significance in upholding, developing, and improving China's new type of political party system as well as advancing the development of multi-party cooperation in the new era, he added.
\nWang urged the China Zhi Gong Party to widely gather public support, build greater consensus, and pool wisdom and strength for the nation's efforts to promote Chinese modernization.
\ncaodesheng@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "content": "President Xi Jinping called on Friday for the China Zhi Gong Party to widely unite overseas Chinese, returned overseas Chinese and their relatives, and Chinese students studying abroad to make new and greater contributions to the building of a strong country and national rejuvenation.
\nXi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a congratulatory message on centenary of the founding of the China Zhi Gong Party, one of the non-Communist parties participating in the governance of State affairs under the leadership of the CPC.
\nOn behalf of the CPC Central Committee, Xi extended warm congratulations and sincere greetings to all members of the party.
\nAs the earliest-founded among China's non-Communist parties, the China Zhi Gong Party has always stood together with the CPC through thick and thin, and made active efforts in China's revolution, construction and reform, he said.
\nIt has contributed its wisdom and strength to the nation's struggles for independence, liberation, prosperity, and the well-being of its people, he added.
\nXi expressed the hope that on the new journey ahead, the China Zhi Gong Party would continue to uphold the leadership of the CPC, remain committed to its mission to cooperate with the CPC, carry on its fine traditions, strengthen its own development, and actively serve the great cause of national reunification.
\nXi's congratulatory message was conveyed at a conference in Beijing in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the China Zhi Gong Party.
\nWang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, attended the event.
\nHe said that Xi's congratulatory message fully demonstrates the CPC Central Committee's high regard for the development of political parties participating in national governance under socialism with Chinese characteristics.
\nIt is of guiding significance in upholding, developing, and improving China's new type of political party system as well as advancing the development of multi-party cooperation in the new era, he added.
\nWang urged the China Zhi Gong Party to widely gather public support, build greater consensus, and pool wisdom and strength for the nation's efforts to promote Chinese modernization.
\ncaodesheng@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_001_68cdd3a1ed50ccabe1519e38.htm#001FRONT", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:08 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "e1498c4c5137730b913e685f4ac09ade", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "001FRONT - Display of J-20 fighter thrills spectators at air show", + "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/001/20250920_001_03_48.png\")
The Hongying (Red Eagle) Aerobatic Team from the Aviation University of the Air Force performs at the 2025 aviation open-day activities of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force and Changchun Air Show, which kicked off on Friday in Changchun, Jilin province.
\nThe People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force has for the first time placed its J-20 stealth fighter jet on display at an ongoing open-house activity that opened on Friday in Changchun, capital of Jilin province.
\nA J-20 fifth-generation stealth fighter jet has been parked on site during the Air Force's 2025 Open-house Activity and the Changchun Air Show, only meters away from spectators.
\nThis is the first time that the Air Force has allowed members of the public to have a close look at the radar-evading fighter, which features world-class technology and capability.
\nIn addition to the ground display, the J-20 is also part of airborne performances at the event. It took part in a tactical maneuver flight show on Friday morning together with another three J-20s.
\nThey conducted a flyby in a diamond-shaped formation and presented dazzling maneuvers, igniting spectators' enthusiasm.
\nA large crowd of visitors clustered outside the cordon in front of the J-20's parking stand, waiting for its return. They burst into cheers and applause when the aircraft taxied back to the stand and the pilot waved to greet them.
\nDesigned by the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, an Aviation Industry Corp of China subsidiary in Sichuan province, the J-20 is China's first stealth-class combat aircraft and so far the largest and heaviest fighter in service in the military. It sparked nationwide excitement on Jan 11, 2011, after its maiden flight, which happened that day at an AVIC airport in Sichuan.
\nCode-named Weilong, or Mighty Dragon, the J-20 made its public debut in November 2016 at the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong province. It entered service with the Air Force later that year, becoming the world's third stealth fighter jet to enter service following the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II of the United States.
\nUntil now, there have been three models in the J-20 series — the baseline configuration, which is on display in Changchun; the J-20A, an upgraded single-seat variant that is equipped with new, more powerful domestically developed engines; and the J-20S, the world's first and only twin-seat stealth jet.
\nAll three types took part in flight performances during a grand parade earlier this month in Beijing.
\nWang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, said that the ground display of the J-20 represents an unprecedented level of transparency, openness and confidence of the Air Force.
\n"It is because the Air Force has deployed a large number of J-20s and that the Chinese aviation industry must have begun to develop next-generation combat planes. Enabling the public to have a close look at the J-20 will definitely increase their confidence in the Air Force's hardware and operational capability," Wang said.
\nIn addition to the J-20, the Air Force has also sent a number of advanced fighter jets, bombers, early-warning and control aircraft to the Air Force's activities, which drew an estimated 100,000 spectators on Friday, mostly weapons and aviation enthusiasts coming from across the nation.
\nContact the writers at zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "content": "The Hongying (Red Eagle) Aerobatic Team from the Aviation University of the Air Force performs at the 2025 aviation open-day activities of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force and Changchun Air Show, which kicked off on Friday in Changchun, Jilin province.
\nThe People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force has for the first time placed its J-20 stealth fighter jet on display at an ongoing open-house activity that opened on Friday in Changchun, capital of Jilin province.
\nA J-20 fifth-generation stealth fighter jet has been parked on site during the Air Force's 2025 Open-house Activity and the Changchun Air Show, only meters away from spectators.
\nThis is the first time that the Air Force has allowed members of the public to have a close look at the radar-evading fighter, which features world-class technology and capability.
\nIn addition to the ground display, the J-20 is also part of airborne performances at the event. It took part in a tactical maneuver flight show on Friday morning together with another three J-20s.
\nThey conducted a flyby in a diamond-shaped formation and presented dazzling maneuvers, igniting spectators' enthusiasm.
\nA large crowd of visitors clustered outside the cordon in front of the J-20's parking stand, waiting for its return. They burst into cheers and applause when the aircraft taxied back to the stand and the pilot waved to greet them.
\nDesigned by the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, an Aviation Industry Corp of China subsidiary in Sichuan province, the J-20 is China's first stealth-class combat aircraft and so far the largest and heaviest fighter in service in the military. It sparked nationwide excitement on Jan 11, 2011, after its maiden flight, which happened that day at an AVIC airport in Sichuan.
\nCode-named Weilong, or Mighty Dragon, the J-20 made its public debut in November 2016 at the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong province. It entered service with the Air Force later that year, becoming the world's third stealth fighter jet to enter service following the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II of the United States.
\nUntil now, there have been three models in the J-20 series — the baseline configuration, which is on display in Changchun; the J-20A, an upgraded single-seat variant that is equipped with new, more powerful domestically developed engines; and the J-20S, the world's first and only twin-seat stealth jet.
\nAll three types took part in flight performances during a grand parade earlier this month in Beijing.
\nWang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, said that the ground display of the J-20 represents an unprecedented level of transparency, openness and confidence of the Air Force.
\n"It is because the Air Force has deployed a large number of J-20s and that the Chinese aviation industry must have begun to develop next-generation combat planes. Enabling the public to have a close look at the J-20 will definitely increase their confidence in the Air Force's hardware and operational capability," Wang said.
\nIn addition to the J-20, the Air Force has also sent a number of advanced fighter jets, bombers, early-warning and control aircraft to the Air Force's activities, which drew an estimated 100,000 spectators on Friday, mostly weapons and aviation enthusiasts coming from across the nation.
\nContact the writers at zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_001_68cdd3a5ed50ccabe1519e39.htm#001FRONT", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:08 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "f5c6840b79b9b1a4881ec9f766a60e37", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "001FRONT - Movie premiere", + "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/001/20250920_001_04_99.png\")
Audience members at a Sydney cinema take part in activities on Thursday on the sidelines of the Australian premiere of Evil Unbound, a movie retelling the horrors of Japan's Unit 731 — the notorious biological warfare force which operated during World War II in Harbin, Heilongjiang province. Including Australia, the film, also known as 731, is set for worldwide release. See story, page 5
\n", + "content": "Audience members at a Sydney cinema take part in activities on Thursday on the sidelines of the Australian premiere of Evil Unbound, a movie retelling the horrors of Japan's Unit 731 — the notorious biological warfare force which operated during World War II in Harbin, Heilongjiang province. Including Australia, the film, also known as 731, is set for worldwide release. See story, page 5
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_001_68cdd3aaed50ccabe1519e3a.htm#001FRONT", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:08 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "2c13e43eb77542f8a40fa432ff4a4f42", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "001FRONT - Progress highlighted in women's development", + "description": "China has made all-around progress in promoting gender equality and women's comprehensive development in the new era, with these fruitful results benefiting Chinese women and offering the world a vivid example of women's advancement, officials said on Friday.
\n"Chinese women's senses of accomplishment, happiness and security have reached an unprecedentedly high level as the nation insists to securing women's rights during development and improving women's life through development," said Huang Xiaowei, deputy head of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council, China's Cabinet, at a news conference in Beijing.
\nHuang, who is also vice-president and first member of the secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation, said that Chinese women's health conditions, average life expectancy, education level and rate of joining basic social insurance programs have all greatly improved in the new era, and women have shown their talent in different sectors including cutting-edge technologies, e-commerce, culture and grassroots governance.
\nA white paper was also released during the news conference, explaining China's philosophy, principles and practices in promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development in the new era, as well as China's commitment to joining global endeavors for women's advancement.
\nThe white paper shows China's results in practicing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, landmark global policy documents for gender equality and women's empowerment reached at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, and is a prelude to the 2025 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, which will be held in Beijing.
\nAccording to the white paper, Chinese women's average life expectancy reached 80.9 years in 2020. The maternal mortality rate dropped by 76.9 percent to 14.3 in every 100,000 persons in 2024 from 61.9 in every 100,000 persons in 1995, much lower than the world's average level.
\nHuang said that the women's cause in China has entered a golden period under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and has accumulated experience during this process.
\n"We've encouraged women to integrate their personal dreams and family happiness with the nation's rejuvenation. Also, the nation has adhered to the basic national policy of gender equality and taken full consideration of the gender gap and women's interests when enacting laws, formulating policies and drafting plans to let women gain coordinated advancement with socioeconomic development," she said, adding that the nation gives full respect to women and inspires women to be confident, self-reliant, and play their roles in social and family life.
\nAstronaut Wang Yaping, also a part-time vice-president of the All-China Women's Federation, took herself as an example and said at the news conference that she and many women in China can be devoted to technological innovation without worries because of the strong support from the nation, such as relaxing women's age limits to apply for funded research programs and establishing flexible working schedules at research centers to ease the burden on women who are breastfeeding.
\nHuang said that China has established friendly relations with over 420 international women's organizations, agencies and United Nations agencies.
\nChina has so far helped over 180 countries and regions to cultivate 200,000 female talents and offered employment assistance to women in more than 100 countries.
\n"Modernization is the common pursuit of different countries in the world, so we have to generate strength through women's unity and promote gender equality and women's comprehensive development at a higher level. China hopes to work with the world and create a better future for women's development," Huang said.
\nchengsi@chinadaily.com.cn
\nChina has made all-around progress in promoting gender equality and women's comprehensive development in the new era, with these fruitful results benefiting Chinese women and offering the world a vivid example of women's advancement, officials said on Friday.
\n"Chinese women's senses of accomplishment, happiness and security have reached an unprecedentedly high level as the nation insists to securing women's rights during development and improving women's life through development," said Huang Xiaowei, deputy head of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council, China's Cabinet, at a news conference in Beijing.
\nHuang, who is also vice-president and first member of the secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation, said that Chinese women's health conditions, average life expectancy, education level and rate of joining basic social insurance programs have all greatly improved in the new era, and women have shown their talent in different sectors including cutting-edge technologies, e-commerce, culture and grassroots governance.
\nA white paper was also released during the news conference, explaining China's philosophy, principles and practices in promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development in the new era, as well as China's commitment to joining global endeavors for women's advancement.
\nThe white paper shows China's results in practicing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, landmark global policy documents for gender equality and women's empowerment reached at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, and is a prelude to the 2025 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, which will be held in Beijing.
\nAccording to the white paper, Chinese women's average life expectancy reached 80.9 years in 2020. The maternal mortality rate dropped by 76.9 percent to 14.3 in every 100,000 persons in 2024 from 61.9 in every 100,000 persons in 1995, much lower than the world's average level.
\nHuang said that the women's cause in China has entered a golden period under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and has accumulated experience during this process.
\n"We've encouraged women to integrate their personal dreams and family happiness with the nation's rejuvenation. Also, the nation has adhered to the basic national policy of gender equality and taken full consideration of the gender gap and women's interests when enacting laws, formulating policies and drafting plans to let women gain coordinated advancement with socioeconomic development," she said, adding that the nation gives full respect to women and inspires women to be confident, self-reliant, and play their roles in social and family life.
\nAstronaut Wang Yaping, also a part-time vice-president of the All-China Women's Federation, took herself as an example and said at the news conference that she and many women in China can be devoted to technological innovation without worries because of the strong support from the nation, such as relaxing women's age limits to apply for funded research programs and establishing flexible working schedules at research centers to ease the burden on women who are breastfeeding.
\nHuang said that China has established friendly relations with over 420 international women's organizations, agencies and United Nations agencies.
\nChina has so far helped over 180 countries and regions to cultivate 200,000 female talents and offered employment assistance to women in more than 100 countries.
\n"Modernization is the common pursuit of different countries in the world, so we have to generate strength through women's unity and promote gender equality and women's comprehensive development at a higher level. China hopes to work with the world and create a better future for women's development," Huang said.
\nchengsi@chinadaily.com.cn
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/001/20250920_001_06_89.png\")
\nThe Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is now at the best period of development in its history, featuring unprecedented economic and social progress, marked improvements in people's well-being and a stronger sense of gain, happiness and security among residents, according to a white paper issued on Friday.
\nTitled "Communist Party of China Guidelines for Governing Xinjiang in the New Era: Practice and Achievements", the white paper was unveiled at a news conference held by the Information Office of the State Council in Beijing.
\nConsisting of a preface, main body and conclusion, the 21,000-word document expounds on the rich content of the CPC's guidelines for governing Xinjiang in the new era and showcases the great achievements Xinjiang has made in reform, development and stability, among other areas.
\n"We have been committed to bringing greater prosperity to the region and ensuring that the fruits of development are more effectively translated into benefits for people's well-being," said Erkin Tuniyaz, chairman of the regional government.
\nSince 2012, Xinjiang's GDP has grown by an average of 7.04 percent annually, surpassing 2 trillion yuan ($280 billion) in 2024, which he said had provided strong fiscal support for delivering on livelihood-related initiatives.
\nAccording to the white paper, Xinjiang has seen comprehensive improvements in infrastructure, with the operating mileage of railways and the highway network totaling 9,202 kilometers and 230,000 km, respectively, as of 2024, and the number of civil air routes reached 595, of which 25 are international routes.
\nErkin Tuniyaz said that people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang cherish the current prosperity and are determined to safeguard social stability.
\n"Whoever that tries to sabotage such a happy life will meet with firm opposition from all the people in Xinjiang," he said.
\nSpeaking at the news conference, Chen Weijun, the autonomous region's executive vice-chairman, dismissed United States' accusations of "forced labor" in Xinjiang as groundless, saying that workers of all ethnic groups there choose their jobs voluntarily in pursuit of a better life, and their labor rights are fully protected.
\n"Over the past few years, the US has imposed sanctions on Xinjiang enterprises and individuals under the pretext of 'human rights', when in fact it is engaging in political manipulation and economic coercion," Chen said, accusing Washington of "forcing unemployment" in Xinjiang.
\nBut the official noted that Xinjiang's advantages remain strong in the long term as the region stands at the forefront of China's westward opening-up, backed by the domestic market of 1.4 billion people and connected to international markets across Asia, Europe and Africa.
\nAccording to Chen, Xinjiang's distinctive industries have grown rapidly, and "Made in Xinjiang" products are now exported to more than 220 countries and regions, winning global consumer recognition.
\n"US sanctions cannot stop Xinjiang's steps toward development or prevent industries and enterprises from growing stronger," Chen said.
\nThis year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Zhang Zheng, who participated in drafting two chapters of the white paper, described the document as a timely message conveyed to the rest of the world as "it presents the tremendous changes and remarkable achievements Xinjiang has made in recent years with detailed examples and precise data".
\n"It will enable the international community to gain a more genuine, comprehensive and multidimensional understanding of Xinjiang's overall development," he said.
\nmojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "content": "\nThe Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is now at the best period of development in its history, featuring unprecedented economic and social progress, marked improvements in people's well-being and a stronger sense of gain, happiness and security among residents, according to a white paper issued on Friday.
\nTitled "Communist Party of China Guidelines for Governing Xinjiang in the New Era: Practice and Achievements", the white paper was unveiled at a news conference held by the Information Office of the State Council in Beijing.
\nConsisting of a preface, main body and conclusion, the 21,000-word document expounds on the rich content of the CPC's guidelines for governing Xinjiang in the new era and showcases the great achievements Xinjiang has made in reform, development and stability, among other areas.
\n"We have been committed to bringing greater prosperity to the region and ensuring that the fruits of development are more effectively translated into benefits for people's well-being," said Erkin Tuniyaz, chairman of the regional government.
\nSince 2012, Xinjiang's GDP has grown by an average of 7.04 percent annually, surpassing 2 trillion yuan ($280 billion) in 2024, which he said had provided strong fiscal support for delivering on livelihood-related initiatives.
\nAccording to the white paper, Xinjiang has seen comprehensive improvements in infrastructure, with the operating mileage of railways and the highway network totaling 9,202 kilometers and 230,000 km, respectively, as of 2024, and the number of civil air routes reached 595, of which 25 are international routes.
\nErkin Tuniyaz said that people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang cherish the current prosperity and are determined to safeguard social stability.
\n"Whoever that tries to sabotage such a happy life will meet with firm opposition from all the people in Xinjiang," he said.
\nSpeaking at the news conference, Chen Weijun, the autonomous region's executive vice-chairman, dismissed United States' accusations of "forced labor" in Xinjiang as groundless, saying that workers of all ethnic groups there choose their jobs voluntarily in pursuit of a better life, and their labor rights are fully protected.
\n"Over the past few years, the US has imposed sanctions on Xinjiang enterprises and individuals under the pretext of 'human rights', when in fact it is engaging in political manipulation and economic coercion," Chen said, accusing Washington of "forcing unemployment" in Xinjiang.
\nBut the official noted that Xinjiang's advantages remain strong in the long term as the region stands at the forefront of China's westward opening-up, backed by the domestic market of 1.4 billion people and connected to international markets across Asia, Europe and Africa.
\nAccording to Chen, Xinjiang's distinctive industries have grown rapidly, and "Made in Xinjiang" products are now exported to more than 220 countries and regions, winning global consumer recognition.
\n"US sanctions cannot stop Xinjiang's steps toward development or prevent industries and enterprises from growing stronger," Chen said.
\nThis year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Zhang Zheng, who participated in drafting two chapters of the white paper, described the document as a timely message conveyed to the rest of the world as "it presents the tremendous changes and remarkable achievements Xinjiang has made in recent years with detailed examples and precise data".
\n"It will enable the international community to gain a more genuine, comprehensive and multidimensional understanding of Xinjiang's overall development," he said.
\nmojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_001_68cdd3b3ed50ccabe1519e3c.htm#001FRONT", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:08 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "9a7b0ab94c7f551b1961f6ddf6fba0ed", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "002CHINA - Nation sets up comprehensive green tracker", + "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/002/20250920_002_01_44.png\")
\nChina has established the world's largest ecological and environmental monitoring network supported by advanced technologies, and this will help strengthen the enforcement efficiency of environmental laws, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said.
\nAt a news conference organized by the State Council Information Office on Friday, Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu disclosed that the number of monitoring stations that the ministry directly oversees across the country stands at over 33,000.
\nThese facilities cover all prefecture-level cities and above, key river basins, and sea areas, monitoring a wide range of elements including water, air, soil, noise, oceans and ecosystems, he said.
\nThe minister also noted significant strides in making the monitoring network more digital and intelligent by integrating advanced technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing.
\n"As China advances its pollution control efforts and the Beautiful China initiative, demand has grown for more accurate, comprehensive, and timely monitoring data," he stated.
\nAgainst this backdrop, he said the ministry must urgently transition its primary methods of sampling, analysis, operation, and maintenance in environmental monitoring from manual approaches to automated, digital, and intelligent ones.
\nThe country has managed to achieve full-process automation in environmental monitoring procedures such as sampling, sample delivery, and analytical testing, he said.
\nWhile monitoring surface water, for instance, the use of drones for automated sample collection reduces the time required by over 70 percent, he said, adding that such an application has unique advantages, particularly in remote areas.
\nIn the analytical testing phase, some laboratories can perform automated, continuous analysis and testing without human intervention even in complete darkness, increasing efficiency by more than eightfold compared to manual operations, he added.
\nThe country's air and water monitoring network is slated for a smart overhaul of its operational diagnostics and maintenance, Huang said.
\nAfter the upgrade, he said the maintenance frequency of such facilities will be reduced from once a week to once a month, cutting manual involvement by over 70 percent.
\nHe revealed that the intelligent transformation has been underway in 143 air automatic monitoring stations in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
\nHuang also went on to highlight the rapidly accelerating use of AI in environmental monitoring.
\nThe ministry has established ecological environment spectrum databases and sound signature libraries in its efforts to leverage AI to accurately pinpoint the sources of environmental problems.
\nWith the help of sound recognition AI technology, for example, noise sources can be rapidly identified — whether they originate from construction, transportation, or social activities, he said.
\nThis enables more targeted and efficient supervision, allowing public noise pollution concerns to be addressed more effectively, he said.
\nYu Huiwen, vice-minister of ecology and environment, said intelligent environmental monitoring means as well as facilities, including satellite remote sensing, infrared imaging, drones, and unmanned ships, have significantly reduced the workload of environmental law enforcement officers.
\nIn the domain of air pollution control, for instance, the ministry has developed data models that can help identify 48 types of problems across seven major scenarios, including high-concentration pollutant zones and abnormal emissions from key sources, he said.
\nLeveraging leads provided by such technological means, Yu said the ministry has managed to unearth and promote the verification of 260,000 environmental violations regarding air pollution so far in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period.
\n"The accuracy rate of those identified clues has increased from 40 percent at the very beginning to over 85 percent now," he said.
\nhouliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "content": "\nChina has established the world's largest ecological and environmental monitoring network supported by advanced technologies, and this will help strengthen the enforcement efficiency of environmental laws, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said.
\nAt a news conference organized by the State Council Information Office on Friday, Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu disclosed that the number of monitoring stations that the ministry directly oversees across the country stands at over 33,000.
\nThese facilities cover all prefecture-level cities and above, key river basins, and sea areas, monitoring a wide range of elements including water, air, soil, noise, oceans and ecosystems, he said.
\nThe minister also noted significant strides in making the monitoring network more digital and intelligent by integrating advanced technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing.
\n"As China advances its pollution control efforts and the Beautiful China initiative, demand has grown for more accurate, comprehensive, and timely monitoring data," he stated.
\nAgainst this backdrop, he said the ministry must urgently transition its primary methods of sampling, analysis, operation, and maintenance in environmental monitoring from manual approaches to automated, digital, and intelligent ones.
\nThe country has managed to achieve full-process automation in environmental monitoring procedures such as sampling, sample delivery, and analytical testing, he said.
\nWhile monitoring surface water, for instance, the use of drones for automated sample collection reduces the time required by over 70 percent, he said, adding that such an application has unique advantages, particularly in remote areas.
\nIn the analytical testing phase, some laboratories can perform automated, continuous analysis and testing without human intervention even in complete darkness, increasing efficiency by more than eightfold compared to manual operations, he added.
\nThe country's air and water monitoring network is slated for a smart overhaul of its operational diagnostics and maintenance, Huang said.
\nAfter the upgrade, he said the maintenance frequency of such facilities will be reduced from once a week to once a month, cutting manual involvement by over 70 percent.
\nHe revealed that the intelligent transformation has been underway in 143 air automatic monitoring stations in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
\nHuang also went on to highlight the rapidly accelerating use of AI in environmental monitoring.
\nThe ministry has established ecological environment spectrum databases and sound signature libraries in its efforts to leverage AI to accurately pinpoint the sources of environmental problems.
\nWith the help of sound recognition AI technology, for example, noise sources can be rapidly identified — whether they originate from construction, transportation, or social activities, he said.
\nThis enables more targeted and efficient supervision, allowing public noise pollution concerns to be addressed more effectively, he said.
\nYu Huiwen, vice-minister of ecology and environment, said intelligent environmental monitoring means as well as facilities, including satellite remote sensing, infrared imaging, drones, and unmanned ships, have significantly reduced the workload of environmental law enforcement officers.
\nIn the domain of air pollution control, for instance, the ministry has developed data models that can help identify 48 types of problems across seven major scenarios, including high-concentration pollutant zones and abnormal emissions from key sources, he said.
\nLeveraging leads provided by such technological means, Yu said the ministry has managed to unearth and promote the verification of 260,000 environmental violations regarding air pollution so far in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period.
\n"The accuracy rate of those identified clues has increased from 40 percent at the very beginning to over 85 percent now," he said.
\nhouliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_002_68cdd3b7ed50ccabe1519e3d.htm#002CHINA", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:08 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "2f7158797d68b460530fe712cbde6237", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "002CHINA - Briefly", + "description": "EV charging facilities see rapid expansion
\nChina's electric vehicle charging infrastructure has maintained rapid growth, with the total number of facilities reaching nearly 17.35 million units by the end of August, up 53.5 percent from a year earlier, official data showed. Public EV charging facilities stood at about 4.32 million units, an increase of 37.8 percent year-on-year. Their combined rated power hit 196 million kilowatts, according to the National Energy Administration. Private charging facilities expanded at an even faster pace, jumping 59.6 percent year-on-year to 13.03 million units, the administration said. The robust growth in charging infrastructure is in line with the steady expansion of China's new energy vehicle market. From January to August, both production and sales of NEVs posted double-digit increases.
\nYuan weakens against greenback
\nThe central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, weakened 43 pips to 7.1128 against the US dollar on Friday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System. In China's spot foreign exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by 2 percent from the central parity rate each trading day. The central parity rate of the yuan against the US dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day.
\n", + "content": "EV charging facilities see rapid expansion
\nChina's electric vehicle charging infrastructure has maintained rapid growth, with the total number of facilities reaching nearly 17.35 million units by the end of August, up 53.5 percent from a year earlier, official data showed. Public EV charging facilities stood at about 4.32 million units, an increase of 37.8 percent year-on-year. Their combined rated power hit 196 million kilowatts, according to the National Energy Administration. Private charging facilities expanded at an even faster pace, jumping 59.6 percent year-on-year to 13.03 million units, the administration said. The robust growth in charging infrastructure is in line with the steady expansion of China's new energy vehicle market. From January to August, both production and sales of NEVs posted double-digit increases.
\nYuan weakens against greenback
\nThe central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, weakened 43 pips to 7.1128 against the US dollar on Friday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System. In China's spot foreign exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by 2 percent from the central parity rate each trading day. The central parity rate of the yuan against the US dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day.
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_002_68cdd3bced50ccabe1519e3e.htm#002CHINA", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:08 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "96af245b41eb2472942d49f3a178dcfe", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "002CHINA - China pares down US Treasury holdings", + "description": "China cut its US Treasury holdings by $25.7 billion in July to $730.7 billion, marking the steepest reduction in nearly two years and pushing its holdings to the lowest since 2009, as the country's foreign exchange reserve diversification continued, official data showed.
\nAnalysts said the reduction was influenced by expectations of US interest rate cuts, as investors sought to shield themselves from exchange rate risks. But experts also noted that a stable US debt market benefits China, and that compared with other assets, US Treasuries still offer advantages in liquidity and safety.
\nAfter stepping back from being the second-largest holder of US debt to third place in March, China reduced its holdings of US Treasury securities in July, the lowest since February 2009, when the reading was $744.2 billion, according to the US Department of the Treasury.
\nThe cut was the fourth this year and marked the biggest holding decrease since September 2023, data from the US Treasury Department showed.
\nThe reduction bucked the increase of overall foreign holdings in US debt. Foreign holdings of US Treasury securities edged up from June's $9.1268 trillion to $9.1587 trillion in July, with the biggest US debt holder Japan and the second-largest holder the United Kingdom increasing their holdings.
\nLiu Chunsheng, an associate professor of international economics at the Central University of Finance and Economics, said that China's reduction of US debt in July reflects considerations of foreign exchange reserve diversification, especially as US government debt has exceeded $34 trillion and market concerns over repayment capacity are rising.
\nModerately cutting US Treasuries while adding gold and other sovereign bonds helps reduce overreliance on dollar assets and enhances stability, Liu said.
\nThe country's official gold reserves rose for the 10th consecutive month to 74.02 million ounces at the end of August, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange said.
\nLiu said that the prospect of US rate cut in September and thus a weaker dollar may have also driven US debt sales to avoid loss from currency conversion, adding that, strategically, China needs reduced reliance on the US economy to strengthen its financial autonomy, in line with the pursuit of renminbi internationalization.
\nLiu said the near-term outlook of China's US debt holdings is less clear-cut.
\nFalling yields from US rate cuts could push up Treasury prices, increasing the market value of existing holdings and tempering the drive to sell, as investors often "buy on the rise, not on the fall", Liu said.
\nOn Wednesday, the US Federal Reserve cut its federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a range of 4 percent to 4.25 percent. Looking ahead, the Fed's own projections and market indicators suggest two more cuts are likely by the end of 2025.
\nYang Weiyong, an associate professor at the University of International Business and Economics, said that decisions on whether to increase or reduce its holdings are primarily driven by market-based considerations — such as US Treasury yields and expectations for future price movements.
\n"China is a major holder of US debt, so we too want the market to remain stable. That stability benefits the global economy, especially considering that over $9 trillion in US Treasury securities are held by foreign governments and institutions," Yang said, adding that dollar assets still have relatively high liquidity and security among various assets.
\nzhoulanxv@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "content": "China cut its US Treasury holdings by $25.7 billion in July to $730.7 billion, marking the steepest reduction in nearly two years and pushing its holdings to the lowest since 2009, as the country's foreign exchange reserve diversification continued, official data showed.
\nAnalysts said the reduction was influenced by expectations of US interest rate cuts, as investors sought to shield themselves from exchange rate risks. But experts also noted that a stable US debt market benefits China, and that compared with other assets, US Treasuries still offer advantages in liquidity and safety.
\nAfter stepping back from being the second-largest holder of US debt to third place in March, China reduced its holdings of US Treasury securities in July, the lowest since February 2009, when the reading was $744.2 billion, according to the US Department of the Treasury.
\nThe cut was the fourth this year and marked the biggest holding decrease since September 2023, data from the US Treasury Department showed.
\nThe reduction bucked the increase of overall foreign holdings in US debt. Foreign holdings of US Treasury securities edged up from June's $9.1268 trillion to $9.1587 trillion in July, with the biggest US debt holder Japan and the second-largest holder the United Kingdom increasing their holdings.
\nLiu Chunsheng, an associate professor of international economics at the Central University of Finance and Economics, said that China's reduction of US debt in July reflects considerations of foreign exchange reserve diversification, especially as US government debt has exceeded $34 trillion and market concerns over repayment capacity are rising.
\nModerately cutting US Treasuries while adding gold and other sovereign bonds helps reduce overreliance on dollar assets and enhances stability, Liu said.
\nThe country's official gold reserves rose for the 10th consecutive month to 74.02 million ounces at the end of August, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange said.
\nLiu said that the prospect of US rate cut in September and thus a weaker dollar may have also driven US debt sales to avoid loss from currency conversion, adding that, strategically, China needs reduced reliance on the US economy to strengthen its financial autonomy, in line with the pursuit of renminbi internationalization.
\nLiu said the near-term outlook of China's US debt holdings is less clear-cut.
\nFalling yields from US rate cuts could push up Treasury prices, increasing the market value of existing holdings and tempering the drive to sell, as investors often "buy on the rise, not on the fall", Liu said.
\nOn Wednesday, the US Federal Reserve cut its federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a range of 4 percent to 4.25 percent. Looking ahead, the Fed's own projections and market indicators suggest two more cuts are likely by the end of 2025.
\nYang Weiyong, an associate professor at the University of International Business and Economics, said that decisions on whether to increase or reduce its holdings are primarily driven by market-based considerations — such as US Treasury yields and expectations for future price movements.
\n"China is a major holder of US debt, so we too want the market to remain stable. That stability benefits the global economy, especially considering that over $9 trillion in US Treasury securities are held by foreign governments and institutions," Yang said, adding that dollar assets still have relatively high liquidity and security among various assets.
\nzhoulanxv@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_002_68cdd3c1ed50ccabe1519e3f.htm#002CHINA", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:08 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "6c2a0df5dc43f936607b5041691d15d4", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "002CHINA - East Asia supply chain cooperation urged", + "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/002/20250920_002_04_19.png\")
Beijing Foreign Studies University Choir performs the Chinese folk song "Jasmine Flower" at the opening of the 2025 International Forum on Regional Cooperation and Development of China, Japan and the ROK on Friday in Beijing.
\nChina, Japan and the Republic of Korea should look beyond their differences and work more closely to promote economic growth, boost their economic resilience, and amplify their collective voice on the world stage in the face of global uncertainties, further compounded by rising trade protectionism, participants in the 2025 International Forum on Regional Cooperation and Development of China, Japan and the ROK said in Beijing on Friday.
\nLee Hee-sup, secretary-general of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat, said in his speech that challenges and opportunities including climate change, rapid advancement in artificial intelligence, and demographic shifts are reshaping industries.
\n"Exclusive competition leads to shared decline, while cooperation with a sense of common destiny opens the way to shared prosperity," Lee said. "This would stand as the only real alternative to innovation ecosystems led by the European Union and the United States."
\nA study released at the forum concluded that the three East Asian countries' industrial cooperation can strengthen regional resilience, because Japan's materials, the ROK's chip sector and China's manufacturing and market are highly complementary.
\nTogether, the three countries account for nearly a quarter of global GDP and one-fifth of global trade. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership has lowered tariffs and improved connectivity, but the experts argued that a trilateral free trade agreement would go further, locking in supply chains and giving East Asia greater weight in shaping global rules.
\nIf the three neighbors were to combine their strengths, they could set 45 percent of global AI standards and account for one-third of clean energy technologies by 2030, Lee said.
\nLee's call for shared prosperity was echoed by the Chinese side, with Zhao Gang, vice-president of Beijing Foreign Studies University, saying the three countries form one of the most dynamic economic regions in the world. "As neighbors ... their cooperation has the potential to reshape the global economic order," he said.
\nDespite the challenges in collaborating on cutting-edge science and technology, a case study shows cooperation is essential. "By working together, we can reduce the costs associated with exploring optimal combinations and share successful outcomes. Moreover, collaboration is crucial for surviving the uncertainties of technological innovation", said Jun Youn Kim, chief representative of the Korea-China Science and Technology Cooperation Center.
\nFor Osamu Onodera, director of the Beijing Representative Office at the Japan External Trade Organization, the trilateral effort fits into a wider Asia-Pacific vision of an "open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful community".
\nJointly held by Beijing Foreign Studies University and China Daily, the 2025 International Forum on Regional Cooperation and Development of China, Japan and the ROK brought together experts and opinion leaders from the three countries. Their speeches underscored both the urgency of cooperation and the challenges ahead, as the three countries navigate a turbulent global economy.
\nyaoyuxin@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "content": "Beijing Foreign Studies University Choir performs the Chinese folk song "Jasmine Flower" at the opening of the 2025 International Forum on Regional Cooperation and Development of China, Japan and the ROK on Friday in Beijing.
\nChina, Japan and the Republic of Korea should look beyond their differences and work more closely to promote economic growth, boost their economic resilience, and amplify their collective voice on the world stage in the face of global uncertainties, further compounded by rising trade protectionism, participants in the 2025 International Forum on Regional Cooperation and Development of China, Japan and the ROK said in Beijing on Friday.
\nLee Hee-sup, secretary-general of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat, said in his speech that challenges and opportunities including climate change, rapid advancement in artificial intelligence, and demographic shifts are reshaping industries.
\n"Exclusive competition leads to shared decline, while cooperation with a sense of common destiny opens the way to shared prosperity," Lee said. "This would stand as the only real alternative to innovation ecosystems led by the European Union and the United States."
\nA study released at the forum concluded that the three East Asian countries' industrial cooperation can strengthen regional resilience, because Japan's materials, the ROK's chip sector and China's manufacturing and market are highly complementary.
\nTogether, the three countries account for nearly a quarter of global GDP and one-fifth of global trade. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership has lowered tariffs and improved connectivity, but the experts argued that a trilateral free trade agreement would go further, locking in supply chains and giving East Asia greater weight in shaping global rules.
\nIf the three neighbors were to combine their strengths, they could set 45 percent of global AI standards and account for one-third of clean energy technologies by 2030, Lee said.
\nLee's call for shared prosperity was echoed by the Chinese side, with Zhao Gang, vice-president of Beijing Foreign Studies University, saying the three countries form one of the most dynamic economic regions in the world. "As neighbors ... their cooperation has the potential to reshape the global economic order," he said.
\nDespite the challenges in collaborating on cutting-edge science and technology, a case study shows cooperation is essential. "By working together, we can reduce the costs associated with exploring optimal combinations and share successful outcomes. Moreover, collaboration is crucial for surviving the uncertainties of technological innovation", said Jun Youn Kim, chief representative of the Korea-China Science and Technology Cooperation Center.
\nFor Osamu Onodera, director of the Beijing Representative Office at the Japan External Trade Organization, the trilateral effort fits into a wider Asia-Pacific vision of an "open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful community".
\nJointly held by Beijing Foreign Studies University and China Daily, the 2025 International Forum on Regional Cooperation and Development of China, Japan and the ROK brought together experts and opinion leaders from the three countries. Their speeches underscored both the urgency of cooperation and the challenges ahead, as the three countries navigate a turbulent global economy.
\nyaoyuxin@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_002_68cdd3c5ed50ccabe1519e40.htm#002CHINA", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:08 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "33b08a65408ddf20ba6694670339ee66", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "002CHINA - Pivotal line", + "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/002/20250920_002_05_31.png\")
A staff member of Yangyuan Railway Station in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, checks rail equipment to ensure the smooth operation of trains. The station, which is on the Datong-Qinhuangdao railway line, had dispatched 152 coal trains, comprising 15,960 carriages carrying 1.2768 million metric tons of coal, by Sept 8 in the third quarter. This marks an annual jump of 198.04 percent, setting a fresh record for freight volume since the station's establishment.
\n", + "content": "A staff member of Yangyuan Railway Station in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, checks rail equipment to ensure the smooth operation of trains. The station, which is on the Datong-Qinhuangdao railway line, had dispatched 152 coal trains, comprising 15,960 carriages carrying 1.2768 million metric tons of coal, by Sept 8 in the third quarter. This marks an annual jump of 198.04 percent, setting a fresh record for freight volume since the station's establishment.
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_002_68cdd3caed50ccabe1519e41.htm#002CHINA", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:07 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "f5022fe44ad3fe55aaa06828c2dcc2fd", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "002CHINA - Forum focuses on promoting river cultures", + "description": "Experts on the world's major river civilizations gathered this week in Chongqing to exchange their insights on how to protect and promote cultures.
\nThemed "Bridging Rivers and Seas, Sharing Wisdom of Civilizations", the 2025 Yangtze River Civilization Forum focused on protecting the Yangtze River's cultural heritage and deepening exchanges among the world's major river civilizations.
\nThe event was cohosted by Chongqing and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
\nLocated on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, Chongqing boasts key geographic advantages as a strategic pivot point in the national development programs for China's western regions and the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. It is also a connecting point for the Belt and Road Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
\nPeng Jinhui, vice-president of CASS, said that China's residents should protect and promote the Yangtze River culture, which provides strong spiritual motivation for the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
\n"The Yangtze River has always been an open and inclusive river, serving as an important channel for the exchange and mutual learning of civilizations," Peng said at the forum.
\n"It has fostered the millenniums-old cultural heritage along the river, nurturing the shared spiritual home of the Chinese nation," he added.
\nThe event also attracted experts and scholars from the United Kingdom, Brazil, Egypt, Pakistan and other countries who study the Nile River basin, ancient Mesopotamia, Amazon River basin, Indus River basin and other great river civilizations.
\n"It is a very rewarding experience to see that they (experts working on the Yangtze River civilization) are trying to learn from the past in order to improve modern day life," said Magnus Widell, a professor from the University of Liverpool.
\n"As a Mesopotamian scholar looking at the Yangtze civilization, I see a lot of parallels and opportunities for research and collaborations, and I want to connect with them, and hopefully, sort of create contacts that may lead to long-term research collaborations."
\nThe forum includes a series of cultural seminars and exchange activities. At the 2025 Longgupo Site Academic Seminar held on Wednesday, experts on the world's major river civilizations from China, France, the UK, Malaysia, Brazil, Pakistan and Argentina, gathered to explore the provocative hypothesis that Asia may have been a cradle of early human civilization.
\nThis year marks the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the Longgupo Site, a pivotal location in the study of early human history situated in Xincheng village, Chongqing's Wushan county. Initially identified as a fossil site in 1984, it revealed human fossils and cultural relics the following year. By the end of last year, five rounds of excavations had been completed.
\nPaleomagnetic dating from 2022 suggests that the site dates back 2.5 to 2 million years in the Early Pleistocene period, making it one of the earliest known sites in East Asia. Its rich content provides invaluable study into the human origins and evolutions of humans in the region.
\nThe Yangtze flows for 6,300 kilometers from glaciers in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau through Chongqing, Wuhan, capital of Hubei province and Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, before reaching the East China Sea in Shanghai.
\nThe river has fed people living along its banks with a wealth of natural resources for thousands of years. One of the cradles of Chinese civilization, it is known as the "mother river", and more than 400 million people get their drinking water from it.
\nContact the writers at dengrui@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "content": "Experts on the world's major river civilizations gathered this week in Chongqing to exchange their insights on how to protect and promote cultures.
\nThemed "Bridging Rivers and Seas, Sharing Wisdom of Civilizations", the 2025 Yangtze River Civilization Forum focused on protecting the Yangtze River's cultural heritage and deepening exchanges among the world's major river civilizations.
\nThe event was cohosted by Chongqing and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
\nLocated on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, Chongqing boasts key geographic advantages as a strategic pivot point in the national development programs for China's western regions and the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. It is also a connecting point for the Belt and Road Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
\nPeng Jinhui, vice-president of CASS, said that China's residents should protect and promote the Yangtze River culture, which provides strong spiritual motivation for the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
\n"The Yangtze River has always been an open and inclusive river, serving as an important channel for the exchange and mutual learning of civilizations," Peng said at the forum.
\n"It has fostered the millenniums-old cultural heritage along the river, nurturing the shared spiritual home of the Chinese nation," he added.
\nThe event also attracted experts and scholars from the United Kingdom, Brazil, Egypt, Pakistan and other countries who study the Nile River basin, ancient Mesopotamia, Amazon River basin, Indus River basin and other great river civilizations.
\n"It is a very rewarding experience to see that they (experts working on the Yangtze River civilization) are trying to learn from the past in order to improve modern day life," said Magnus Widell, a professor from the University of Liverpool.
\n"As a Mesopotamian scholar looking at the Yangtze civilization, I see a lot of parallels and opportunities for research and collaborations, and I want to connect with them, and hopefully, sort of create contacts that may lead to long-term research collaborations."
\nThe forum includes a series of cultural seminars and exchange activities. At the 2025 Longgupo Site Academic Seminar held on Wednesday, experts on the world's major river civilizations from China, France, the UK, Malaysia, Brazil, Pakistan and Argentina, gathered to explore the provocative hypothesis that Asia may have been a cradle of early human civilization.
\nThis year marks the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the Longgupo Site, a pivotal location in the study of early human history situated in Xincheng village, Chongqing's Wushan county. Initially identified as a fossil site in 1984, it revealed human fossils and cultural relics the following year. By the end of last year, five rounds of excavations had been completed.
\nPaleomagnetic dating from 2022 suggests that the site dates back 2.5 to 2 million years in the Early Pleistocene period, making it one of the earliest known sites in East Asia. Its rich content provides invaluable study into the human origins and evolutions of humans in the region.
\nThe Yangtze flows for 6,300 kilometers from glaciers in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau through Chongqing, Wuhan, capital of Hubei province and Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, before reaching the East China Sea in Shanghai.
\nThe river has fed people living along its banks with a wealth of natural resources for thousands of years. One of the cradles of Chinese civilization, it is known as the "mother river", and more than 400 million people get their drinking water from it.
\nContact the writers at dengrui@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_002_68cdd3ceed50ccabe1519e42.htm#002CHINA", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:07 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "f71f6e3408223b16c3e27f3aa17e2375", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "004COMMENT - Cooperation, not confrontation, vital for East Asia", + "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/004/20250920_004_01_23.png\")
Liu Tiewa is the dean of the Country and Area Studies Academy, Beijing Foreign Studies University.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/004/20250920_004_01_26.png\")
Kang Hogu is the director of Sino-Korea Economy/Society Institute.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/004/20250920_004_01_31.png\")
Ni Yueju is a research fellow at the Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/004/20250920_004_01_36.png\")
Jun Youn Kim is the chief representative of Korea-China Science and Technology Cooperation Center.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/004/20250920_004_01_41.png\")
Osamu Onodera is the director of Beijing Representative Office, Japan External Trade Organization.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/004/20250920_004_01_14.png\")
\nEditor's note: The 2025 International Forum on Regional Cooperation and Development of China, Japan and the ROK was co-held by Beijing Foreign Studies University and China Daily in Beijing on Sept 19. Below are excerpts from the speeches delivered by five of the experts who participated in the forum.
\nGovernance system needs reform
\nThe global governance system faces a complex crisis, exacerbated by multiple overlapping pressures including the resurgence of unilateralism and protectionism, non-traditional security threats such as climate change and pandemics, and the rapid advancement of cutting-edge technologies such as AI. Against this backdrop, existing global governance mechanisms have become increasingly fragmented and unbalanced, and have been found wanting when it comes to resolving burning issues.
\nThese challenges have intensified because of the global governance system's inability to adapt to the changes in power structures and development paradigms, and the impact of technological revolutions.
\nFrom a development perspective, the sustainable development paradigm faces challenges during implementation. Traditional North-South aid models have been effective only to a certain level, while new forms of equitable partnership, such as South-South cooperation, are gaining prominence. At the same time, financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund should adapt to the actual economic worth of emerging economies and developing nations.
\nThe rapid pace of technological innovation has outstripped the slower cycle of traditional international lawmaking, creating governance gaps. As a result, soft-law mechanisms including the UN Global Digital Compact, China's Global AI Governance Action Plan, and regional regulations, such as the EU's digital rules, are playing increasingly important roles.
\nFaced with such multi-dimensional challenges, reforms in any single field can no longer address the systemic risks. There is therefore an urgent need to implement integrated reforms so as to synergize the restructuring of power, transformation of development models, and creation of new rules to make the global governance system fully adaptable to the fast-changing global landscape.
\nChina's role in global governance is evolving from that of a participant to a key shaper. By vowing to help build a community with a shared future for humanity, deepen South-South cooperation, promote the institutionalization of the G20, and by proposing the Global Governance Initiative, China is further contributing its wisdom to global governance.
\nAs major Asian economies, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea should place mutual benefit over their differences. By closely coordinating rule-making, providing public goods, and reforming the global governance architecture, the three sides can help build more resilient regional supply chains, thereby contributing to a more equitable, inclusive and effective global governance system.
\nROK should strengthen industry chains
\nWhen a country achieves rapid economic growth and higher per capita income through cost advantages, rising labor costs often erode those advantages. This shift necessitates moving from cost-based to technology-driven competitiveness. Navigating this transition leads to high-quality development, while failure could result in the country being caught in the middle-income trap.
\nMultinational corporations must adapt to the situation by identifying ideal production sites for their target markets. Through international trade and foreign direct investment, they can efficiently allocate production resources, driving industry chain restructuring.
\nSince the 2008 global financial crisis, the Republic of Korea's companies have been restructuring their industry chains. Their foreign direct investment has increasingly shifted from China to the United States and the ASEAN member states. This shift likely stems from two strategies: relocating to ASEAN member states to reduce costs, or entering the US to tap into its market and navigate the political dynamics.
\nWashington has been encouraging the ROK to invest at least $350 billion in the US. Over the past 40 years, the US, China and ASEAN member states have been the ROK's main investment destinations. Redirecting most resources to the US could result in inefficient resource allocation and a loss of competitive edge for ROK companies.
\nWashington's stricter immigration and visa restriction policies can also hinder foreign investment in the US. As such, the massive investment and profit distribution demanded by the US could severely impact the ROK economy.
\nGiven these facts, China and the ROK should avoid competing with each other in traditional industries and instead collaborate on R&D for emerging sectors and building technological strength.
\nThe ROK should strategically restructure its industry chains by establishing final product manufacturing for Chinese and US markets in those countries to mitigate potential risks. For global markets, production should be optimized for profitability. China and the ROK should also deepen cooperation in third-country markets.
\nBesides, the two sides can leverage the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership framework to eliminate cross-border duplicate tariffs on intermediate goods, thereby reducing transaction costs and enhancing the global competitiveness of their industry chains.
\nAs China-ROK economic relations shift from vertical division of labor to horizontal competition, friction is unavoidable. However, the two sides should foster a friendly exchange environment and calmly navigate global uncertainties to deepen cooperation, because people-to-people exchanges serve as a mitigating factor in challenging times and catalyst for progress in prosperous times.
\nShipbuilding has a good future in East Asia
\nEast Asia leads the global shipbuilding industry. Since the 1950s, the epicenter of shipbuilding has shifted from Western Europe to Asia. Japan overtook the United Kingdom in 1956 to become the world's largest shipbuilding nation. By the late 20th century, the Republic of Korea had overtaken Japan as the leading shipbuilding nation. China emerged as the world's largest shipbuilder around 2010 thanks to its significant technological advancement.
\nToday, China, Japan and the ROK together account for more than 95 percent of the global shipbuilding output, with China alone receiving about 70 percent of the new orders — underscoring its significant scale advantage in the industry.
\nThe three sides have developed distinct competitive profiles: China excels in scale, the ROK dominates high-end technology, and Japan maintains a strong presence in specific niche markets. By leveraging comprehensive supply chains, cost efficiency, and continuously upgrading technologies, China leads in completed tonnage and order backlogs. The ROK accounts for 86 percent of the high-value-added liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers' market, earning significantly high profit margins. And Japan remains competitive in specialized segments, such as deck machinery and hydrogen-fueled ships.
\nBehind this competitive landscape is a trilateral dynamic involving the interplay of technology, market and domestic institutions. Technological strength directly translates into market influence — as seen in the ROK's long-standing dominance in the LNG carrier sector thanks to its advanced technologies. Market feedback, in turn, prompts institutional adjustments, such as national subsidy policies and industrial funds designed to enhance competitiveness. Government support, through funding and talent incentives, further expedites technological progress.
\nThe development of the shipbuilding industry in the three countries hinges on their ability to strike an optimal balance among technology, market and institutions in key areas such as green fuels, smart shipyards, and supply chain integration. The country that gains an edge in this dynamic game will secure a more dominant position in the global shipbuilding market.
\nA new paradigm for AI cooperation
\nWhen cooperating on cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, two key considerations are crucial. First, it is important to invest early. Second, investing aggressively is essential to boost productivity.
\nIt is commonly assumed that the development of new technologies follows a bell curve. This leads many to chase trends in an effort to seize research and development opportunities in popular technological fields.
\nHowever, the reality is that what is currently trendy may actually be technologies that have already peaked and are nearing the end of their life cycle. Investing in them often results in poor outcomes. Instead, focus should shift to "emerging technologies" — those that seem to appear almost out of nowhere. Due to their sudden rise, they are sometimes referred to as "shark fin technologies".
\nTo capitalize on these opportunities, it's essential to identify them at a much earlier stage. Technologies in this initial phase are known as "weak signal technologies". How an organization responds to these early signs of innovation will ultimately determine its future success. These signals are not static but constantly evolving, requiring regular and automated updates to remain relevant.
\nThe second issue is called the productivity paradox. Almost every country expected an average 30 percent increase in productivity from AI. There is a widespread belief that introducing AI will immediately increase productivity and reduce the cost. However, the application of AI technology might lead to a decline in productivity, a phenomenon known as the valley of productivity death. This effect can vary depending on the characteristics of different industries.
\nA 2024 survey found that if AI accounts for less than 25 percent of existing R&D investment, productivity tends to decline. However, once AI investment exceeds that threshold, productivity begins to rise. These findings suggest that companies seeking to enhance productivity through AI should invest more aggressively.
\nThis underscores the importance of collaborating with external partners. While internal development may be faster, productivity increases when working collaboratively. AI-driven innovation cannot enhance productivity without parallel innovation in existing internal work processes.
\nAlthough cooperation in cutting-edge technology can be challenging, our study demonstrates that only by working together can we reduce the costs of exploring optimal combinations and share successful cases. Cooperation is essential for navigating the uncertainties of technological innovation.
\nCooperation among three sides crucial
\nAs members of APEC, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea should be heading toward "an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful community for the prosperity of all our people and future generations" in turbulent times.
\nThe role of open trade and investment becomes clear when you look at China's fast-paced development since joining the WTO in 2001. Japan and the ROK, despite having limited natural resources and a modest domestic market, have also benefited from free trade.
\nThe Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is expected to further deepen economic relations among the three countries, because the share of duty-free tariff lines for industrial goods after liberalization for exports from Japan to China would increase from 8 percent to 86 percent, and from China to Japan to about 98 percent. In the past, often Japan (and the ROK) used to be the supplier of intermediate products, and China or ASEAN member states the manufacturer of the final products which were exported to the US and Europe. That's no longer the case, because China has drastically upgraded its industries, and two-way intermediate goods trade within the region has greatly increased. But all these economic activities will not lead to prosperity if we lose "peace".
\nThe year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Learning from history is key to shaping a better future for all. It's notable that many Chinese agree that learning from history is not about passing on hatred. It is important to look at the historical ties in the region, since the Joint Statement of 1972 and the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1978, which paved the way for Japan-China cooperation and development during that period. The strong will to avoid military conflict and the aspiration to maintain peace should be our lifeblood.
\nChina, Japan and the ROK are not only neighbors but also share cultural heritages. Buddhism, Chinese characters and silk are some of our important cultural influences, and in the past commodities were introduced to Japan from China often through the ROK.
\nLast year, at the 9th ROK-Japan-China trilateral meeting, the three countries' leaders agreed to expedite negotiations on a trilateral free trade agreement in order to realize a free, fair, comprehensive, high-quality and mutually beneficial FTA, as well as resume work in fields such as people-to-people exchanges which help maintain stable ties. Equally important is dialogue among the youth, as a fast-changing geopolitical environment, rapid technological advancement, global and common challenges such as climate change and aging population require us to consider new ideas and adopt new approaches.
\nI believe trilateral cooperation can contribute to economic development, as well as to peace and security, in East Asia, the Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world.
\nThe views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.
\n", + "content": "Liu Tiewa is the dean of the Country and Area Studies Academy, Beijing Foreign Studies University.
\nKang Hogu is the director of Sino-Korea Economy/Society Institute.
\nNi Yueju is a research fellow at the Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
\nJun Youn Kim is the chief representative of Korea-China Science and Technology Cooperation Center.
\nOsamu Onodera is the director of Beijing Representative Office, Japan External Trade Organization.
\n\nEditor's note: The 2025 International Forum on Regional Cooperation and Development of China, Japan and the ROK was co-held by Beijing Foreign Studies University and China Daily in Beijing on Sept 19. Below are excerpts from the speeches delivered by five of the experts who participated in the forum.
\nGovernance system needs reform
\nThe global governance system faces a complex crisis, exacerbated by multiple overlapping pressures including the resurgence of unilateralism and protectionism, non-traditional security threats such as climate change and pandemics, and the rapid advancement of cutting-edge technologies such as AI. Against this backdrop, existing global governance mechanisms have become increasingly fragmented and unbalanced, and have been found wanting when it comes to resolving burning issues.
\nThese challenges have intensified because of the global governance system's inability to adapt to the changes in power structures and development paradigms, and the impact of technological revolutions.
\nFrom a development perspective, the sustainable development paradigm faces challenges during implementation. Traditional North-South aid models have been effective only to a certain level, while new forms of equitable partnership, such as South-South cooperation, are gaining prominence. At the same time, financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund should adapt to the actual economic worth of emerging economies and developing nations.
\nThe rapid pace of technological innovation has outstripped the slower cycle of traditional international lawmaking, creating governance gaps. As a result, soft-law mechanisms including the UN Global Digital Compact, China's Global AI Governance Action Plan, and regional regulations, such as the EU's digital rules, are playing increasingly important roles.
\nFaced with such multi-dimensional challenges, reforms in any single field can no longer address the systemic risks. There is therefore an urgent need to implement integrated reforms so as to synergize the restructuring of power, transformation of development models, and creation of new rules to make the global governance system fully adaptable to the fast-changing global landscape.
\nChina's role in global governance is evolving from that of a participant to a key shaper. By vowing to help build a community with a shared future for humanity, deepen South-South cooperation, promote the institutionalization of the G20, and by proposing the Global Governance Initiative, China is further contributing its wisdom to global governance.
\nAs major Asian economies, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea should place mutual benefit over their differences. By closely coordinating rule-making, providing public goods, and reforming the global governance architecture, the three sides can help build more resilient regional supply chains, thereby contributing to a more equitable, inclusive and effective global governance system.
\nROK should strengthen industry chains
\nWhen a country achieves rapid economic growth and higher per capita income through cost advantages, rising labor costs often erode those advantages. This shift necessitates moving from cost-based to technology-driven competitiveness. Navigating this transition leads to high-quality development, while failure could result in the country being caught in the middle-income trap.
\nMultinational corporations must adapt to the situation by identifying ideal production sites for their target markets. Through international trade and foreign direct investment, they can efficiently allocate production resources, driving industry chain restructuring.
\nSince the 2008 global financial crisis, the Republic of Korea's companies have been restructuring their industry chains. Their foreign direct investment has increasingly shifted from China to the United States and the ASEAN member states. This shift likely stems from two strategies: relocating to ASEAN member states to reduce costs, or entering the US to tap into its market and navigate the political dynamics.
\nWashington has been encouraging the ROK to invest at least $350 billion in the US. Over the past 40 years, the US, China and ASEAN member states have been the ROK's main investment destinations. Redirecting most resources to the US could result in inefficient resource allocation and a loss of competitive edge for ROK companies.
\nWashington's stricter immigration and visa restriction policies can also hinder foreign investment in the US. As such, the massive investment and profit distribution demanded by the US could severely impact the ROK economy.
\nGiven these facts, China and the ROK should avoid competing with each other in traditional industries and instead collaborate on R&D for emerging sectors and building technological strength.
\nThe ROK should strategically restructure its industry chains by establishing final product manufacturing for Chinese and US markets in those countries to mitigate potential risks. For global markets, production should be optimized for profitability. China and the ROK should also deepen cooperation in third-country markets.
\nBesides, the two sides can leverage the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership framework to eliminate cross-border duplicate tariffs on intermediate goods, thereby reducing transaction costs and enhancing the global competitiveness of their industry chains.
\nAs China-ROK economic relations shift from vertical division of labor to horizontal competition, friction is unavoidable. However, the two sides should foster a friendly exchange environment and calmly navigate global uncertainties to deepen cooperation, because people-to-people exchanges serve as a mitigating factor in challenging times and catalyst for progress in prosperous times.
\nShipbuilding has a good future in East Asia
\nEast Asia leads the global shipbuilding industry. Since the 1950s, the epicenter of shipbuilding has shifted from Western Europe to Asia. Japan overtook the United Kingdom in 1956 to become the world's largest shipbuilding nation. By the late 20th century, the Republic of Korea had overtaken Japan as the leading shipbuilding nation. China emerged as the world's largest shipbuilder around 2010 thanks to its significant technological advancement.
\nToday, China, Japan and the ROK together account for more than 95 percent of the global shipbuilding output, with China alone receiving about 70 percent of the new orders — underscoring its significant scale advantage in the industry.
\nThe three sides have developed distinct competitive profiles: China excels in scale, the ROK dominates high-end technology, and Japan maintains a strong presence in specific niche markets. By leveraging comprehensive supply chains, cost efficiency, and continuously upgrading technologies, China leads in completed tonnage and order backlogs. The ROK accounts for 86 percent of the high-value-added liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers' market, earning significantly high profit margins. And Japan remains competitive in specialized segments, such as deck machinery and hydrogen-fueled ships.
\nBehind this competitive landscape is a trilateral dynamic involving the interplay of technology, market and domestic institutions. Technological strength directly translates into market influence — as seen in the ROK's long-standing dominance in the LNG carrier sector thanks to its advanced technologies. Market feedback, in turn, prompts institutional adjustments, such as national subsidy policies and industrial funds designed to enhance competitiveness. Government support, through funding and talent incentives, further expedites technological progress.
\nThe development of the shipbuilding industry in the three countries hinges on their ability to strike an optimal balance among technology, market and institutions in key areas such as green fuels, smart shipyards, and supply chain integration. The country that gains an edge in this dynamic game will secure a more dominant position in the global shipbuilding market.
\nA new paradigm for AI cooperation
\nWhen cooperating on cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, two key considerations are crucial. First, it is important to invest early. Second, investing aggressively is essential to boost productivity.
\nIt is commonly assumed that the development of new technologies follows a bell curve. This leads many to chase trends in an effort to seize research and development opportunities in popular technological fields.
\nHowever, the reality is that what is currently trendy may actually be technologies that have already peaked and are nearing the end of their life cycle. Investing in them often results in poor outcomes. Instead, focus should shift to "emerging technologies" — those that seem to appear almost out of nowhere. Due to their sudden rise, they are sometimes referred to as "shark fin technologies".
\nTo capitalize on these opportunities, it's essential to identify them at a much earlier stage. Technologies in this initial phase are known as "weak signal technologies". How an organization responds to these early signs of innovation will ultimately determine its future success. These signals are not static but constantly evolving, requiring regular and automated updates to remain relevant.
\nThe second issue is called the productivity paradox. Almost every country expected an average 30 percent increase in productivity from AI. There is a widespread belief that introducing AI will immediately increase productivity and reduce the cost. However, the application of AI technology might lead to a decline in productivity, a phenomenon known as the valley of productivity death. This effect can vary depending on the characteristics of different industries.
\nA 2024 survey found that if AI accounts for less than 25 percent of existing R&D investment, productivity tends to decline. However, once AI investment exceeds that threshold, productivity begins to rise. These findings suggest that companies seeking to enhance productivity through AI should invest more aggressively.
\nThis underscores the importance of collaborating with external partners. While internal development may be faster, productivity increases when working collaboratively. AI-driven innovation cannot enhance productivity without parallel innovation in existing internal work processes.
\nAlthough cooperation in cutting-edge technology can be challenging, our study demonstrates that only by working together can we reduce the costs of exploring optimal combinations and share successful cases. Cooperation is essential for navigating the uncertainties of technological innovation.
\nCooperation among three sides crucial
\nAs members of APEC, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea should be heading toward "an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful community for the prosperity of all our people and future generations" in turbulent times.
\nThe role of open trade and investment becomes clear when you look at China's fast-paced development since joining the WTO in 2001. Japan and the ROK, despite having limited natural resources and a modest domestic market, have also benefited from free trade.
\nThe Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is expected to further deepen economic relations among the three countries, because the share of duty-free tariff lines for industrial goods after liberalization for exports from Japan to China would increase from 8 percent to 86 percent, and from China to Japan to about 98 percent. In the past, often Japan (and the ROK) used to be the supplier of intermediate products, and China or ASEAN member states the manufacturer of the final products which were exported to the US and Europe. That's no longer the case, because China has drastically upgraded its industries, and two-way intermediate goods trade within the region has greatly increased. But all these economic activities will not lead to prosperity if we lose "peace".
\nThe year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Learning from history is key to shaping a better future for all. It's notable that many Chinese agree that learning from history is not about passing on hatred. It is important to look at the historical ties in the region, since the Joint Statement of 1972 and the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1978, which paved the way for Japan-China cooperation and development during that period. The strong will to avoid military conflict and the aspiration to maintain peace should be our lifeblood.
\nChina, Japan and the ROK are not only neighbors but also share cultural heritages. Buddhism, Chinese characters and silk are some of our important cultural influences, and in the past commodities were introduced to Japan from China often through the ROK.
\nLast year, at the 9th ROK-Japan-China trilateral meeting, the three countries' leaders agreed to expedite negotiations on a trilateral free trade agreement in order to realize a free, fair, comprehensive, high-quality and mutually beneficial FTA, as well as resume work in fields such as people-to-people exchanges which help maintain stable ties. Equally important is dialogue among the youth, as a fast-changing geopolitical environment, rapid technological advancement, global and common challenges such as climate change and aging population require us to consider new ideas and adopt new approaches.
\nI believe trilateral cooperation can contribute to economic development, as well as to peace and security, in East Asia, the Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world.
\nThe views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_004_68cdd3e9ed50ccabe1519e4a.htm#004COMMENT", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:07 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "02bebccfb6e300b698acdf4963629a43", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "005WORLD - US vetoes UN demand for Gaza ceasefire", + "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/005/20250920_005_01_50.png\")
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/005/20250920_005_01_24.png\")
US deputy Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus raises her hand to veto a draft resolution during a United Nations Security Council meeting on the situation in Gaza, at UN headquarters in New York on Thursday.
\nThe United States on Thursday again stopped international drives to end catastrophes in the Gaza Strip by vetoing a United Nations Security Council draft resolution for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, despite all other 14 council members backing the call initiated in response to the UN's declaration of famine in the Palestinian territory.
\nIt drew widespread criticism in the Security Council and from the international community, as it was the sixth time the US has cast a veto in the council over the nearly two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas.
\n"In October 2023, when the US first vetoed a draft resolution on Gaza, the conflict had already claimed nearly 3,000 lives. Today, as the US once again abuses its veto power, the death toll in Gaza has surged to more than 65,000," Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, told the council.
\nSaying China is deeply disappointed at the result of the vote, Fu asked: How many more innocent lives should be lost before Gaza can achieve a ceasefire? How many more tragedies must occur before humanitarian aid can flow unimpeded? And how much longer must the world wait before the Security Council fulfills its responsibilities?
\n"Under an extreme blockade, Gaza is already facing famine, with disease spreading rapidly. As a permanent member, the US must face up to its responsibilities, support the council in performing its duties effectively, and safeguard the role and authority of the UN, rather than the opposite," he said.
\nAlgerian UN Ambassador Amar Bendjama said that the 14 council members who voted in favor of the draft have acted with conscience. "At this moment, there can be no ambiguity. Each of us must choose either to act to stop the genocide, or to be counted among those who were complicit," he said.
\nPakistan's envoy to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said, "Today's failure sends a dangerous message that the lives of 2 million besieged Palestinians are deemed expendable and can be subordinated to political considerations."
\nRussian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said there will be no breakthrough on the Middle East question as long as Washington's perception of the Gaza crisis remains unchanged.
\nFor the first time on Tuesday, a UN-mandated investigative commission released its independent analysis, accusing Israel of committing "genocide" in Gaza since October 2023. The issue will be central to the 80th UN General Assembly's annual gathering next week. Several close US allies, including France and the United Kingdom, are expected to move toward recognizing an independent Palestinian state.
\nBritish UN envoy Barbara Woodward regretted that the Security Council was unable to reach a consensus. "We need a ceasefire more than ever. And yet Israel's reckless expansion of its military operation takes us further away from a deal which could bring the hostages home and end the suffering in Gaza," she said.
\nMeanwhile, Gulf countries on Thursday decided to step up coordinated military operations after Israel's unprecedented attack on Qatar targeting Hamas leaders.
\nAt an extraordinary session in Doha, the Gulf Cooperation Council's Joint Defense Council decided to enhance intelligence exchange through the Unified Military Command, ensure real-time transmission of air situation data, accelerate the development of a regional ballistic missile early warning system and update defense plans.
\nThe council comprises defense officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. While condemning in "the strongest terms" Israel's attack on Doha, they agreed to hold joint drills among troops and command centers and an "actual air exercise" in the next three months.
\nQatar has also met with the president of the International Criminal Court as it seeks legal action against Israel over its strike on its territory last week, Qatar's chief negotiator, Mohammed al-Khulaifi, said on Thursday.
\nAt a moment of growing international alarm about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, nearly half of US people say Israel's military operation in Gaza has "gone too far", according to the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That's up from November 2023, when 40 percent said so.
\nThe shift came as Israeli tanks and jets on Friday kept pounding Gaza City, the target of a major new ground offensive, forcing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee south.
\nStill, many have stayed put. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said about 740,000 people, roughly 35 percent of Gaza's 2.1 million population, remain in the north of the enclave.
\nOlga Cherevko, a spokeswoman for the UN's humanitarian office, said the situation in Gaza City is "nothing short of cataclysmic".
\nXinhua and agencies contributed to this story.
\nContact the writers at cuihaipei@chinadaily.com.cn.
\n", + "content": "\nUS deputy Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus raises her hand to veto a draft resolution during a United Nations Security Council meeting on the situation in Gaza, at UN headquarters in New York on Thursday.
\nThe United States on Thursday again stopped international drives to end catastrophes in the Gaza Strip by vetoing a United Nations Security Council draft resolution for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, despite all other 14 council members backing the call initiated in response to the UN's declaration of famine in the Palestinian territory.
\nIt drew widespread criticism in the Security Council and from the international community, as it was the sixth time the US has cast a veto in the council over the nearly two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas.
\n"In October 2023, when the US first vetoed a draft resolution on Gaza, the conflict had already claimed nearly 3,000 lives. Today, as the US once again abuses its veto power, the death toll in Gaza has surged to more than 65,000," Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, told the council.
\nSaying China is deeply disappointed at the result of the vote, Fu asked: How many more innocent lives should be lost before Gaza can achieve a ceasefire? How many more tragedies must occur before humanitarian aid can flow unimpeded? And how much longer must the world wait before the Security Council fulfills its responsibilities?
\n"Under an extreme blockade, Gaza is already facing famine, with disease spreading rapidly. As a permanent member, the US must face up to its responsibilities, support the council in performing its duties effectively, and safeguard the role and authority of the UN, rather than the opposite," he said.
\nAlgerian UN Ambassador Amar Bendjama said that the 14 council members who voted in favor of the draft have acted with conscience. "At this moment, there can be no ambiguity. Each of us must choose either to act to stop the genocide, or to be counted among those who were complicit," he said.
\nPakistan's envoy to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said, "Today's failure sends a dangerous message that the lives of 2 million besieged Palestinians are deemed expendable and can be subordinated to political considerations."
\nRussian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said there will be no breakthrough on the Middle East question as long as Washington's perception of the Gaza crisis remains unchanged.
\nFor the first time on Tuesday, a UN-mandated investigative commission released its independent analysis, accusing Israel of committing "genocide" in Gaza since October 2023. The issue will be central to the 80th UN General Assembly's annual gathering next week. Several close US allies, including France and the United Kingdom, are expected to move toward recognizing an independent Palestinian state.
\nBritish UN envoy Barbara Woodward regretted that the Security Council was unable to reach a consensus. "We need a ceasefire more than ever. And yet Israel's reckless expansion of its military operation takes us further away from a deal which could bring the hostages home and end the suffering in Gaza," she said.
\nMeanwhile, Gulf countries on Thursday decided to step up coordinated military operations after Israel's unprecedented attack on Qatar targeting Hamas leaders.
\nAt an extraordinary session in Doha, the Gulf Cooperation Council's Joint Defense Council decided to enhance intelligence exchange through the Unified Military Command, ensure real-time transmission of air situation data, accelerate the development of a regional ballistic missile early warning system and update defense plans.
\nThe council comprises defense officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. While condemning in "the strongest terms" Israel's attack on Doha, they agreed to hold joint drills among troops and command centers and an "actual air exercise" in the next three months.
\nQatar has also met with the president of the International Criminal Court as it seeks legal action against Israel over its strike on its territory last week, Qatar's chief negotiator, Mohammed al-Khulaifi, said on Thursday.
\nAt a moment of growing international alarm about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, nearly half of US people say Israel's military operation in Gaza has "gone too far", according to the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That's up from November 2023, when 40 percent said so.
\nThe shift came as Israeli tanks and jets on Friday kept pounding Gaza City, the target of a major new ground offensive, forcing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee south.
\nStill, many have stayed put. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said about 740,000 people, roughly 35 percent of Gaza's 2.1 million population, remain in the north of the enclave.
\nOlga Cherevko, a spokeswoman for the UN's humanitarian office, said the situation in Gaza City is "nothing short of cataclysmic".
\nXinhua and agencies contributed to this story.
\nContact the writers at cuihaipei@chinadaily.com.cn.
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_005_68cdd3eded50ccabe1519e4b.htm#005WORLD", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:07 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "8cfda5ad0d9731403c14dc50a5d0b64a", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "005WORLD - French unions strike against austerity", + "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/005/20250920_005_02_33.png\")
Protesters demonstrate in Strasbourg, eastern France, on Thursday during a day of nationwide strikes and protests called by unions over France's national budget.
\nPARIS — Hundreds of thousands took part in anti-austerity protests across France on Thursday, urging President Emmanuel Macron and his new Prime Minister, Sebastien Lecornu, to acknowledge their anger and scrap looming budget cuts.
\nTeachers, train drivers, pharmacists and hospital staff members were among those who went on strike as part of the day of protests, while teenagers blocked dozens of high schools for hours. Protesters and unions called for the previous government's fiscal plans to be scrapped, for increased spending on public services, higher taxes on the wealthy and for the reversal of an unpopular change that requires people to work longer to receive a pension.
\n"The anger is immense, and so is the determination. My message to Mr Lecornu today is this: it's the streets that must decide the budget," said Sophie Binet, head of the CGT union.
\nThe CGT stated that 1 million people participated in the strikes and protests. Authorities estimated the number of protesters to be about half that number. There were some clashes on the margins of the rallies, but the level of violence was not as high as Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau had feared.
\nMacron's new prime minister is scrambling to put together a budget for next year, as well as a new government. In a post on X, he vowed to meet the unions again "in the coming days".
\nLecornu and Macron are under pressure on one side from protesters and left-wing parties opposed to budget cuts and, on the other, from investors concerned about the deficit in the eurozone's second-largest economy. Parliament is deeply divided and none of its three main groups has a majority.
\nPrimary school teachers were on strike on Thursday, and nearly half walked off the job in Paris, another union said.
\nRegional trains were heavily affected, while most of the country's high-speed TGV train lines worked, officials said. Protesters gathered to slow down traffic on a highway near the southeastern city of Toulon.
\nIn Paris, police on several occasions threw tear gas to disperse troublemakers dressed in black who hurled beer cans and stones at them. Police also intervened to prevent people from targeting banks.
\nThere were brief clashes on the margins of some of the other protests as well, including in Nantes and Lyon, where French media reported that three people were injured. More than 180 people have been arrested, the interior ministry said.
\nFrance's budget deficit last year was nearly double the EU's 3 percent ceiling, but as he wants to reduce that, Lecornu, reliant on other parties to push through legislation, will face a battle to gather parliamentary support for a budget for 2026.
\n", + "content": "Protesters demonstrate in Strasbourg, eastern France, on Thursday during a day of nationwide strikes and protests called by unions over France's national budget.
\nPARIS — Hundreds of thousands took part in anti-austerity protests across France on Thursday, urging President Emmanuel Macron and his new Prime Minister, Sebastien Lecornu, to acknowledge their anger and scrap looming budget cuts.
\nTeachers, train drivers, pharmacists and hospital staff members were among those who went on strike as part of the day of protests, while teenagers blocked dozens of high schools for hours. Protesters and unions called for the previous government's fiscal plans to be scrapped, for increased spending on public services, higher taxes on the wealthy and for the reversal of an unpopular change that requires people to work longer to receive a pension.
\n"The anger is immense, and so is the determination. My message to Mr Lecornu today is this: it's the streets that must decide the budget," said Sophie Binet, head of the CGT union.
\nThe CGT stated that 1 million people participated in the strikes and protests. Authorities estimated the number of protesters to be about half that number. There were some clashes on the margins of the rallies, but the level of violence was not as high as Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau had feared.
\nMacron's new prime minister is scrambling to put together a budget for next year, as well as a new government. In a post on X, he vowed to meet the unions again "in the coming days".
\nLecornu and Macron are under pressure on one side from protesters and left-wing parties opposed to budget cuts and, on the other, from investors concerned about the deficit in the eurozone's second-largest economy. Parliament is deeply divided and none of its three main groups has a majority.
\nPrimary school teachers were on strike on Thursday, and nearly half walked off the job in Paris, another union said.
\nRegional trains were heavily affected, while most of the country's high-speed TGV train lines worked, officials said. Protesters gathered to slow down traffic on a highway near the southeastern city of Toulon.
\nIn Paris, police on several occasions threw tear gas to disperse troublemakers dressed in black who hurled beer cans and stones at them. Police also intervened to prevent people from targeting banks.
\nThere were brief clashes on the margins of some of the other protests as well, including in Nantes and Lyon, where French media reported that three people were injured. More than 180 people have been arrested, the interior ministry said.
\nFrance's budget deficit last year was nearly double the EU's 3 percent ceiling, but as he wants to reduce that, Lecornu, reliant on other parties to push through legislation, will face a battle to gather parliamentary support for a budget for 2026.
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_005_68cdd3f1ed50ccabe1519e4c.htm#005WORLD", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:07 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "b75f1984daecbc83c1a917ea9ab12254", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "005WORLD - War horrors of Japan's Unit 731 in spotlight", + "description": "For Australian James Ashbridge, the suffering inflicted by Japanese invaders during World War II has always been closely felt because his hometown of Darwin in the Northern Territory was also a target.
\nStill, this did not prepare him for the scale of atrocities committed by Japan's Unit 731, the notorious biological warfare force operating in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province.
\n"I've never seen or heard about that before … I had no idea how terrible this situation was in China," the 38-year-old social media entrepreneur told China Daily.
\nOn Thursday, Ashbridge attended a packed Sydney cinema screening of the Australian premiere of Evil Unbound, a movie retelling the horrors of Unit 731. Including Australia, the film, also known as 731, is set for worldwide release. The movie also opened on Thursday in New Zealand, and reached North American theaters on Friday.
\nFilmgoers in Australia saw the horrific acts committed by the Japanese military, such as frostbite, gas, electric shocks, and other gruesome experiments on humans that left them dying in extreme agony.
\nAccording to Harbin's Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army, at least 3,000 people were used for experiments, while Japan's biological weapons killed more than 300,000 people across China's provinces.
\nAustralian journalist Marcus Reubenstein, who also attended the movie premiere, told China Daily that the Chinese were "disproportionately victims of these atrocities by what was Imperial Japan" during a "very dark period of history".
\n"What happened with Unit 731 during the war was horrendous," Reubenstein said, adding that it was "arguably the most horrendous war crime of all theaters of war" in World War II.
\nRobert Barwick, national chairman of the Australian Citizens Party, told China Daily that the screening notably coincides with this year's 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War.
\n"Just as there are lots of movies, documentaries, about things like the Holocaust in Europe, it's very important that what's happened in Asia … is not forgotten as well," he said.
\n"Australians don't remember as much of this history as they should," Barwick said, adding that his grandfather fought the Japanese during the war in the Kokoda Track campaign in what is now Papua New Guinea, as part of the Allied effort.
\n"China contributed to Australia being saved from the Japanese. It was an effort by many countries, and we should value that," Barwick said.
\nRen Yingying, representing the Australia-Heilongjiang Chinese Association, a joint organizer of the premiere screening, said sharing the film with Australian cinema audiences will help remind more people and subsequent generations about a crucial part of history and the hard-fought peace that must always be cherished.
\nAshbridge, the social media entrepreneur, said the impact of watching Evil Unbound left him "shaking".
\n"I was not expecting it to be so raw and so 'in your face', that you see such detail of the torture that took place in China at that time," he said.
\nAshbridge added that such movies and the history they reflect would certainly cause people nowadays to think about how lucky they are to live in peaceful times.
\n"It also reminds me about how far China has come, after having gone through such terrible times," he said.
\nContact the writers at xinxin@chinadaily.com.cn.
\n", + "content": "For Australian James Ashbridge, the suffering inflicted by Japanese invaders during World War II has always been closely felt because his hometown of Darwin in the Northern Territory was also a target.
\nStill, this did not prepare him for the scale of atrocities committed by Japan's Unit 731, the notorious biological warfare force operating in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province.
\n"I've never seen or heard about that before … I had no idea how terrible this situation was in China," the 38-year-old social media entrepreneur told China Daily.
\nOn Thursday, Ashbridge attended a packed Sydney cinema screening of the Australian premiere of Evil Unbound, a movie retelling the horrors of Unit 731. Including Australia, the film, also known as 731, is set for worldwide release. The movie also opened on Thursday in New Zealand, and reached North American theaters on Friday.
\nFilmgoers in Australia saw the horrific acts committed by the Japanese military, such as frostbite, gas, electric shocks, and other gruesome experiments on humans that left them dying in extreme agony.
\nAccording to Harbin's Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army, at least 3,000 people were used for experiments, while Japan's biological weapons killed more than 300,000 people across China's provinces.
\nAustralian journalist Marcus Reubenstein, who also attended the movie premiere, told China Daily that the Chinese were "disproportionately victims of these atrocities by what was Imperial Japan" during a "very dark period of history".
\n"What happened with Unit 731 during the war was horrendous," Reubenstein said, adding that it was "arguably the most horrendous war crime of all theaters of war" in World War II.
\nRobert Barwick, national chairman of the Australian Citizens Party, told China Daily that the screening notably coincides with this year's 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War.
\n"Just as there are lots of movies, documentaries, about things like the Holocaust in Europe, it's very important that what's happened in Asia … is not forgotten as well," he said.
\n"Australians don't remember as much of this history as they should," Barwick said, adding that his grandfather fought the Japanese during the war in the Kokoda Track campaign in what is now Papua New Guinea, as part of the Allied effort.
\n"China contributed to Australia being saved from the Japanese. It was an effort by many countries, and we should value that," Barwick said.
\nRen Yingying, representing the Australia-Heilongjiang Chinese Association, a joint organizer of the premiere screening, said sharing the film with Australian cinema audiences will help remind more people and subsequent generations about a crucial part of history and the hard-fought peace that must always be cherished.
\nAshbridge, the social media entrepreneur, said the impact of watching Evil Unbound left him "shaking".
\n"I was not expecting it to be so raw and so 'in your face', that you see such detail of the torture that took place in China at that time," he said.
\nAshbridge added that such movies and the history they reflect would certainly cause people nowadays to think about how lucky they are to live in peaceful times.
\n"It also reminds me about how far China has come, after having gone through such terrible times," he said.
\nContact the writers at xinxin@chinadaily.com.cn.
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_005_68cdd3f6ed50ccabe1519e4d.htm#005WORLD", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:07 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "c47c2be7e83bc32493bfd8103f1b158a", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "005WORLD - Science still holds key in solving cases, expert says", + "description": "Social and political complexities are increasing the challenges faced by criminal investigations, though scientific evidence remains primary, a Chinese American forensic expert said.
\nHenry C. Lee, an 84-year-old forensic scientist and biochemist, spoke on Sept 13 at the School of Visual Arts Theater at a cultural exchange event attended by more than 500 people.
\nLee's career spans nearly six decades, and he has taken part in more than 8,000 investigations. In a US News & World Report list of 25 headlines that shaped history, Lee was credited with direct or indirect involvement in 14 of them, including the O.J. Simpson trial, the Sept 11 terrorist attacks, and investigations related to the assassination of former president John F. Kennedy.
\n"Let the scientific evidence do the talking," he said. Addressing several recent high-profile cases in the US, Lee told China Daily that public debate and social divisions often overshadow the facts.
\n"That is unfortunate," he said. "The world has changed so much. Geopolitics, political divisions and racial tensions complicate everything. We must learn to respect one another and live together peacefully, instead of confronting each other with violence."
\nLee also warned that social media has created "major problems" for criminal investigations.
\n"It's become a major, major problem, giving influence against criminal investigations," he said. "In the early days, reporters reported facts," he said, adding that now social media sometimes twists facts and writes a story.
\nUse of AI
\nConsidering the use of artificial intelligence today, he added that although it can be used to fabricate facts and create distracting falsehoods with realistic images and videos that make it harder for readers to tell what is real, Lee acknowledged that AI and other digital tools are playing an increasingly important role in investigative work.
\n"AI has really taken over many investigative tasks," he said. "More than 20 years ago, we began using tools that weren't called 'AI' — that we called profiling, geographic analysis, big-data methods and logical intelligence — to solve cases."
\n"Today, CCTV footage alone can solve many crimes: facial recognition, voice analysis, vehicle shape and pattern matching, model and year identification, and automated license-plate reading. GPS and cellphone data let investigators pinpoint locations and communications. Where investigators once labored over paint chips and trace evidence, AI and data analytics now handle much of that work," he added. But Lee was emphatic that technology cannot replace physical evidence.
\nLee was appointed Connecticut state police commissioner in 1998, becoming the first Chinese American to hold such a high-ranking post in US law enforcement. He was inducted into Connecticut's Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame in 2019.
\nmingmeili@chinadailyusa.com
\n", + "content": "Social and political complexities are increasing the challenges faced by criminal investigations, though scientific evidence remains primary, a Chinese American forensic expert said.
\nHenry C. Lee, an 84-year-old forensic scientist and biochemist, spoke on Sept 13 at the School of Visual Arts Theater at a cultural exchange event attended by more than 500 people.
\nLee's career spans nearly six decades, and he has taken part in more than 8,000 investigations. In a US News & World Report list of 25 headlines that shaped history, Lee was credited with direct or indirect involvement in 14 of them, including the O.J. Simpson trial, the Sept 11 terrorist attacks, and investigations related to the assassination of former president John F. Kennedy.
\n"Let the scientific evidence do the talking," he said. Addressing several recent high-profile cases in the US, Lee told China Daily that public debate and social divisions often overshadow the facts.
\n"That is unfortunate," he said. "The world has changed so much. Geopolitics, political divisions and racial tensions complicate everything. We must learn to respect one another and live together peacefully, instead of confronting each other with violence."
\nLee also warned that social media has created "major problems" for criminal investigations.
\n"It's become a major, major problem, giving influence against criminal investigations," he said. "In the early days, reporters reported facts," he said, adding that now social media sometimes twists facts and writes a story.
\nUse of AI
\nConsidering the use of artificial intelligence today, he added that although it can be used to fabricate facts and create distracting falsehoods with realistic images and videos that make it harder for readers to tell what is real, Lee acknowledged that AI and other digital tools are playing an increasingly important role in investigative work.
\n"AI has really taken over many investigative tasks," he said. "More than 20 years ago, we began using tools that weren't called 'AI' — that we called profiling, geographic analysis, big-data methods and logical intelligence — to solve cases."
\n"Today, CCTV footage alone can solve many crimes: facial recognition, voice analysis, vehicle shape and pattern matching, model and year identification, and automated license-plate reading. GPS and cellphone data let investigators pinpoint locations and communications. Where investigators once labored over paint chips and trace evidence, AI and data analytics now handle much of that work," he added. But Lee was emphatic that technology cannot replace physical evidence.
\nLee was appointed Connecticut state police commissioner in 1998, becoming the first Chinese American to hold such a high-ranking post in US law enforcement. He was inducted into Connecticut's Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame in 2019.
\nmingmeili@chinadailyusa.com
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_005_68cdd3faed50ccabe1519e4e.htm#005WORLD", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:07 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "3ecefd064e49e92c44d8c87e02b4f053", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "005WORLD - Briefly", + "description": "MEXICO
\nTrade ties with Canada deepened amid tariffs
\nCanadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum promised during a meeting in Mexico City on Thursday to strengthen trade relations in the face of US tariff threats and pushed to keep the most important free trade agreement in the Western Hemisphere alive in the lead-up to negotiations next year. Key to Carney and Sheinbaum's meeting was the United States-Mexico-Canada trade pact, which is up for review in 2026. Sheinbaum said they aim to increase bilateral trade in various sectors through the free-trade agreement and achieve this through maritime routes, thereby avoiding the need for those goods to pass through the US.
\nFRANCE
\nDeaths from wildfire smoke to surge: Study
\nGlobal deaths linked to wildfire smoke could rise sixfold to 1.4 million people a year by 2100, even with moderate levels of global warming, according to research published in Nature on Thursday. It adds to warnings of the significant and growing health impacts from climate-stoked wildfires, which belch out smoke that can drift across continents and oceans. Researchers predicted that between the period 2010-14 and 2095-99, global fire carbon emissions could rise by 23 percent under mid-range emissions scenarios.
\nRUSSIA
\nFM Lavrov to meet US counterpart Rubio soon
\nA meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is planned at the United Nations General Assembly, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Friday, citing Russia's envoy to the UN. Lavrov and Rubio "will discuss an entire range of issues, both bilateral and multilateral. There is no specific agenda yet, but a meeting is being planned", said Russia's permanent representative at the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, according to the staterun Vesti news outlet.
\n", + "content": "MEXICO
\nTrade ties with Canada deepened amid tariffs
\nCanadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum promised during a meeting in Mexico City on Thursday to strengthen trade relations in the face of US tariff threats and pushed to keep the most important free trade agreement in the Western Hemisphere alive in the lead-up to negotiations next year. Key to Carney and Sheinbaum's meeting was the United States-Mexico-Canada trade pact, which is up for review in 2026. Sheinbaum said they aim to increase bilateral trade in various sectors through the free-trade agreement and achieve this through maritime routes, thereby avoiding the need for those goods to pass through the US.
\nFRANCE
\nDeaths from wildfire smoke to surge: Study
\nGlobal deaths linked to wildfire smoke could rise sixfold to 1.4 million people a year by 2100, even with moderate levels of global warming, according to research published in Nature on Thursday. It adds to warnings of the significant and growing health impacts from climate-stoked wildfires, which belch out smoke that can drift across continents and oceans. Researchers predicted that between the period 2010-14 and 2095-99, global fire carbon emissions could rise by 23 percent under mid-range emissions scenarios.
\nRUSSIA
\nFM Lavrov to meet US counterpart Rubio soon
\nA meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is planned at the United Nations General Assembly, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Friday, citing Russia's envoy to the UN. Lavrov and Rubio "will discuss an entire range of issues, both bilateral and multilateral. There is no specific agenda yet, but a meeting is being planned", said Russia's permanent representative at the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, according to the staterun Vesti news outlet.
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_005_68cdd3ffed50ccabe1519e4f.htm#005WORLD", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:07 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "ab8a092674e2dea1227b0fb270cef63d", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "006ADVERTORIAL - AVIATION PIONEER LIFTS LIAONING", + "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/006/20250920_006_01_38.png\")
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/006/20250920_006_01_1.png\")
\nDuring the Liaoning Science and Technology Conference held in the provincial capital Shenyang in 2024, the aircraft general design expert Yang Fengtian was honored with the Liaoning top sci-tech award. Born in Yixian county in 1941, Yang has dedicated over 60 years to China's aviation sector and still works six hours every day to develop new energy aircraft and promote the general aviation industry.
\n"I am very willing to keep working as long as my health allows," he said.
\nIn the 1960s, Yang joined the AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute after graduating from college and worked on the design of Chinese fighter jet Shenyang J-8, which was granted the special prize of the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award.
\nYang once stated in an interview that the most memorable moment in his career was J-8's first successful flight on July 5, 1969. "That was the first time I saw an aircraft I had helped design take to the skies," he said.
\nIn the late 1980s, Yang was responsible for developing aerial refueling technology for the J-8II. Facing significant risks and challenges, Yang and his team demonstrated resolute determination and unyielding spirit, achieving success within two years. This breakthrough was of strategic significance for enhancing the operational capabilities of the country's air force and navy.
\nIn 2007, Yang was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, China's highest academic title in science and technology. Nevertheless, his commitment to the aviation industry continued. In 2010, he became the president of Shenyang Aerospace University. Under his leadership, the Liaoning General Aviation Academy was founded in 2021.
\nDespite his age, Yang worked with young researchers at the academy to achieve technological breakthroughs in new energy aircraft, advancing China's expertise in aviation lithium battery technology, electric propulsion systems, and composite material structural design.
\nIn September, China's first two-seat electric helicopter, the RX1H, made its maiden flight at the Shenyang Faku Caihu Airport. The helicopter research program, led by Yang's team at the LGAA, achieved advancements in over 10 technological areas, including high-energy-density battery integration, high-efficiency electric drive systems, and lightweight structural design.
\n"Working hours are the happiest time, and the laughter after solving problems is the most joyful sound for me," Yang said. "Watching our fighters take off and land brings me immense satisfaction. I truly cannot stay away from aircraft."
\nYang has spent most of his life in Liaoning, contributing to the province's aviation industry and sci-tech development. The region has, in turn, shaped his personality and bolstered his career, becoming an inseparable part of his legacy.
\nAlongside Yang, Liaoning is now home to 57 academicians of the CAE and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, including Guo Xu from Dalian University of Technology, Li Dianzhong from the Institute of Metal Research at CAS, Pan Yishan from Liaoning University, Yu Haibin from the Shenyang Institute of Automation at CAS, Zhu Jiaojun from the Institute of Applied Ecology at CAS and Liu Yongquan from the AECC Shenyang Engine Research Institute.
\nSolid foundation
\nAs one of China's major industrial bases, Liaoning has abundant scientific and educational resources and a solid innovation foundation, which injects momentum into its sustained growth.
\nThe province is leveraging sci-tech innovation as the main driver to cultivate new quality productive forces, and stepping up efforts to build a regional sci-tech innovation center with national influence to provide great support for its full revitalization, according to a senior official from the Liaoning Department of Science and Technology.
\nLiaoning has established an array of high-level sci-tech platforms including the "two cities and one park" — Shenyang Hunnan Sci-tech City, the Dalian Yinggeshi Scientific City and the Shenfu Scientific Innovation Park.
\nThe core startup area of Hunnan Sci-Tech City opened last year, attracting 50 sci-tech projects such as the Innovation Center for Special Metals and High-end Components Technology and the Liaoning Liaohe Laboratory.
\nLiaoning Liaohe Laboratory is one of four new provincial research institutes established in 2022, alongside the Liaoning Academy of Materials, Liaoning Binhai Laboratory, and Liaoning Huanghai Laboratory. These institutes focus on intelligent manufacturing, new materials, clean energy, and high-end equipment manufacturing, respectively, with the goal of enhancing Liaoning's sci-tech platforms through institutional innovation and breakthroughs in key technologies, said government officials.
\nIn the first quarter of 2025, the added value of industrial enterprises above a designated size in Liaoning rose by 3.6 percent year-on-year. Notably, the added value of high-tech manufacturing surged by 10.9 percent, marking the best performance in the past decade.
\nCities across the province have cultivated their advantageous industries, showcasing great vitality in the sci-tech sector. The coastal city of Dalian stands out as a regional leader in the marine economy, with traditional industries such as fisheries and sea transportation accelerating transition. Anshan, one of China's largest producers of magnesite raw materials, has proposed to build a world-class magnesite production base and aims to achieve an output value of 50 billion yuan ($7.03 billion) this year.
\nLiaoning is home to more than 40,000 sci-tech small and medium-sized businesses, as well as 14,000 national high-tech companies, and three unicorn enterprises — startups valued at over $1 billion.
\nFavorable environment
\nTo accelerate the transformation and utilization of research results, the province has established a working mechanism connecting research institutes and companies. A list of technological demands from tech companies is released regularly, enabling researchers to carry out more targeted research programs and address specific technology challenges.
\nMeanwhile, enterprises can stay informed about the latest technological advancements based on sci-tech achievement lists from research institutes and universities, offering tailored support such as capital and application scenarios.
\nFocusing on the innovation needs of companies, the "sci-tech commissioner" program was launched. In 2024, more than 1,000 people from universities, research institutes, enterprises, and public institutions were selected and dispatched to different companies across the province to assist with technology research, talent cultivation, finance, and research result transformation.
\nAmong them, Sun Xi, a teacher from Yingkou Institute of Technology, was assigned to Liaoning Rontec Advanced Material Technology to assist in aluminum foam production.
\n"We achieved breakthroughs in core technologies thanks to Sun's assistance. Our production capacity has tripled with new equipment," said Zhu Delin, general manager of the company.
\nSenior engineer Dai Fengyou from the patent center of DLUT helped Dalian Jingtuo Machinery Manufacturing use two intellectual property assets as collateral to secure a loan of 5 million yuan.
\nThese sci-tech commissioners serve as a bridge between companies, universities and research institutes, ensuring cooperation and fostering the deeper integration of sci-tech research and industrial innovation, according to officials from the department.
\nThis year, the first batch of 813 "sci-tech commissioners" was dispatched in February, with the total number expected to hit 3,000.
\nIn addition, the province has built an online comprehensive service platform to gather innovation resources, improve services, and advance the transformation of scientific research results.
\nThe platform, now in trial operation, integrates technological demands, research results, sci-tech talents, instrument sharing, startup incubation, and technology services.
\nAccording to the plan, it will further add and enhance services such as online demand-supply matching, virtual road shows, evaluation and technology transaction, while connecting with municipal platforms as well as key companies, universities, and research institutes to form a collaborative innovation system.
\nOfficial data showed that Liaoning's transaction value of technology contracts reached 154.08 billion yuan in 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of 17.8 percent — 6.6 percentage points higher than the national average.
\nKey projects
\nOver the past few years, Liaoning has made great strides in scientific and technological research, developing cutting-edge technologies and major equipment across sectors such as aviation, marine, rail transport and energy.
\n�6�1 Fendouzhe
\nThe Fendouzhe, or Striver in English, a deep-sea manned submersible developed by Chinese scientists, was launched in 2016.
\nZhao Yang from the Shenyang Institute of Automation at CAS served as its deputy chief designer.
\nIn November 2020, the submersible, crewed by Zhao and two other researchers, completed its diving mission in the Mariana Trench, setting a new national depth record of 10,909 meters. This marked a milestone in China's deep-sea exploration, demonstrating its comprehensive strength in marine high technology.
\n�6�1 ±1,100-kilovolt direct current converter transformer
\nThe ±1,100 kV direct current converter transformer, developed by TBEA Shenyang Transformer Group, is a key component of the Changji converter station in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, which is also the starting point of the Changji-Guquan ±1,100 kV UHV direct current transmission project.
\nStretching approximately 3,293 kilometers, the project holds the world record for the longest transmission distance, highest voltage level, and largest transmission capacity.
\nBy the end of 2024, the transmission line had delivered about 312.09 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to Guquan township in East China's Anhui province, since it began operations in September 2019.
\n�6�1 Photon-counting CT
\nShenyang-based company Neusoft Medical Systems received market approval in August for its NeuViz P10 photon-counting CT scanner. This marks the first photon-counting CT approved in China, and the world's first wide-body system equipped with an 8-centimeter detector. The photon-counting CT is considered a breakthrough in the next-generation imaging sector. Unlike conventional CT scanners, which first convert X-rays into light before generating digital images, the NeuViz P10 utilizes a cadmium zinc telluride detector to capture and convert X-ray photons directly into a digital signal.
\nzhanglinwan@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "content": "\n\nDuring the Liaoning Science and Technology Conference held in the provincial capital Shenyang in 2024, the aircraft general design expert Yang Fengtian was honored with the Liaoning top sci-tech award. Born in Yixian county in 1941, Yang has dedicated over 60 years to China's aviation sector and still works six hours every day to develop new energy aircraft and promote the general aviation industry.
\n"I am very willing to keep working as long as my health allows," he said.
\nIn the 1960s, Yang joined the AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute after graduating from college and worked on the design of Chinese fighter jet Shenyang J-8, which was granted the special prize of the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award.
\nYang once stated in an interview that the most memorable moment in his career was J-8's first successful flight on July 5, 1969. "That was the first time I saw an aircraft I had helped design take to the skies," he said.
\nIn the late 1980s, Yang was responsible for developing aerial refueling technology for the J-8II. Facing significant risks and challenges, Yang and his team demonstrated resolute determination and unyielding spirit, achieving success within two years. This breakthrough was of strategic significance for enhancing the operational capabilities of the country's air force and navy.
\nIn 2007, Yang was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, China's highest academic title in science and technology. Nevertheless, his commitment to the aviation industry continued. In 2010, he became the president of Shenyang Aerospace University. Under his leadership, the Liaoning General Aviation Academy was founded in 2021.
\nDespite his age, Yang worked with young researchers at the academy to achieve technological breakthroughs in new energy aircraft, advancing China's expertise in aviation lithium battery technology, electric propulsion systems, and composite material structural design.
\nIn September, China's first two-seat electric helicopter, the RX1H, made its maiden flight at the Shenyang Faku Caihu Airport. The helicopter research program, led by Yang's team at the LGAA, achieved advancements in over 10 technological areas, including high-energy-density battery integration, high-efficiency electric drive systems, and lightweight structural design.
\n"Working hours are the happiest time, and the laughter after solving problems is the most joyful sound for me," Yang said. "Watching our fighters take off and land brings me immense satisfaction. I truly cannot stay away from aircraft."
\nYang has spent most of his life in Liaoning, contributing to the province's aviation industry and sci-tech development. The region has, in turn, shaped his personality and bolstered his career, becoming an inseparable part of his legacy.
\nAlongside Yang, Liaoning is now home to 57 academicians of the CAE and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, including Guo Xu from Dalian University of Technology, Li Dianzhong from the Institute of Metal Research at CAS, Pan Yishan from Liaoning University, Yu Haibin from the Shenyang Institute of Automation at CAS, Zhu Jiaojun from the Institute of Applied Ecology at CAS and Liu Yongquan from the AECC Shenyang Engine Research Institute.
\nSolid foundation
\nAs one of China's major industrial bases, Liaoning has abundant scientific and educational resources and a solid innovation foundation, which injects momentum into its sustained growth.
\nThe province is leveraging sci-tech innovation as the main driver to cultivate new quality productive forces, and stepping up efforts to build a regional sci-tech innovation center with national influence to provide great support for its full revitalization, according to a senior official from the Liaoning Department of Science and Technology.
\nLiaoning has established an array of high-level sci-tech platforms including the "two cities and one park" — Shenyang Hunnan Sci-tech City, the Dalian Yinggeshi Scientific City and the Shenfu Scientific Innovation Park.
\nThe core startup area of Hunnan Sci-Tech City opened last year, attracting 50 sci-tech projects such as the Innovation Center for Special Metals and High-end Components Technology and the Liaoning Liaohe Laboratory.
\nLiaoning Liaohe Laboratory is one of four new provincial research institutes established in 2022, alongside the Liaoning Academy of Materials, Liaoning Binhai Laboratory, and Liaoning Huanghai Laboratory. These institutes focus on intelligent manufacturing, new materials, clean energy, and high-end equipment manufacturing, respectively, with the goal of enhancing Liaoning's sci-tech platforms through institutional innovation and breakthroughs in key technologies, said government officials.
\nIn the first quarter of 2025, the added value of industrial enterprises above a designated size in Liaoning rose by 3.6 percent year-on-year. Notably, the added value of high-tech manufacturing surged by 10.9 percent, marking the best performance in the past decade.
\nCities across the province have cultivated their advantageous industries, showcasing great vitality in the sci-tech sector. The coastal city of Dalian stands out as a regional leader in the marine economy, with traditional industries such as fisheries and sea transportation accelerating transition. Anshan, one of China's largest producers of magnesite raw materials, has proposed to build a world-class magnesite production base and aims to achieve an output value of 50 billion yuan ($7.03 billion) this year.
\nLiaoning is home to more than 40,000 sci-tech small and medium-sized businesses, as well as 14,000 national high-tech companies, and three unicorn enterprises — startups valued at over $1 billion.
\nFavorable environment
\nTo accelerate the transformation and utilization of research results, the province has established a working mechanism connecting research institutes and companies. A list of technological demands from tech companies is released regularly, enabling researchers to carry out more targeted research programs and address specific technology challenges.
\nMeanwhile, enterprises can stay informed about the latest technological advancements based on sci-tech achievement lists from research institutes and universities, offering tailored support such as capital and application scenarios.
\nFocusing on the innovation needs of companies, the "sci-tech commissioner" program was launched. In 2024, more than 1,000 people from universities, research institutes, enterprises, and public institutions were selected and dispatched to different companies across the province to assist with technology research, talent cultivation, finance, and research result transformation.
\nAmong them, Sun Xi, a teacher from Yingkou Institute of Technology, was assigned to Liaoning Rontec Advanced Material Technology to assist in aluminum foam production.
\n"We achieved breakthroughs in core technologies thanks to Sun's assistance. Our production capacity has tripled with new equipment," said Zhu Delin, general manager of the company.
\nSenior engineer Dai Fengyou from the patent center of DLUT helped Dalian Jingtuo Machinery Manufacturing use two intellectual property assets as collateral to secure a loan of 5 million yuan.
\nThese sci-tech commissioners serve as a bridge between companies, universities and research institutes, ensuring cooperation and fostering the deeper integration of sci-tech research and industrial innovation, according to officials from the department.
\nThis year, the first batch of 813 "sci-tech commissioners" was dispatched in February, with the total number expected to hit 3,000.
\nIn addition, the province has built an online comprehensive service platform to gather innovation resources, improve services, and advance the transformation of scientific research results.
\nThe platform, now in trial operation, integrates technological demands, research results, sci-tech talents, instrument sharing, startup incubation, and technology services.
\nAccording to the plan, it will further add and enhance services such as online demand-supply matching, virtual road shows, evaluation and technology transaction, while connecting with municipal platforms as well as key companies, universities, and research institutes to form a collaborative innovation system.
\nOfficial data showed that Liaoning's transaction value of technology contracts reached 154.08 billion yuan in 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of 17.8 percent — 6.6 percentage points higher than the national average.
\nKey projects
\nOver the past few years, Liaoning has made great strides in scientific and technological research, developing cutting-edge technologies and major equipment across sectors such as aviation, marine, rail transport and energy.
\n�6�1 Fendouzhe
\nThe Fendouzhe, or Striver in English, a deep-sea manned submersible developed by Chinese scientists, was launched in 2016.
\nZhao Yang from the Shenyang Institute of Automation at CAS served as its deputy chief designer.
\nIn November 2020, the submersible, crewed by Zhao and two other researchers, completed its diving mission in the Mariana Trench, setting a new national depth record of 10,909 meters. This marked a milestone in China's deep-sea exploration, demonstrating its comprehensive strength in marine high technology.
\n�6�1 ±1,100-kilovolt direct current converter transformer
\nThe ±1,100 kV direct current converter transformer, developed by TBEA Shenyang Transformer Group, is a key component of the Changji converter station in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, which is also the starting point of the Changji-Guquan ±1,100 kV UHV direct current transmission project.
\nStretching approximately 3,293 kilometers, the project holds the world record for the longest transmission distance, highest voltage level, and largest transmission capacity.
\nBy the end of 2024, the transmission line had delivered about 312.09 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to Guquan township in East China's Anhui province, since it began operations in September 2019.
\n�6�1 Photon-counting CT
\nShenyang-based company Neusoft Medical Systems received market approval in August for its NeuViz P10 photon-counting CT scanner. This marks the first photon-counting CT approved in China, and the world's first wide-body system equipped with an 8-centimeter detector. The photon-counting CT is considered a breakthrough in the next-generation imaging sector. Unlike conventional CT scanners, which first convert X-rays into light before generating digital images, the NeuViz P10 utilizes a cadmium zinc telluride detector to capture and convert X-ray photons directly into a digital signal.
\nzhanglinwan@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_006_68cdd403ed50ccabe1519e50.htm#006ADVERTORIAL", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:07 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "e4973b0b65d5dfc3ea4b5eed23a6d06f", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "007ADVERTORIAL - AVIATION PIONEER LIFTS LIAONING", + "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/007/20250920_006_01_38.png\")
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/007/20250920_006_01_1.png\")
\nDuring the Liaoning Science and Technology Conference held in the provincial capital Shenyang in 2024, the aircraft general design expert Yang Fengtian was honored with the Liaoning top sci-tech award. Born in Yixian county in 1941, Yang has dedicated over 60 years to China's aviation sector and still works six hours every day to develop new energy aircraft and promote the general aviation industry.
\n"I am very willing to keep working as long as my health allows," he said.
\nIn the 1960s, Yang joined the AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute after graduating from college and worked on the design of Chinese fighter jet Shenyang J-8, which was granted the special prize of the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award.
\nYang once stated in an interview that the most memorable moment in his career was J-8's first successful flight on July 5, 1969. "That was the first time I saw an aircraft I had helped design take to the skies," he said.
\nIn the late 1980s, Yang was responsible for developing aerial refueling technology for the J-8II. Facing significant risks and challenges, Yang and his team demonstrated resolute determination and unyielding spirit, achieving success within two years. This breakthrough was of strategic significance for enhancing the operational capabilities of the country's air force and navy.
\nIn 2007, Yang was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, China's highest academic title in science and technology. Nevertheless, his commitment to the aviation industry continued. In 2010, he became the president of Shenyang Aerospace University. Under his leadership, the Liaoning General Aviation Academy was founded in 2021.
\nDespite his age, Yang worked with young researchers at the academy to achieve technological breakthroughs in new energy aircraft, advancing China's expertise in aviation lithium battery technology, electric propulsion systems, and composite material structural design.
\nIn September, China's first two-seat electric helicopter, the RX1H, made its maiden flight at the Shenyang Faku Caihu Airport. The helicopter research program, led by Yang's team at the LGAA, achieved advancements in over 10 technological areas, including high-energy-density battery integration, high-efficiency electric drive systems, and lightweight structural design.
\n"Working hours are the happiest time, and the laughter after solving problems is the most joyful sound for me," Yang said. "Watching our fighters take off and land brings me immense satisfaction. I truly cannot stay away from aircraft."
\nYang has spent most of his life in Liaoning, contributing to the province's aviation industry and sci-tech development. The region has, in turn, shaped his personality and bolstered his career, becoming an inseparable part of his legacy.
\nAlongside Yang, Liaoning is now home to 57 academicians of the CAE and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, including Guo Xu from Dalian University of Technology, Li Dianzhong from the Institute of Metal Research at CAS, Pan Yishan from Liaoning University, Yu Haibin from the Shenyang Institute of Automation at CAS, Zhu Jiaojun from the Institute of Applied Ecology at CAS and Liu Yongquan from the AECC Shenyang Engine Research Institute.
\nSolid foundation
\nAs one of China's major industrial bases, Liaoning has abundant scientific and educational resources and a solid innovation foundation, which injects momentum into its sustained growth.
\nThe province is leveraging sci-tech innovation as the main driver to cultivate new quality productive forces, and stepping up efforts to build a regional sci-tech innovation center with national influence to provide great support for its full revitalization, according to a senior official from the Liaoning Department of Science and Technology.
\nLiaoning has established an array of high-level sci-tech platforms including the "two cities and one park" — Shenyang Hunnan Sci-tech City, the Dalian Yinggeshi Scientific City and the Shenfu Scientific Innovation Park.
\nThe core startup area of Hunnan Sci-Tech City opened last year, attracting 50 sci-tech projects such as the Innovation Center for Special Metals and High-end Components Technology and the Liaoning Liaohe Laboratory.
\nLiaoning Liaohe Laboratory is one of four new provincial research institutes established in 2022, alongside the Liaoning Academy of Materials, Liaoning Binhai Laboratory, and Liaoning Huanghai Laboratory. These institutes focus on intelligent manufacturing, new materials, clean energy, and high-end equipment manufacturing, respectively, with the goal of enhancing Liaoning's sci-tech platforms through institutional innovation and breakthroughs in key technologies, said government officials.
\nIn the first quarter of 2025, the added value of industrial enterprises above a designated size in Liaoning rose by 3.6 percent year-on-year. Notably, the added value of high-tech manufacturing surged by 10.9 percent, marking the best performance in the past decade.
\nCities across the province have cultivated their advantageous industries, showcasing great vitality in the sci-tech sector. The coastal city of Dalian stands out as a regional leader in the marine economy, with traditional industries such as fisheries and sea transportation accelerating transition. Anshan, one of China's largest producers of magnesite raw materials, has proposed to build a world-class magnesite production base and aims to achieve an output value of 50 billion yuan ($7.03 billion) this year.
\nLiaoning is home to more than 40,000 sci-tech small and medium-sized businesses, as well as 14,000 national high-tech companies, and three unicorn enterprises — startups valued at over $1 billion.
\nFavorable environment
\nTo accelerate the transformation and utilization of research results, the province has established a working mechanism connecting research institutes and companies. A list of technological demands from tech companies is released regularly, enabling researchers to carry out more targeted research programs and address specific technology challenges.
\nMeanwhile, enterprises can stay informed about the latest technological advancements based on sci-tech achievement lists from research institutes and universities, offering tailored support such as capital and application scenarios.
\nFocusing on the innovation needs of companies, the "sci-tech commissioner" program was launched. In 2024, more than 1,000 people from universities, research institutes, enterprises, and public institutions were selected and dispatched to different companies across the province to assist with technology research, talent cultivation, finance, and research result transformation.
\nAmong them, Sun Xi, a teacher from Yingkou Institute of Technology, was assigned to Liaoning Rontec Advanced Material Technology to assist in aluminum foam production.
\n"We achieved breakthroughs in core technologies thanks to Sun's assistance. Our production capacity has tripled with new equipment," said Zhu Delin, general manager of the company.
\nSenior engineer Dai Fengyou from the patent center of DLUT helped Dalian Jingtuo Machinery Manufacturing use two intellectual property assets as collateral to secure a loan of 5 million yuan.
\nThese sci-tech commissioners serve as a bridge between companies, universities and research institutes, ensuring cooperation and fostering the deeper integration of sci-tech research and industrial innovation, according to officials from the department.
\nThis year, the first batch of 813 "sci-tech commissioners" was dispatched in February, with the total number expected to hit 3,000.
\nIn addition, the province has built an online comprehensive service platform to gather innovation resources, improve services, and advance the transformation of scientific research results.
\nThe platform, now in trial operation, integrates technological demands, research results, sci-tech talents, instrument sharing, startup incubation, and technology services.
\nAccording to the plan, it will further add and enhance services such as online demand-supply matching, virtual road shows, evaluation and technology transaction, while connecting with municipal platforms as well as key companies, universities, and research institutes to form a collaborative innovation system.
\nOfficial data showed that Liaoning's transaction value of technology contracts reached 154.08 billion yuan in 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of 17.8 percent — 6.6 percentage points higher than the national average.
\nKey projects
\nOver the past few years, Liaoning has made great strides in scientific and technological research, developing cutting-edge technologies and major equipment across sectors such as aviation, marine, rail transport and energy.
\n�6�1 Fendouzhe
\nThe Fendouzhe, or Striver in English, a deep-sea manned submersible developed by Chinese scientists, was launched in 2016.
\nZhao Yang from the Shenyang Institute of Automation at CAS served as its deputy chief designer.
\nIn November 2020, the submersible, crewed by Zhao and two other researchers, completed its diving mission in the Mariana Trench, setting a new national depth record of 10,909 meters. This marked a milestone in China's deep-sea exploration, demonstrating its comprehensive strength in marine high technology.
\n�6�1 ±1,100-kilovolt direct current converter transformer
\nThe ±1,100 kV direct current converter transformer, developed by TBEA Shenyang Transformer Group, is a key component of the Changji converter station in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, which is also the starting point of the Changji-Guquan ±1,100 kV UHV direct current transmission project.
\nStretching approximately 3,293 kilometers, the project holds the world record for the longest transmission distance, highest voltage level, and largest transmission capacity.
\nBy the end of 2024, the transmission line had delivered about 312.09 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to Guquan township in East China's Anhui province, since it began operations in September 2019.
\n�6�1 Photon-counting CT
\nShenyang-based company Neusoft Medical Systems received market approval in August for its NeuViz P10 photon-counting CT scanner. This marks the first photon-counting CT approved in China, and the world's first wide-body system equipped with an 8-centimeter detector. The photon-counting CT is considered a breakthrough in the next-generation imaging sector. Unlike conventional CT scanners, which first convert X-rays into light before generating digital images, the NeuViz P10 utilizes a cadmium zinc telluride detector to capture and convert X-ray photons directly into a digital signal.
\nzhanglinwan@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "content": "\n\nDuring the Liaoning Science and Technology Conference held in the provincial capital Shenyang in 2024, the aircraft general design expert Yang Fengtian was honored with the Liaoning top sci-tech award. Born in Yixian county in 1941, Yang has dedicated over 60 years to China's aviation sector and still works six hours every day to develop new energy aircraft and promote the general aviation industry.
\n"I am very willing to keep working as long as my health allows," he said.
\nIn the 1960s, Yang joined the AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute after graduating from college and worked on the design of Chinese fighter jet Shenyang J-8, which was granted the special prize of the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award.
\nYang once stated in an interview that the most memorable moment in his career was J-8's first successful flight on July 5, 1969. "That was the first time I saw an aircraft I had helped design take to the skies," he said.
\nIn the late 1980s, Yang was responsible for developing aerial refueling technology for the J-8II. Facing significant risks and challenges, Yang and his team demonstrated resolute determination and unyielding spirit, achieving success within two years. This breakthrough was of strategic significance for enhancing the operational capabilities of the country's air force and navy.
\nIn 2007, Yang was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, China's highest academic title in science and technology. Nevertheless, his commitment to the aviation industry continued. In 2010, he became the president of Shenyang Aerospace University. Under his leadership, the Liaoning General Aviation Academy was founded in 2021.
\nDespite his age, Yang worked with young researchers at the academy to achieve technological breakthroughs in new energy aircraft, advancing China's expertise in aviation lithium battery technology, electric propulsion systems, and composite material structural design.
\nIn September, China's first two-seat electric helicopter, the RX1H, made its maiden flight at the Shenyang Faku Caihu Airport. The helicopter research program, led by Yang's team at the LGAA, achieved advancements in over 10 technological areas, including high-energy-density battery integration, high-efficiency electric drive systems, and lightweight structural design.
\n"Working hours are the happiest time, and the laughter after solving problems is the most joyful sound for me," Yang said. "Watching our fighters take off and land brings me immense satisfaction. I truly cannot stay away from aircraft."
\nYang has spent most of his life in Liaoning, contributing to the province's aviation industry and sci-tech development. The region has, in turn, shaped his personality and bolstered his career, becoming an inseparable part of his legacy.
\nAlongside Yang, Liaoning is now home to 57 academicians of the CAE and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, including Guo Xu from Dalian University of Technology, Li Dianzhong from the Institute of Metal Research at CAS, Pan Yishan from Liaoning University, Yu Haibin from the Shenyang Institute of Automation at CAS, Zhu Jiaojun from the Institute of Applied Ecology at CAS and Liu Yongquan from the AECC Shenyang Engine Research Institute.
\nSolid foundation
\nAs one of China's major industrial bases, Liaoning has abundant scientific and educational resources and a solid innovation foundation, which injects momentum into its sustained growth.
\nThe province is leveraging sci-tech innovation as the main driver to cultivate new quality productive forces, and stepping up efforts to build a regional sci-tech innovation center with national influence to provide great support for its full revitalization, according to a senior official from the Liaoning Department of Science and Technology.
\nLiaoning has established an array of high-level sci-tech platforms including the "two cities and one park" — Shenyang Hunnan Sci-tech City, the Dalian Yinggeshi Scientific City and the Shenfu Scientific Innovation Park.
\nThe core startup area of Hunnan Sci-Tech City opened last year, attracting 50 sci-tech projects such as the Innovation Center for Special Metals and High-end Components Technology and the Liaoning Liaohe Laboratory.
\nLiaoning Liaohe Laboratory is one of four new provincial research institutes established in 2022, alongside the Liaoning Academy of Materials, Liaoning Binhai Laboratory, and Liaoning Huanghai Laboratory. These institutes focus on intelligent manufacturing, new materials, clean energy, and high-end equipment manufacturing, respectively, with the goal of enhancing Liaoning's sci-tech platforms through institutional innovation and breakthroughs in key technologies, said government officials.
\nIn the first quarter of 2025, the added value of industrial enterprises above a designated size in Liaoning rose by 3.6 percent year-on-year. Notably, the added value of high-tech manufacturing surged by 10.9 percent, marking the best performance in the past decade.
\nCities across the province have cultivated their advantageous industries, showcasing great vitality in the sci-tech sector. The coastal city of Dalian stands out as a regional leader in the marine economy, with traditional industries such as fisheries and sea transportation accelerating transition. Anshan, one of China's largest producers of magnesite raw materials, has proposed to build a world-class magnesite production base and aims to achieve an output value of 50 billion yuan ($7.03 billion) this year.
\nLiaoning is home to more than 40,000 sci-tech small and medium-sized businesses, as well as 14,000 national high-tech companies, and three unicorn enterprises — startups valued at over $1 billion.
\nFavorable environment
\nTo accelerate the transformation and utilization of research results, the province has established a working mechanism connecting research institutes and companies. A list of technological demands from tech companies is released regularly, enabling researchers to carry out more targeted research programs and address specific technology challenges.
\nMeanwhile, enterprises can stay informed about the latest technological advancements based on sci-tech achievement lists from research institutes and universities, offering tailored support such as capital and application scenarios.
\nFocusing on the innovation needs of companies, the "sci-tech commissioner" program was launched. In 2024, more than 1,000 people from universities, research institutes, enterprises, and public institutions were selected and dispatched to different companies across the province to assist with technology research, talent cultivation, finance, and research result transformation.
\nAmong them, Sun Xi, a teacher from Yingkou Institute of Technology, was assigned to Liaoning Rontec Advanced Material Technology to assist in aluminum foam production.
\n"We achieved breakthroughs in core technologies thanks to Sun's assistance. Our production capacity has tripled with new equipment," said Zhu Delin, general manager of the company.
\nSenior engineer Dai Fengyou from the patent center of DLUT helped Dalian Jingtuo Machinery Manufacturing use two intellectual property assets as collateral to secure a loan of 5 million yuan.
\nThese sci-tech commissioners serve as a bridge between companies, universities and research institutes, ensuring cooperation and fostering the deeper integration of sci-tech research and industrial innovation, according to officials from the department.
\nThis year, the first batch of 813 "sci-tech commissioners" was dispatched in February, with the total number expected to hit 3,000.
\nIn addition, the province has built an online comprehensive service platform to gather innovation resources, improve services, and advance the transformation of scientific research results.
\nThe platform, now in trial operation, integrates technological demands, research results, sci-tech talents, instrument sharing, startup incubation, and technology services.
\nAccording to the plan, it will further add and enhance services such as online demand-supply matching, virtual road shows, evaluation and technology transaction, while connecting with municipal platforms as well as key companies, universities, and research institutes to form a collaborative innovation system.
\nOfficial data showed that Liaoning's transaction value of technology contracts reached 154.08 billion yuan in 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of 17.8 percent — 6.6 percentage points higher than the national average.
\nKey projects
\nOver the past few years, Liaoning has made great strides in scientific and technological research, developing cutting-edge technologies and major equipment across sectors such as aviation, marine, rail transport and energy.
\n�6�1 Fendouzhe
\nThe Fendouzhe, or Striver in English, a deep-sea manned submersible developed by Chinese scientists, was launched in 2016.
\nZhao Yang from the Shenyang Institute of Automation at CAS served as its deputy chief designer.
\nIn November 2020, the submersible, crewed by Zhao and two other researchers, completed its diving mission in the Mariana Trench, setting a new national depth record of 10,909 meters. This marked a milestone in China's deep-sea exploration, demonstrating its comprehensive strength in marine high technology.
\n�6�1 ±1,100-kilovolt direct current converter transformer
\nThe ±1,100 kV direct current converter transformer, developed by TBEA Shenyang Transformer Group, is a key component of the Changji converter station in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, which is also the starting point of the Changji-Guquan ±1,100 kV UHV direct current transmission project.
\nStretching approximately 3,293 kilometers, the project holds the world record for the longest transmission distance, highest voltage level, and largest transmission capacity.
\nBy the end of 2024, the transmission line had delivered about 312.09 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to Guquan township in East China's Anhui province, since it began operations in September 2019.
\n�6�1 Photon-counting CT
\nShenyang-based company Neusoft Medical Systems received market approval in August for its NeuViz P10 photon-counting CT scanner. This marks the first photon-counting CT approved in China, and the world's first wide-body system equipped with an 8-centimeter detector. The photon-counting CT is considered a breakthrough in the next-generation imaging sector. Unlike conventional CT scanners, which first convert X-rays into light before generating digital images, the NeuViz P10 utilizes a cadmium zinc telluride detector to capture and convert X-ray photons directly into a digital signal.
\nzhanglinwan@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_007_68cdd403ed50ccabe1519e51.htm#007ADVERTORIAL", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:07 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "845a0d4d9fec64f6df0ba44c90c79b1d", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "008DOCUMENT - China's Achievements in Women's Well-Rounded Development in the New Era", + "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/008/20250920_009_01_42.png\")
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/008/20250920_010_01_41.png\")
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/008/20250920_010_01_42.png\")
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/008/20250920_010_01_27.png\")
\nContents
\nPreface
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nConclusion
\nPreface
\nThroughout history, women have played an essential role in shaping human civilization and have made immense contributions to social progress. But the paths towards gender equality and women's well-rounded development across the world have been long and arduous.
\nSince its founding in 1921, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has remained committed to women's liberation and development and gender equality. The CPC regards women as a major force for advancing all endeavors of the Party and the nation, always places the work concerning women high on its agenda, and leads women in their pursuit of liberation, progress and development. In doing so, the Party has opened a socialist path for women's development with Chinese characteristics.
\nThe 18th CPC National Congress in 2012 marked the beginning of a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In this new era, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has emphasized safeguarding women's lawful rights and interests and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development as integral components of Chinese modernization. Accordingly, it has made a series of major decisions and plans that are pioneering in vision, overarching in scope, and enduring in significance. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, initiated, planned for, supported and chaired the Party's first ever Central Conference on the Party's Work with People's Organizations in 2015, attended the 11th, 12th and 13th national women's congresses in 2013, 2018 and 2023 respectively, and held talks with each newly elected leadership team of the All-China Women's Federation. He has also delivered important speeches on work related to women and children, the role of women's federations, and the significance of family ties, values and traditions, thereby identifying the direction, objectives and guidelines of China's endeavors for women in the new era.
\nUpholding gender equality, among other basic national policies, has been incorporated into the CPC's political program, and promoting women's well-rounded development has been included in the national development plan. The legal system for safeguarding women's rights and interests also continues to improve. China has developed a sound approach to its endeavors concerning women. Chinese women actively participate in government initiatives, serve as advocates of civic virtues, fight for their dreams, and excel across all professions. In the new era, China has delivered numerous historic achievements in its endeavors concerning women. The Chinese socialist path for women's development continues to expand, opening ever-broader opportunities for advancement.
\nWomen around the world have a shared future. China's endeavors concerning women are an integral part of the global cause. In 1995, China hosted the Fourth World Conference on Women, organized by the United Nations. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the conference has since become a milestone for global gender equality. At important occasions such as the 2015 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment and the 2020 high-level meeting on the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, Xi Jinping, in his role as president of China, elaborated on China's propositions on gender equality and women's well-rounded development, and proposed holding another global leaders' meeting on women in 2025.
\nOn the occasion of the 2025 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, the Chinese government is publishing this white paper to present China's philosophy, principles, and innovative practices in promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development in the new era, highlight Chinese women's outstanding achievements and contribution, and affirm China's commitment to join global endeavors for women's advancement.
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nIn the process of Chinese modernization, based on China's realities and the trend of the times, the CPC leads Chinese women in exercising their lawful democratic rights, participating in social and economic development, and sharing the fruits of reform and development, all on the foundation of gender equality.
\n1. Upholding the CPC's Overall Leadership
\nThe CPC's leadership is the fundamental guarantee of China's work related to women. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has approached this work as an integral part of its broader strategic goal of achieving national rejuvenation, incorporating gender equality and women's well-rounded development into the overall architecture of Chinese socialism.
\nUpholding the fundamental national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children have been included into the reports to the 18th, 19th and 20th CPC national congresses, held in 2012, 2017 and 2022 respectively.
\nAt the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2019, the Party called for upholding and improving the systems and mechanisms for promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development and proposed leveraging the important role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance.
\nAt the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2020, upholding the national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children were written into the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, along with the promotion of family ties, values and traditions.
\nAt the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2021, the promotion of family ties, values and traditions and the protection of the rights and interests of women and children were incorporated into the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century.
\nAt the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in 2024, the Party incorporated improving the system for protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children and refining the mechanisms for leveraging the role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance into the overall plan for deeper comprehensive reform.
\nThis evolution in policy-making has ensured that China's endeavors concerning women have progressed smoothly under the CPC's overall leadership.
\n2. Implementing the Fundamental National Policy of Gender Equality
\nHighlighting gender equality as a basic national policy is an innovative practice of the Chinese socialist system and a momentous decision for advancing this cause and women's well-rounded development.
\nChina has improved top-level design and systematic planning accordingly. In formulating laws and policies and making plans and arrangements, the country has taken into full consideration the differences between women and men and the distinctive interests of women. It has promoted gender equality in rights, opportunities and outcomes, safeguarding women's rights and interests in accordance with the law.
\nChina is committed to cultivating a social ethos of respect and care for women, eliminating all forms of discrimination against them, and discarding obsolete ideas and practices that hinder their development. This more inclusive and dynamic social environment has allowed gender equality to truly become a shared social norm and part of the value system.
\n3. Synergizing Women's Development with Social and Economic Progress
\nDevelopment cannot be achieved without women, and its fruits should be shared by all. In this spirit, China has integrated the advancement of gender equality into its broader development process.
\nWomen's development has been incorporated into the Five-sphere Integrated Plan, which promotes coordinated progress in the economic, political, cultural, social and eco-environmental fields. Goals and tasks for women's development have also been embedded in the five-year plans for national economic and social development. The level of women's development is regarded as an essential measurement for social and economic development. With these efforts, China has synergized its endeavors for women with its social and economic progress in terms of planning and implementation, ensuring that modernization brings greater benefits to women in a fairer way, enabling them to enjoy a growing, guaranteed and sustained sense of gain, fulfillment and security.
\n4. Fully Leveraging Women's Proactive Role in National Development
\nWomen constitute a powerful force driving human progress, while at the same time shaping and determining their own futures. Upholding a people-centered philosophy of development, China respects the agency of women and has strengthened relevant institutional safeguards, policy support, and public service supply for their development.
\nChina has carried out programs encouraging women to strive for achievements, which seek to enhance women's overall capabilities, broaden channels for their participation in national development, and fully stimulate their enthusiasm, initiative and creativity, with an ultimate goal of realizing, safeguarding and improving women's vital and immediate interests to the maximum extent.
\nThe country encourages women to integrate their personal aspirations with the undertakings of the Party and the country, and to leverage their individual strengths in implementing the new development philosophy, fostering a new development dynamic, promoting high-quality development, achieving greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology, and advancing rural revitalization across the board. Utilizing their distinctive role in society and family, women are called upon to contribute considerably to the building of China into a great country and the realization of national rejuvenation.
\n5. Joining Global Women in Building a Bright Shared Future
\nHumanity lives in one homeland, and women around the world have a shared future. China upholds the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity, and facilitates the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. It advocates putting the people first, stays committed to results-oriented actions, and contributes Chinese initiatives, solutions and actions to global endeavors for women.
\nChina supports the United Nations in prioritizing women's development, promotes cooperation with the rest of the world in relevant fields, and builds international consensus on gender equality through extensive exchanges and mutual learning. Together with all other countries, China works to shape a global environment conducive to women's development, to safeguard international fairness and justice, and to make its due contribution to moving the world to a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress.
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nWomen's cause is an integral part of state governance. To advance this cause, China has continued to strengthen institutional support and safeguards, fostering the necessary conditions and environment for the comprehensive development of women.
\n1. Improving the Framework for Advancing Women's Cause
\nChina has established a mechanism for the work related to women, under which Party committees exercise leadership, governments assume primary responsibility, working committees on children and women play a coordinating role, women's federations work in collaboration, relevant departments provide support, and the whole of society participates. These concerted efforts have ensured that gender equality is upheld in all areas of economic and social development and all aspects of social life.
\nThe people's congresses have strengthened legislation and supervision. The National People's Congress (NPC) has established the Social Development Affairs Committee to undertake legislation, conduct supervision, and handle proposals and suggestions from NPC deputies concerning the protection of women's rights and interests. It attaches importance to incorporating legal initiatives for promoting women's development and safeguarding women's rights and interests into the legislative plans of its Standing Committee, and to soliciting opinions and accepting feasible proposals from women's federations and women themselves during legislative review and legal supervision.
\nAdditionally, the NPC hears and reviews the State Council's report on combating domestic violence, identifies the protection of female employees' lawful and special rights and interests as an important component of enforcement inspections of the Trade Union Law, and urges relevant departments to perform their statutory duties in protecting women's rights and interests. The people's congresses of 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government have also set up social development affairs committees to formulate local regulations to supplement national laws, thereby strengthening legal safeguards for women's rights and interests.
\nThe Chinese People's Government has effectively fulfilled its primary responsibility. The government has formulated and organized the implementation of outlines for women's development, and convened meetings on work related to children and women. The working committees on children and women have played their role as deliberative and coordinating bodies, and Party institutions, government departments, judicial authorities, and people's organizations have fulfilled their responsibilities in work related to women. The government has strengthened the statistics monitoring mechanism for the outlines for the development of women in China and established a gender statistics monitoring system covering over 2,400 indicators. Furthermore, gender has been incorporated as a key metric into national censuses and time-use surveys, and the fourth Survey on Social Status of Women in China has been conducted to assess women's development across multiple dimensions.
\nThe Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) has strengthened its role in conducting consultations and offering suggestions. CPPCC committees at all levels perform their duties in political consultation, democratic supervision, and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs. They conduct consultations on women's issues through a variety of channels and platforms, including subject-specific, sector-specific and proposal handling consultations, as well as consultative meetings with relevant departments. As one of the 34 sectors defined by the CPPCC, women's federations conduct research and consultations on key issues and major challenges in women's development, such as the protection of women's reproductive and health rights and interests. The National Committee of the CPPCC has conducted consultations and made suggestions to support women's development, addressing issues including fair employment and career development, the strengthening of family ties, values, and traditions, and universal access to childcare services.
\nWomen's federations have served as bridges for connection and communication. The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) is a people's organization of women of all ethnic groups and from all sectors of society in China. It unites women for further emancipation and development under the leadership of the CPC. The ACWF has established an organizational system of women's federations at the national, provincial, prefectural, county, township and village levels, covering government departments, public institutions, new types of economic entities and social organizations, and groups in new forms of employment.
\nWomen's federations at all levels have served as bridges linking the Party and the government with women, and as assistants to the Party. While supporting major national development strategies, they have performed their functions of guiding, serving, and engaging with women, and launched five key initiatives: providing women with political guidance; encouraging them to excel in the workplace; providing guidance and support in family education, family services, and the cultivation of family virtues; offering support for women's rights protection; and improving the problem-solving capability of women's federations and their staff's professional competence.
\nIn addition, women's federations have mobilized resources to support women's development through six practical measures: supporting female volunteers who provide care for children in need; growing the scale and quality of female-dominated family services; improving vocational training for women; developing a system of childcare services that is accessible to all; advancing the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project to help underprivileged schoolgirls; and telling engaging stories about the development of Chinese women. Through these initiatives, they have delivered accessible services and tangible benefits to women, children and families.
\n2. Setting Objectives and Tasks for Women's Development with Overall Planning
\nChina's national development plans have clarified the strategic tasks for women's development. Five-year plans are blueprints and guides of action for China's economic and social development during their designated time frames. The government has incorporated objectives for women's development into these plans for meeting its strategic goal of modernization.
\nThe 12th Five-year Plan (2011-2015) for the first time included a section dedicated specifically to advancing women's all-round development. It also set requirements for developing human resources with a focus on women, strengthening labor protection for women, and resolutely combating violence and crimes against women. The 13th Five-year Plan (2016-2020) further strengthened the protection of women's rights and interests and for the first time devoted a separate chapter to ensuring women's rights and equal access to education, employment, and participation in social affairs, and eliminating discrimination and prejudice against women. It also set the targets for poverty alleviation and reduction among women. The 14th Five-year Plan (2021-2025) outlines further measures to safeguard women's rights and interests in areas including health, education, employment, participation in state governance, and social security. For the first time, it contains a section specifically dedicated to the strengthening of family development which focuses on improving the supporting policies and services for this goal.
\nSpecial plans in related fields have been made to address women's practical development needs. Plans for improving people's wellbeing — including the Outline of Healthy China 2030, the Outline of the Development Plan for Education (2024-2035), and the special plans for boosting employment and the development of civil affairs undertakings during the 14th Five-year Plan period — have put forward policies and measures to improve the health of women and children, safeguard women's equal rights to education, support women's employment, entrepreneurship, and career development, and improve care and services for rural women who stay behind to care for families while their husbands work in cities.
\nThe National Medium — and Long-term Talent Development Plan (2010-2020) has outlined arrangements to promote gender balance in the talent pool and strengthen the training and selection of female talent. The National Action Plan for Scientific Literacy (2021-2035) has made specific arrangements to improve the scientific literacy of rural women. The National Human Rights Action Plan, in all four phases, includes a section on the measures for safeguarding women's rights and interests, covering personal, property, education, employment and health rights.
\nOutlines for women's development have laid out phased targets. Since 1995, China has formulated and implemented four outlines for women's development, each outlining the primary objectives, strategies, and measures for women's development in its corresponding phase.
\nThe Outline of Women's Development in China (2021-2030) contains 75 primary objectives and 93 strategic measures across eight fields: health, education, economy, participation in decision-making and administration, social security, family development, environment, and the legal sector. The document also outlines the 41 Party and government departments and institutions responsible for implementing these strategic measures.
\nNationwide, 31 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, along with over 300 prefectures and cities and more than 2,000 counties and districts, have formulated plans for local women's development based on their actual conditions. The objectives and tasks set in the Outline dovetail with national development plans, align with sector-specific plans, and are integrated across the national, provincial, city and county levels. A comprehensive planning system for advancing women's development is now firmly in place.
\n3. Strengthening Legal Guarantee for Women's Rights and Interests
\nContinuing to improve the legal system. Legal protection of women's rights and interests is an integral part of advancing law-based governance. China has established a legal system anchored in the Constitution and centered on the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, covering over 100 laws and regulations.
\nThe Civil Code was compiled, which includes a Personality Rights section that clarifies the definition of sexual harassment and the responsibilities of employers. Its Marriage and Family section improves mechanisms for the identification and settlement of marital debts, and economic compensation for unpaid domestic work in divorce proceedings.
\nThe Criminal Law has been revised to abolish the crime of "prostitution involving underage girls" and punish such acts as rape, raise the statutory minimum penalty for the crime of child molestation, and introduce harsher punishments for the crime of purchasing abducted and trafficked women. Additionally, the crime of sexual assault by a person with a duty of care has been added to the Criminal Law.
\nThe amended Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests has made more comprehensive and systematic provisions on the system and mechanism for protecting women's rights and interests. China has also formulated the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and created systems of compulsory reporting, admonition, personal safety protection order, and emergent protection.
\nThe revised Law on Land Contract in Rural Areas has improved the legal guarantees for rural women's land rights and interests, ensuring their rightful entitlement to land and corresponding rights. The Law on Rural Collective Economic Organizations has been formulated to provide institutional safeguards ensuring that women do not lose their membership, rights and interests in such organizations due to changes in marital status.
\nIn addition, the Legal Aid Law, the Law on Basic Medical and Health Care and the Promotion of Health, and the Population and Family Planning Law all have provisions for safeguarding women's rights and interests.
\nA gender equality review mechanism has been established at the national level and across all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government. This mechanism conducts assessments of laws and regulations related to women's rights and interests, ensuring that the fundamental national policy of gender equality is implemented in laws and regulations at the source.
\nPanel 1 Revisions to the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests
\nThe Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests was promulgated in 1992, amended in 2005 and 2018, and thoroughly revised in 2022, expanding from 61 articles in nine chapters to 86 articles in ten chapters with the revision.
\nThe Law fully embodies the fundamental national policy of gender equality and has strengthened the comprehensive protection of women's political rights, personal and personality rights and interests, and their rights and interests in culture, education, employment, social security, property, marriage, and family. It has added new provisions on the mechanism for safeguarding women's rights and interests, the mechanism for gender equality assessment of laws and regulations, the system for collecting and publishing gender statistics, and education on gender equality as a basic national policy. It has established legal aid channels, including a public-interest litigation system for safeguarding women's rights and interests, a mechanism for admonishing violators of women's rights and interests in employment and social security, and a nationwide service hotline for protecting women's rights.
\nOverall, the Law has strengthened legal liabilities and reinforced its rigidity.
\nStrengthening law enforcement and judicial protection. China has taken resolute actions to combat criminal and illegal acts that infringe upon women's and girls' personal rights. Since 2013, public security agencies have continued to carry out special operations targeting the abduction and trafficking of women and children. By 2024, the number of such cases had decreased by 95 percent compared with 2013.
\nChina has established an inter-departmental cooperation and consultation mechanism against domestic violence, issued guidelines on the implementation of admonitions against domestic violence and personal protection orders, and promulgated judicial interpretations clarifying specific interventions and prevention measures, and forms of evidence for identifying domestic violence.
\nThe systems and measures for preventing and addressing workplace sexual harassment have been improved, with the addition of "dispute over liability for damages caused by sexual harassment" as an independent cause of action. To strengthen the protection of the personal rights and interests of girls, China has established a compulsory reporting system for cases of offenses against minors, as well as mechanisms for urging parental care and supervision over minors, for preventing violators from engaging in certain occupations, and for providing one-stop judicial support.
\nProcuratorates at all levels have registered and handled 3,810 public-interest cases concerning women's rights and interests. Since 2012, legal aid institutions across China have provided legal assistance for women involved in over 4.2 million cases, and free legal consultations for over 20 million women.
\nRaising public awareness of the rule of law. China continued to formulate and implement the seventh and eighth five-year plans for popularizing legal knowledge, both of which include laws and regulations on protecting women's lawful rights and interests. The country has strengthened law promotion and interpretation efforts, and the NPC Standing Committee has organized press conferences to expound on the principles in formulating and revising the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law, and share their highlights.
\nEfforts have been made to raise public legal awareness through multiple channels and approaches. Since 2012, articles on protecting women's rights and interests published through the official WeChat account for law popularization have been viewed 91.36 million times, and the annual legal knowledge competition has attracted tens of millions of participants. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions has organized legal awareness activities for female employees for 11 consecutive years, and women's federations at all levels across China have held more than 3.76 million events to raise legal awareness and provide legal services since 2016, with the participation of over 400 million women.
\nIn 2024, courts and procuratorates across the country, in conjunction with women's federations, organized more than 4,200 open day events on safeguarding the rights and interests of women and children and released over 3,800 typical cases. A legal education program for rural women reached more than 86 percent of China's rural areas.
\n4. Creating an Equal and Harmonious Social Environment
\nVigorously promoting the fundamental national policy of gender equality. China has carried out targeted public education on gender equality across multiple dimensions and through multiple channels, promoting this basic national policy in government departments, schools, enterprises, urban and rural communities, and families.
\nFor Party and government leaders, the Implementation of Gender Equality as a Basic National Policy has been compiled as a coursebook and incorporated into the curriculum and teaching plans of Party schools. For students, education on gender equality has been promoted in elementary and high schools, as well as in universities, and integrated into textbook planning and regulatory standards, and guides for related courses. Gender balance is emphasized in textbook illustrations, and excellent female writers have seen greater representation in textbooks, to eliminate gender stereotypes in teaching materials.
\nFor the general public, gender equality has been incorporated into cultural and ethical development in both urban and rural communities, into self-regulations and rules for their residents, and into efforts to cultivate good family ties, values, and traditions. Party members and officials, experts, scholars, and those who work in women's affairs have given talks and lectures, and engaged in public communication on gender equality in approachable and popular forms, enabling the public to understand this basic national policy and apply it in their daily lives.
\nPanel 2 Guangdong Promoting Gender Equality Education in Elementary and High Schools
\nSince 2012, Guangdong Province has promoted gender equality education in schools. Targeting students in urban elementary and high schools, three types of courses have been developed, with a focus on cognitive understanding, behavioral norms and attitudinal guidance. These are themed courses on gender equality, integrated courses that incorporate ideas of gender equality into related subjects, and practical courses that engage students in all types of activities. Targeting students in rural elementary and high schools, courses have been developed for students in different grades with a focus on care for left-behind children, physical development during puberty, and prevention of sexual assault among adolescents.
\nBy the first half of 2025, Guangdong had established 661 demonstration elementary and high schools for gender equality education, with a professional teaching staff of over 1,500 members. Assessment results indicate that education on gender equality has generated a positive effect on both male and female students, raising their gender equality awareness, promoting physical and mental health, improving academic performance, and reducing bullying and disciplinary violations.
\nStrengthening the awareness of gender equality in the media. The Advertising Law and other relevant laws, as well as the Outline of Women's Development in China, all stipulate regulations regarding gender equality assessment and supervision in the media, prohibiting reports or advertisements with contents that disparage, undermine, or infringe upon women's dignity.
\nGender equality reviews have been conducted throughout the script development, production, screening, and distribution of films and TV programs. News outlets have issued lists of prohibited and offensive terms to eliminate discriminatory expressions in news reports. Media organizations have implemented a social responsibility reporting system and upheld the professional ethic of safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of women, children, the elderly, and the disabled and protecting their physical and mental health.
\nThe stories of women role models have been told through media coverage, special releases and events in recognition of their contribution, showcasing patriotism, devotion to the people, perseverance and progress in the face of challenges, and commitment to virtue and good deeds. Gender equality has now become a widely accepted social norm.
\nCreating a clean cyberspace. China has issued judicial interpretations, released exemplary cases, and carried out special operations to combat fraud, abduction, trafficking, rape, and other crimes against women and children committed or facilitated through online channels. Offenses that infringe upon women's personality rights, such as the illegal disclosure of personal information, defamation, and malicious online abuse, are strictly punished. Online platforms have taken on greater responsibility by addressing illegal and inappropriate content, including removing articles and short videos that advocate a preference for sons over daughters or exaggerate family disputes.
\nChina has increased the supply of high-quality online content. Special campaigns have been launched to introduce new media products showcasing women in the new era and their commitment to the country, such as the theme song Blooms of China, the women's federation promotional video Together, and the family values promotional video I Love My Family. These products have reached hundreds of millions of women and families, and facilitated new progress in providing theoretical and political guidance to women.
\nEfforts have also been made to improve the digital literacy of the general public, foster responsible internet usage among women, tell engaging stories of China and Chinese women, spread mainstream values, and promote positive energy online.
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nEradicating poverty, improving living standards, and achieving common prosperity are essential tasks of socialism. China has made continuous efforts to ensure people's access to childcare, education, employment, medical services, eldercare, housing, and social assistance, meeting women's expectation for a better life.
\n1. Elimination of Absolute Poverty
\nChina has organized the largest and most intensive poverty alleviation campaign in human history, benefiting the greatest number of people. By the end of 2020, it had successfully eliminated absolute poverty throughout the country, meeting the poverty reduction target of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. On this epic journey of poverty reduction, China has honored its solemn commitment that no one should be left behind, specifically targeting women as a key group to widen their path towards prosperity.
\nTaking targeted measures to guarantee basic living needs. China has adopted a targeted strategy in poverty alleviation. Under this framework, it maintains detailed records on the distribution of impoverished populations, the underlying causes of poverty, the specific categories of poverty, and the expectations of the poor. This approach guarantees the implementation of targeted efforts in six areas: identification of those in need, project arrangement, capital utilization, the introduction of household-specific measures, the dispatch of officials to villages based on local conditions, and the achievement of set goals. As a result, women, who comprise approximately half of the impoverished population, have benefited from targeted resource allocation.
\nThe Health Program for Poverty Alleviation and its health promotion campaigns have guaranteed access to basic medical and health services for impoverished rural women.
\nThrough education initiatives for poverty alleviation, compulsory education in impoverished areas has been steadily improved, ensuring that no school-age girls from poor families drop out of school due to poverty.
\nSocial security systems have been strengthened to ensure eligible women on the list of the registered poor receive subsistence allowances or assistance and support for the extremely poor.
\nRenovation of dilapidated houses in rural areas, particularly in severely impoverished areas, has been subsidized by the government. Relocation projects have helped over 9.6 million people, who originally lived in inhospitable areas, to emerge from poverty and seek development.
\nThe basic food and clothing needs of impoverished women have been guaranteed, and their access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing has been ensured.
\nAfter winning the battle against absolute poverty, the country initiated a five-year transition period during which poverty alleviation support policies remained in effect to buttress areas and populations that had recently emerged from poverty. Based on the stable operation of such policies, a robust dynamic monitoring and assistance mechanism has been established to prevent any relapse into or occurrence of poverty, and support remains in place for women lifted out of poverty and those in low-income areas to participate in the local economy, seek more employment opportunities, and increase incomes.
\nBoosting the economy to create job opportunities for women and raise their income. China is committed to the policy of development-driven poverty alleviation to empower impoverished women.
\nIt has strengthened industrial support by facilitating the gradient transfer of labor-intensive industries such as food processing and clothing manufacturing, benefitting 98.9 percent of poor households. By advancing east-west cooperation in labor services, setting up poverty alleviation workshops, and creating public-interest rural jobs, the country has provided job opportunities for poor women with the will and ability to work. In its efforts to alleviate poverty, China has leveraged new forms of business and industries such as e-commerce programs, photovoltaic technology, and tourism to help impoverished women find good jobs within their local communities. In ethnic minority areas, the transition of the hand-knitting business from a purely traditional craft to a driver of the local economy has transformed the lives of the women embroidery artisans in the Miao and Yi communities.
\nChina has increased fiscal and financial support. In the critical battle against poverty, special supportive polices such as offering subsidized loans requiring no collateral or guarantee and tax reductions or exemptions were introduced. Cumulatively, over RMB450 billion in guaranteed microloans and poverty alleviation microcredit were disbursed to women in need, and 8.7 million impoverished women saw their income increased through entrepreneurship. From 2021 to 2024, the country sustained a flow of microcredit designated for people recently lifted out of poverty, of which RMB76.83 billion were offered to nearly 1.93 million women.
\nEfforts in skills training have been strengthened, with training courses on vocational skills, entrepreneurship, and practical agricultural technology being held through multiple channels, at multiple levels, and in multiple forms. As of 2020, training programs had been organized for a total of 10.21 million impoverished women and female technicians. From 2023 to 2024, the Rain and Dew Program sponsored 632,000 women to receive vocational education, allowing them to continue their march out of poverty.
\nPanel 3 Poverty Alleviation Workshops for Women Help Women Find Jobs and Emerge from Poverty
\nPoverty Alleviation Workshops for Women constitute a targeted model that helps boost employment and incomes among impoverished women. The Guidelines on the Three-Year Action Plan for Winning the Battle Against Poverty issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council required the establishment of poverty alleviation workshops to employ people from poor households near their homes. In line with this document, governments in poor regions adopted measures such as employment subsidies, workspace rental subsidies, and credit assistance to encourage enterprises to establish poverty alleviation workshops for women in poor rural communities, helping them find work in fields such as agricultural products processing and handicrafts weaving. By providing employment opportunities close to home, local governments and enterprises have enabled women to balance earning an additional income with their farming and family duties. During the critical battle against poverty, more than 10,000 such workshops for women have been established nationwide, helping women in need find secure employment in their local areas.
\nIncreasing input to break the bottlenecks constraining women's development. China has advanced infrastructure development, fundamentally solving many of the issues impeding women's development in impoverished areas, such as insufficient access to transport, electricity, water and communications. Where conditions permit, all towns, townships, and administrative villages have been connected to paved roads and provided with bus and postal services. Full coverage of reliable power supply has been largely realized in rural areas. All counties have access to gigabit internet, all townships to 5G services, and all villages to broadband connections. By the end of 2024, 94 percent of the rural population had enjoyed access to tap water.
\nPanel 4 Female National Models for Poverty Alleviation
\nWomen fully performed their role as "half the sky" in the critical battle against poverty. Among the 10 individuals honored as national models for poverty alleviation by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council in 2021, five were women. They include Bai Jingying, who led 26,000 women in shaking off poverty through a new trail — working in the Mongolian broidery industry; Zhang Guimei, who leveraged her expertise in education to found China's first free senior high school for girls, helping more than 2,000 girls from impoverished mountainous areas reach university; Huang Wenxiu, a poverty alleviation official and a resident first Party secretary, and Zhang Xiaojuan, a vice director of a county-level poverty alleviation office, both of whom sacrificed their young lives for poverty elimination while working at the grassroots level to help residents solve difficulties; and Xia Sen, who donated her savings of RMB2,032,000 accumulated through a lifetime of work and frugality to improve schools in poverty-stricken rural areas, including through the provision of grants that have gone on to help 182 students from poor households enroll in university.
\n2. Notable Improvement in Health
\nPrioritizing people's health in its development strategy, China makes all-out efforts to build a healthy China, with women's and children's health the cornerstone of this work. By consolidating and improving institutional arrangements and optimizing resource allocation, the country provides women with full life-circle health services.
\nContinuous improvement of the maternal and child healthcare system. China has integrated its maternal and child healthcare network into its national medical and healthcare framework that covers its 1.4 billion people. A service system for maternal and child healthcare has been built, with maternal and child healthcare institutions as the core, community-level medical and healthcare institutions as the foundation, and medium and large hospitals and research institutes as the pillars.
\nFrom 2012 to 2023, the number of health professionals at maternal and child healthcare institutions increased from 277,000 to 537,000, with an annual growth rate of over 6 percent; the actual number of beds rose from 187,000 to 295,000, up by nearly 60 percent. At present, China has 3,081 maternal and child healthcare institutions, 3,491 treatment centers for high-risk and critically ill pregnant and postpartum women, and 3,221 treatment centers for critically ill neonates. More than 2,600 traditional Chinese medicine hospitals at Grade II and above have gynecological departments.
\nThe "internet plus maternal and child healthcare" service model has been developed, and training sessions and guidance for treating pregnant and postpartum women in severe and critical conditions have been provided through 31 provincial-level "cloud-based maternal and child healthcare" telemedicine platforms, making maternal and child healthcare services much more equitable.
\nPanel 5 Five Mechanisms for Maternal and Neonatal Safety Safeguarding the Health of Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Newborns
\nThe five mechanisms for maternal and neonatal safety covers pregnancy risk screening and evaluation, targeted management of high-risk pregnant and postpartum women, emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, maternal mortality case reporting, and admonition of underperforming healthcare providers. Based on the severity of pregnancy risks, pregnant and postpartum women are classified into one of five categories and each is assigned a label: green for low risk, yellow for common risk, orange for relatively high risk, red for high risk, or purple for carrying an infectious disease. Their treatment is then managed according to their category. This general system is supported by a nationwide, tiered network for treating pregnant and postpartum women and neonates in severe and critical conditions, which features coordination between different levels, highly efficient response, and orderly operation. It closely monitors key high-risk groups and strengthens the emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, thereby ensuring the safety of mothers and newborns.
\nBreakthroughs in solving key issues in women's health. China has strengthened its resource coordination to integrate the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B into major public health service programs. In 2024, the rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission in China fell to 1.2 percent, meeting the targets for eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission.
\nChina has promoted the comprehensive prevention and treatment of cervical cancer and breast cancer. Between 2009 and 2024, 342 million free screenings for cervical cancer and 245 million free screenings for breast cancer were carried out nationwide, and between 2012 and 2024, the central government allocated RMB3.01 billion for treatment and support for women with these forms of cancer. HPV vaccination has been incorporated into the government's public welfare initiatives in 18 provinces as of June 2025, benefiting 5 million girls of eligible age annually through free vaccination programs.
\nA group of specialty branches and outpatient departments focusing on women's healthcare have been established, covering the entire process of childbearing and women's full life cycle.
\nA reproductive health promotion campaign has been carried out. By the end of 2024, youth health education services had been provided in more than 10,000 elementary and high schools and more than 1,000 higher education institutions across the country.
\nThe campaign to raise national health awareness, the initiative to build healthy families, the Healthy China: Mother's Action, and other initiatives have been rolled out to guide women to lead their family members and the wider society in raising health awareness and health management capacity.
\nRemarkable improvement in women's health. In 2020, the average life expectancy of women in China rose to 80.9 years.
\nSince 2012, the national hospital delivery rate has remained above 99 percent, and in 2024, the systematic maternal management rate reached 94.9 percent. The maternal mortality rate has dropped by 76.9 percent, from 61.9 per 100,000 in 1995 to 14.3 per 100,000 in 2024 — far below the global average.
\nIn terms of core maternal and child health indicators, namely maternal, infant, and under-five mortality rates, China ranks among the top in global upper-middle-income countries. It has met the relevant targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule and has been recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the 10 high performing countries in maternal and child health outcomes.
\n3. Substantial Increase in Women's Education Level
\nIn building up its strength in education and coordinating integrated reforms of educational, sci-tech and talent systems and mechanisms, China has made tremendous efforts to ensure women's equitable access to education of all categories and levels, raise women's scientific literacy and promote life-long education for them. As a result, women's right to education has been effectively guaranteed.
\nGender divide in basic education has been largely eliminated. China has implemented four consecutive preschool education action plans. In 2024, girls accounted for 47.3 percent of children in kindergartens, totaling 16.94 million.
\nPanel 6 The Spring Bud Project Helps Girls from Impoverished Families Realize Their Dreams Through Schooling
\nThe Spring Bud Project is a public welfare project launched by the China Children and Teenagers' Fund in 1989 to help out-of-school girls from poverty-stricken areas return to school and improve their access to education. In 2019, Prof. Peng Liyuan, special envoy for girls' education under the Spring Bud Project, launched the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project. By carrying out education in health, digital technology, science and technology, music, and other areas, this initiative helps girls from poor households pursue well-rounded development. By the end of 2024, the project had raised RMB3.44 billion of non-governmental funds, providing 4.36 million instances of education assistance and more than 200,000 cases of one-to-one growth support and tailored psychological counseling for girls. This enabled girls to enjoy a more equitable and inclusive education of higher quality. In 2023, the Spring Bud Project won the UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education. In 2024, it was designated as one of the best cases in the Fifth Call of Global Solicitation on Best Poverty Reduction Practices.
\nChina promotes the high-quality and balanced development of compulsory education, and has accelerated efforts to narrow the educational gaps between regions, schools, groups, and between urban and rural areas. The net elementary education enrollment rate of school-age girls stays above 99.9 percent, and in 2024, girls made up 46.98 percent of students of nine-year compulsory education.
\nThe Plan to Popularize Senior High School Education (2017-2020) and the Action Plan to Develop County-level Senior High Schools During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) Period have been implemented nationwide, and the proportion of girls among the senior high school population is continuing to rise, standing at 49.3 percent in 2024.
\nA rough balance between male and female students in higher education has been achieved. China has made sustained efforts to develop the world's largest higher education system, cement and advance accessibility in higher education, and ensure gender equality in the enrollment of regular institutions of higher learning. In 2024, female students in these institutions made up 50.76 percent of the total, 14.15 percentage points higher than in 1995. Among them, female graduate students accounted for 50.01 percent, an increase of 22.43 percentage points from 1995.
\nWomen enjoy higher-quality vocational education and life-long education. China has speeded up its efforts to build a modern vocational education system and offers assistance to eligible students in the form of tuition exemptions, scholarships, grants, and student loans. As a result, women are enjoying more and better access to high-quality vocational education. In 2024, female students accounted for 47.9 percent of higher vocational school students at the undergraduate and junior college levels, and 45.2 percent of secondary vocational school students.
\nThe women's life-long learning system has become more open and flexible, with the establishment of the national smart education platform for life-long education offering a more convenient and accessible channel that meets women's diverse learning needs. The number of women receiving adult education continues to rise steadily year on year, and in 2024, female students at adult education institutions at the undergraduate and junior college levels numbered 5.13 million, 54 percent of the total, representing an increase of 1.96 million compared to 2012. In 2020, the average length of schooling for female citizens at or above the age of 15 reached 9.59 years.
\nWomen's scientific literacy is on the rise. The Chinese government has promulgated the Outline of the Action Plan for Improving Scientific Literacy for All (2021-2035), which covers raising women's scientific literacy.
\nIt has issued the Guidelines for Science Education in Elementary and High Schools, improved the curriculum, textbooks, experimental teaching, teachers' training, and extra-curricular activity programs of these schools, and enhanced the coordination and transformation of science education resources.
\nTo inspire and cultivate female students' interests in science, public-interest programs aimed at female students have been rolled out, including the Science Lovers Program for Female College Students, Science Empowering Girls, Spring Bud InnoGirls Program, STEM Girls, and Her Science.
\nA program for raising the capabilities of female employees has also been implemented, and, in particular, efforts have been made to help them improve digital skills.
\nThanks to these initiatives and more, the gender gap in scientific literacy is continuing to narrow. The female sci-tech talent pool continues to expand in scale, improve in structure, and grow in capability, with female scientists now regularly making outstanding contributions in various fields, including basic theory, applied technology, and engineering. In 2024, female R&D professionals numbered 2.85 million, representing an increase of 1.69 million from that in 2012.
\nPanel 7 STEM Girls Program Kindles Girls' Science Dream
\nIn 2018, the China Women's Development Foundation established the public-interest program of STEM Girls for female high school students aged 12-16 to inspire their enthusiasm and interest in STEM subjects. Through open recruitment and online courses, the program selects outstanding female high school students and sends them to universities and research institutions, including Tsinghua University, Tongji University, the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In the study camps at these institutions, girls can engage in exploration and learning in mechanical engineering, energy sources in architecture, eco-environment, biophysics, and other STEM subjects. They conduct visits, research, and hands-on experiments, form innovative plans, and work for their application. In the seven years since its launch, the program has covered more than 100 high schools in 24 provincial-level administrative units, training more than 8,200 students and helping them embark on a journey of scientific exploration and move forward in steady steps.
\n4. Continuous Improvement in Social Security
\nChina has established the world's largest social security system. Built on the principle of ensuring universal coverage for all eligible individuals, the system aims to narrow urban-rural disparities, improve social security policies for key groups, strengthen support for women in difficulty, and steadily raise benefit levels. As a result of this system, women now enjoy more comprehensive, reliable and equitable social security.
\nMedical and old-age insurance systems achieved full coverage. China's healthcare security system has been continuously improved, supported by increased government subsidies for individual contributions to basic medical insurance among rural and non-working urban residents.
\nIn 2024, 651 million women were covered by basic medical insurance, accounting for 49.1 percent of all participants. Additionally, 260 million women were covered by basic pension insurance for rural and non-working urban residents, representing 48 percent of all enrollees, while 260 million women participated in the basic pension scheme for urban employees, constituting 48.2 percent of the total.
\nMore women are protected against unemployment and work-related injuries. Efforts have been made to safeguard employees' employment security, occupational safety, and health protections. By the end of 2024, approximately 105 million women were enrolled in unemployment insurance, accounting for 42.7 percent of all participants and reflecting a 70 percent increase since 2012. Additionally, about 117 million women were covered by work-related injury insurance, comprising 38.6 percent of all enrollees, and reflecting a 60 percent increase since 2012.
\nSpecific measures have been introduced to ensure that workers in new forms of employment receive effective assistance and compensation in case of occupational injuries. Real-time settlement of medical expenses for work-related injuries incurred outside the provincial-level unit where the patient is insured has been fully implemented, protecting the rights and interests of female workers and better meeting their healthcare needs.
\nMaternity protection for women has improved significantly. The integrated implementation of maternity insurance and basic medical insurance for employees has been fully advanced, and continuous efforts have been made to expand employer participation in maternity insurance and to gradually extend its coverage. Regions with the necessary conditions have been guided to include flexibly employed people in maternity insurance. For unemployed women, the unemployment insurance fund pay their maternity insurance contributions on their behalf during their period of unemployment benefit eligibility, while non-working women are covered for maternity medical benefits through their participation in the basic medical insurance scheme for rural and non-working urban residents. By the end of 2024, 111 million women were covered by maternity insurance. All 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, have included eligible assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in their medical insurance schemes.
\nSocial security for women in need is further strengthened. Subsistence allowance standards have continued to rise, with the national average urban and rural subsistence allowance standards in 2024 140 percent and 240 percent higher than those of 2012, respectively.
\nFinancial assistance or premium payments are provided for women from eligible disadvantaged groups, such as those receiving subsistence allowances or classified as extremely impoverished individuals, to participate in basic medical and pension insurance schemes for rural and non-working urban residents.
\nA comprehensive system of living subsidies for persons with disabilities facing financial difficulties and nursing subsidies for those with severe disabilities has been established. In 2024, about 9.40 million women received these subsidies, accounting for 46 percent of all recipients.
\nTargeted assistance and support initiatives have been implemented for rural stay-behind women in difficult circumstances, including efforts to establish records, ensure basic living standards, promote employment and income generation, and enrich cultural lives.
\n5. Improved Family Lives
\nChina places emphasis on fostering family culture, values, and traditions, recognizing the unique role of women in both social and family life. Efforts continue to be made to leverage women's distinctive contributions in promoting traditional Chinese family virtues and establishing positive family traditions. Policies supporting family development are continuously improved, enhancing families' capacity for development and creating favorable conditions for women to enjoy better family lives.
\nMore equal and harmonious family relations in the new era. Laws and regulations including the Civil Code, the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law have been promulgated to protect women's rights within marriage and the family.
\nA new marital and childbearing culture is widely promoted. Marriage and family counseling services are widely available at marriage registration authorities at or above the county level nationwide. Over 2,000 pilot units are advancing marriage customs reform, and activities such as "bringing new marriage and childbearing norms into households" are continuously carried out to promote values including gender equality, mutual respect, and shared parenting responsibilities between couples.
\nThe Fourth Survey on the Social Status of Women in China shows that 90 percent of married women participate in decision-making on major family matters, an increase of approximately 15 percentage points compared to 2010. The gender gap in time spent on household chores has narrowed, and there is a growing emphasis on marital relationships based on mutual respect and trust.
\nA family-friendly society gradually in shape. To meet the demands of high-quality population development and family wellbeing, measures have been introduced to improve childbirth support policies and develop a childbirth-friendly society.
\nThe childbirth leave system has been enhanced, with local regulations extending maternity leave and paternity leave and introducing parental childcare leave. Special additional deductions for individual income tax have been implemented, covering expenses for under-three children nursing, eldercare, and children's education. A childcare subsidy system has been established and implemented, while free pre-school education has been promoted in a phased way.
\nEmployers are encouraged to create "family-friendly workplaces" by adopting flexible working hours or remote work options after negotiating with employees to support them in both career development and childcare.
\nNursing facilities have been provided. By the end of 2024, 403,000 enterprises and public institutions with trade unions had set up nursing rooms for female employees. The provision of baby care rooms in public places has also been expanded, and design standards such as the Uniform Standard for the Design of Civil Buildings, the Standard for the Design of Office Buildings, and the Code for the Design of Railway Passenger Station Buildings now include requirements for such facilities. By the end of 2024, 1,449 baby care rooms had been established in railway stations; 5,371 in highway service areas (including parking areas); 286 on passenger ships and in port passenger terminals; 2,308 in secondary and above-grade bus stations; 2,599 in urban rail transit stations; and nursing rooms in all civilian airports with an annual passenger throughput of 5,000 or more.
\nPanel 8 The 15-Minute Community Life Circles Benefit Hundreds of Millions of Residents
\nThe 15-minute community life circle is a government initiative to improve people's lives by creating community business districts with diverse services. Residents in such communities should be able to meet their basic daily consumption needs and access quality services within a 15-minute walk.
\nTo address childcare needs, Shanghai has established more than 340 community-based childcare rooms in over 90 percent of its subdistricts and towns, providing temporary childcare services. For eldercare needs, Tianjin has set up 1,852 community canteens for seniors and built daytime care centers for the elderly, offering personalized eldercare services. To meet residents' daily needs, the Kangqiao Garden Community in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, has introduced affordable vegetable stalls, convenient barbershops, and small repair service points, enabling one-stop solutions for various household needs.
\nSince 2021, 4 batches of 210 pilot areas across the country have joined the initiative, building 5,510 community life circles that benefit approximately 125 million residents.
\nMore diverse services to reduce family care burden. A variety of childcare services are provided to families, including full-day, half-day, and temporary care options, and employers are also supported in establishing childcare facilities. By the end of 2024, there were 5.74 million childcare slots nationwide, with 4.08 slots per 1,000 people for children under three.
\nA family education guidance service system covering both urban and rural areas has been established. Relying on over 400,000 parent schools in urban and rural communities and more than 20,000 online new media platforms, family education guidance service teams have worked to organize rich and diverse parent-child activities, bringing scientific family education guidance services directly to households and communities.
\nThe eldercare framework has been optimized, where home care is supported by communities and professional institutions, featuring a combination of medical care and eldercare services. Services such as meal assistance, bathing aid, home modifications for the elderly, and barrier-free renovations for financially difficult families with members with severe disabilities have become more accessible.
\nPanel 9 Family Education in the New Era Strengthens the Foundation of Early Nurturing
\nChina places great importance on family education. The Law on Family Education Promotion has been enacted to strengthen parents' primary responsibility in guardianship, establish a collaborative mechanism for family education work, clarify state support measures for family education, and define the role of social forces in supporting family education. The All-China Women's Federation, the Ministry of Education, and other relevant departments have successively issued six five-year plans for family education, setting periodic targets and measures. The National Family Education Guidance Outline and Basic Behavioral Norms for Parents in Family Education have been formulated and revised to define the content of family education guidance.
\nExploratory efforts are made to establish an undergraduate program on family education in colleges and universities to train professionals for this sector. A life-cycle family guidance curriculum system has been developed, and the "Happy Family" online platform for family education services has been established. Family education instructors have been included as an occupation in the General Code of Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China. All these endeavors will promote the digital and professional development of family education and support families in scientific parenting.
\nThe domestic service sector continues to improve in quality and expand in scale. By the end of 2023, there were approximately 600,000 domestic service entities and 16,000 women-led domestic service community stations. National domestic service vocational skills competitions have been held to encourage skill enhancement among people working in this sector, provide a growth platform for more of them, and deliver high-quality services to families.
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nOn the new journey of Chinese modernization, every individual plays a key role. Connecting their own future with that of the country and the nation, Chinese women have devoted themselves to the building of a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful. They have attained major achievements in the new era, creating a better life through action and hard work.
\n1. Achievements in Promoting High-Quality Economic Development
\nIn promoting high-quality economic development, China is committed to expanding channels for women's participation, improving their capabilities, and stimulating their creativity. Women are "holding up half the sky" and playing an increasingly prominent role.
\nRealizing potential in employment and entrepreneurship. Upholding employment as a priority, China has increased fiscal investment, and implemented initiatives such as the Women's Action for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Action for Promoting Women's Employment and Entrepreneurship. Special recruitment sections and events for women have been held, sponsored by the National Employment Promotion Action and Spring Breeze Action, aiming to help more women find better jobs.
\nGender discrimination in employment has been placed under the scrutiny of labor protection supervision. The System of Special Labor Protection for Female Employees in the Workplace (Reference Text) and the System for Eliminating Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (Reference Text) have been formulated as guidelines for employers to improve their corresponding systems for protecting female employees' lawful rights and interests.
\nBy the end of 2024, RMB640 billion in loans had been provided to support 8.49 million women in realizing their entrepreneurial dreams. Since 2012, women have accounted for about 43 percent of the total employed population. According to the fifth national economic census in 2024, 42.6 percent of the employees in government agencies, public institutions, and state-owned enterprises were women, an increase of 3.6 percentage points compared to the fourth census.
\nPanel 10 Beautiful Crafts Workshops Providing Employment and Income Growth for Women with Disabilities
\nThe Beautiful Crafts Workshops program was jointly launched by China Disabled Persons' Federation and All-China Women's Federation in 2022 to help women with disabilities find employment and increase income. Through collaboration between the government, enterprises, and public service organizations, a full-chain service model integrating training, employment, entrepreneurship and protection has been formulated to ensure that women participating in this program have access to employment opportunities and secure stable incomes through the acquisition of important skills.
\nA total of 125 national-level Beautiful Crafts Workshops now provide disabled women with free training courses in hand knitting, embroidery, and pottery, and support some of them in setting up studios and engaging in live-streaming sales. This program has facilitated flexible home-based employment for 190,000 women with disabilities, doubling their average annual income compared to 2022. The outcomes have been displayed at major events including the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the UN Human Rights Council meetings, and the 10th International Abilympics.
\nThe scale of women's accomplishments is reflected in their significant representation among national honorees: They constitute 34 percent of the National Moral Models and 30.9 percent of the Most Beautiful Souls and National Exemplary Educators. Since 2012, a total of 1,821 women have been awarded the titles of National Model Workers and Advanced Workers, 1,957 have received the National May 1st Labor Medal, 5,001 have been honored as National March 8th Red-Banner Pacesetters, and 6,489 recognized as National Role Models for Women's Achievements.
\nPioneering innovation in science and technology. As part of the efforts to implement the Women's Action for Scientific and Technological Innovation, China has formulated the Measures on Supporting Female Talent to Play a Greater Role in Sci-Tech Innovation, which outline 16 concrete measures, including supporting female scientists to undertake national sci-tech projects and participate in decision-making on sci-tech development, as well as improving evaluation and incentive mechanisms for them.
\nThe National Natural Science Foundation has appropriately relaxed the age limits for female applicants in Categories A, B and C of the Young Scientists Fund, raising the maximum age thresholds by three years, two years, and five years respectively, compared to their male counterparts. Leveraging platforms such as the Zhongguancun Forum, Pujiang Innovation Forum, and World AI Conference, China has launched summits and forums for women working in science and technology, and hosted the Women Technicians Forum and a range of training programs for high-caliber female sci-tech professionals. These actions have created platforms for women in STEM fields to conduct professional exchange and learning, apply their research outcomes, and serve the public.
\nToday, women account for 45.8 percent of all sci-tech researchers in China. They are tackling tough problems and achieving breakthroughs in pioneering fields, overcoming daunting obstacles, and scaling new heights at the forefront of innovation, and making significant contributions to building China into a sci-tech powerhouse with greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology.
\nPanel 11 Glorious Achievements of Female Sci-Tech Workers in China
\nThrough their unwavering dedication and exceptional wisdom, Chinese women have made groundbreaking contributions across diverse fields of science and technology, writing glorious chapters in the nation's rich history of sci-tech innovation.
\nTu Youyou, chief scientist at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and a recipient of the Medal of the Republic, was the first person to discover artemisinin. This class of drugs has significantly reduced the mortality rate of malaria patients and saved millions of lives globally. Tu's pioneering research led to her becoming the first home-grown Chinese scientist to receive a Nobel Prize.
\nLiu Yang, China's first female astronaut, Wang Yaping, the first female taikonaut to walk in space, and Wang Haoze, the first female aerospace flight engineer to board China's space station, each courageously challenged the unknown, demonstrating the strength of Chinese women in aerospace.
\nLiao Hong, professor at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, integrated applied basic research with agricultural production to build up about 20,000 hectares of eco-friendly tea gardens, providing a comprehensive solution to the eco-friendly planting and management of Wuyi rock tea.
\nFor over two decades, Shan Xinghua, recipient of the title Role Model of the Era, has led her team in developing the 12306 China Railway ticketing system into a super-large real-time platform with a world-leading transaction volume, boosting China's strength in transportation.
\nTaking the lead in rural revitalization. Through the Women's Action for Rural Revitalization, China has strengthened quality training to empower women farmers. Since 2017, the High-quality Farmer Training Program has trained over 2.24 million women farmers, and between 2022 and 2024, the project for cultivating leaders for rural industry revitalization trained 12,000 female individuals.
\nThe achievements of women in rural revitalization have been recognized through initiatives like the Double Hundred and Double Thousand Initiative, which recognizes outstanding rural craftspeople, 100 of whom in the first batch were women, accounting for 36.6 percent of the total. In the final round of the first National Farmers' Skills Competition, female participants comprised 69.5 percent of all winners. Furthermore, by the end of 2024, 134,000 female workers responsible for extending agricultural technologies and services had obtained professional titles, representing 35.4 percent of the total.
\nPanel 12 A Small Industrial Incubation Platform Galvanizing Women's Power for Rural Revitalization
\nAs a successful example of the Green Rural Revival Program in Zhejiang, Lizu Village in Yiwu has developed from a backward hamlet to a National Model Village, and women have played a vital role in this transformation.
\nThe village is home to a Shared Prosperity Workshop — an incubation platform for industrial projects that attracts numerous aspiring makers and entrepreneurs. This workshop operates as a women's alliance for shared prosperity, and follows a work mechanism under which community-level service centers introduce promising projects under the leadership of the local executive committee of women's federations. The project has helped local women start their own businesses, increasing their incomes and fostering integration between urban and rural areas.
\nAfter five years, the number of makers and entrepreneurs has increased from over 30 to 272, among which 75 percent are women. The "Homemade by Mom" food street and the Women's Fair have increased women's incomes by over RMB13.7 million, while live-streaming activities to promote agricultural products have generated sales of RMB27 million. This small incubator has created big opportunities for women to embrace prosperity.
\nPursuing excellence in the digital economy. China has issued the Action Plan for Strengthening the Digital Literacy and Skills of the General Public and the Action Plan for Digital Rural Development, which include measures such as carrying out digital literacy education and skills training for women and developing women-led e-commerce brands. Chinese women have answered the call of the digital age, and are committed to developing the digital economy, with 14,147 women obtaining the vocational skills certificates for AI trainers in 2024 alone — comprising 42.3 percent of the yearly total. Women represent over half of the entrepreneurs in the internet sector and about one third of the workforce engaging in new business forms such as digital trade, e-commerce, and live streaming. As the digital economy advances, it is providing more opportunities for women.
\nPanel 13 The \"AI Dou\" Project: Helping Women Excel in the Digital Economy
\nThrough digital empowerment, the China Women's Development Foundation is pioneering innovative pathways for women's development. In 2019, the organization launched the "AI Dou" Project for AI industrial incubation in conjunction with relevant businesses. This project aims to help stay-behind women and returning youth to secure data annotation and similar jobs near home, by introducing digital employment opportunities to underdeveloped counties, carrying out vocational training, and incubating locally operated social enterprises. By the end of 2024, the project had established 16 digital employment centers in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Gansu, Guizhou and Ningxia, providing employment opportunities for over 7,500 women. Among those provided with stable jobs by the project, 70 percent were women.
\n2. Equal Participation in Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nAs China advances whole-process people's democracy, it remains committed to increasing women's participation in the management of state, economic, cultural and social affairs. Women enjoy equal political rights and actively participate in democratic practices, contributing their strengths with great enthusiasm.
\nExercising state power through the people's congresses. The proportion of women in people's congresses at all levels continues to rise. In the 14th NPC convened in 2023, there were 790 women deputies, accounting for 26.5 percent of the total. This represents an increase of 3.1 percentage points from the 12th NPC and 1.6 percentage points from the 13th NPC. At the county and township levels, women constitute 31.64 percent and 32.36 percent of deputies, respectively. These women deputies fulfill their duties in accordance with the law, soliciting and reflecting public opinion from all sectors of society. Between 2018 and 2025, NPC women deputies put forward 29,328 suggestions, criticisms and opinions, accounting for 42.3 percent of the total.
\nPanel 14 Women Deputies to the People's Congresses Practicing Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nZhu Guoping, an outstanding representative of the "neighborhood chiefs" in Shanghai, has been a key figure in her local community for over three decades. She served as a deputy to three consecutive NPCs — the 11th, 12th, and 13th — where she had a particular focus on eldercare, childcare and healthcare. Among her suggestions in these fields, two proposals calling for increased fiscal investment in general practitioners and pediatricians were both adopted by the Ministry of Finance, earning her praise as someone who "bridges national policy decisions with public concerns".
\nHongqiao Subdistrict, where Zhu works, functions as a community-level legislative outreach office, set up by the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee. It has solicited opinions for 97 draft laws, including the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and the Law on the Protection of Minors. The subdistrict has proposed over 3,200 suggestions, with 280 being adopted after review, channeling grassroots legislative input to the Great Hall of the People.
\nDiscussing state affairs and making suggestions at consultative meetings of the CPPCC. The proportion of female members in the CPPCC National Committee and local committees has seen a consistent increase. In 2023, 487 female members served on the National Committee of the 14th CPPCC, accounting for 22.4 percent of the total — an increase of 4.6 percentage points and 2 percentage points from the 12th CPPCC and 13th CPPCC, respectively. In the same year, there were 5,401 female members on the provincial-level committees of the CPPCC, accounting for 27.36 percent of the membership at this level. The female members fulfill their duties in full and play a major role in political consultation, democratic supervision, and the deliberation and administration of state affairs. Since the 14th CPPCC National Committee, female members have submitted 4,282 proposals, representing 26.6 percent of the total.
\nActively engaging in decision-making and administration. China attaches importance to the cultivation and selection of female officials and the recruitment of women into the CPC. It has formulated and implemented outlines for strengthening Party and government leadership teams and on women's development, which set specific quantitative and proportional requirements for the appointment of female officials and female heads of leadership bodies. These goals are expected to be met while strict quality standards are upheld.
\nThe proportions of women among the CPC membership and delegates to the Party congresses are increasing. In 2024, 30.9 percent of CPC members were female, an increase of 7.1 percentage points compared to the 2012 level. Female Party members accounted for 27 percent of the delegates to the 20th CPC National Congress, an increase of 4 percentage points from the Party's 18th National Congress in 2012. Women represent 42.3 percent, 43.78 percent, and 51.5 percent of all the judges, prosecutors and jurors nationwide.
\nExtensively participating in grassroots democracy. Effective measures have been taken in the villagers committee elections to expand women's membership. In 2022, women constituted 26.1 percent of villagers committee members and 54.3 percent of urban residents committee members, an increase of 4 percentage points and 5.5 percentage points, respectively, from 2012 levels.
\nFemale workers play an active role in democratic management in enterprises. In 2023, women employees made up 37.7 percent, 41.9 percent, and 34.2 percent of the boards of directors, boards of supervisors, and workers' congress representatives, increasing by 11.4 percentage points, 14.9 percentage points, and 4.4 percentage points, respectively, compared to 2012. A total of 431,000 councils of women have been established in urban and rural communities, facilitating extensive consultations on public affairs concerning women's immediate interests.
\n3. Excellence in a Flourishing Culture
\nIn developing a thriving socialist culture, China has given full play to women's role in creating cultural wealth and cultivated female talent in the cultural sector. Through innovation and with creativity, women have made a significant contribution to preserving cultural heritage and promoting the best of traditional Chinese culture.
\nDemonstrating vitality at the forefront of culture and communication. Women have become a pillar of cultural prosperity and development and are playing an increasingly important role in cultural creation, communication and studies. Female writers and artists have produced masterpieces that have shaped the image of women in the new era, as varied as the Peking Opera Mother, ballet Yimeng, prose works My Altay, TV series She and Her Girls, movie Huang Wenxiu, documentary Aunt Haiyun, variety shows The Daughters of Chinese Villages and Sisters Who Make Waves 2024, and short drama Got Old Recently.
\nBy the end of 2023, about 456,900 women across the country were employed in the radio, television, and online audio-visual sectors, comprising 43.14 percent of the total employees. In the senior professional title evaluations for the journalism section organized by the National Press and Publication Administration in 2024, women accounted for 44.1 percent of those receiving senior professional titles and 50.6 percent of those gaining associate senior ones.
\nWomen constitute 27.5 percent of participants in key talent initiatives in the field of public communication and culture, including 45.2 percent of successful candidates in the cultural talent program and 42.5 percent in the youth cultural talent program under the National Cultural Talent of Excellence Initiative. Through their work in culture and communication, women have vigorously committed themselves in the promotion and practice of the core socialist values.
\nShowing strengths in preserving and vitalizing ethnic cultures. By passing down traditional crafts and facilitating cultural innovation and dissemination, women are injecting new vitality into ethnic cultures. Among the 3,997 recognized representative bearers of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) items on the national list, 25 percent are women. The research and training program for ICH bearers has provided training for 51,000 people, with women accounting for 57 percent. Under the plan on revitalizing traditional Chinese craftsmanship and the specialized initiatives to revitalize rural areas by promoting ICH, many women have played a leading role in transforming local natural resources and rural cultural assets into cultural products and industries. Handicraft brands such as "Dove Flower: Songtao's Miao Embroidery" in Guizhou and "Weiyuan Tu Ethnic Coiling Embroidery" in Qinghai are shining examples of this transformation.
\nNew business models — often fronted by women — such as "ICH plus guesthouses", "ICH plus cultural products", and "ICH plus study trips" have also been launched in recent years, breathing new life into traditional ethnic cultures. The rise of digital technology has allowed traditional culture to flourish again, and an increasing number of young women now play a central role in promoting the "China-Chic" trend and preserving and vitalizing ICH, facilitating ICH's integration in modern life and helping it reach a global audience.
\nExcelling in both competitive and mass leisure sports. The Outline for Building a Strong Sporting Nation has explicitly set the goal of achieving balanced development between men's and women's events. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games issued a Gender Equality Commitment covering 14 specific areas, including equal participation, gender-equal and fair portrayal, and gender equality in leadership and workforce.
\nPanel 15 Creating Masterpieces and Promoting Civilization with Stitches and Threads
\nFemale embroiders, with needles as brushes and silk threads as ink, create delicate works that embody the resilience, patience, and determination of the Chinese people through every stitch and thread. These artisans are committed to revitalizing ancient techniques in a modern society.
\nSuzhou embroidery is one of the four most celebrated forms of Chinese embroidery. The art form originated in Zhenhu Township, where local women are now encouraged to set up their own embroidery businesses. As a result of this push, over 90 percent of Suzhou embroidery entrepreneurs are women.
\nMiao embroidery is another highly praised technique, celebrated as a "wordless epic created with colorful threads and a living totem worn on the body". Under the Brocade and Embroidery Initiative, Guizhou Province has empowered over 500,000 women working in handicraft industries such as Miao embroidery and batik to create a splendid life through splendid products.
\nWith a history of over 3,000 years, Li brocade is renowned as a "living monument of Chinese textile history". Currently, 18,000 female weavers work to preserve and develop this art. Tibetan carpet making is a skill that boasts thousands of years of history. Tibetan women begin learning the weaving techniques from a young age and pass down this precious craftsmanship through generations. Women in the Chaoshan area in southeastern Guangdong, based on traditional stitching techniques, have pioneered innovations to create 3D double-sided padded embroidery, carrying forward this traditional art in a modern world.
\nThe number of female elite athletes in China has witnessed rapid growth, and the proportion of international-level female athletes has remained above 50 percent. Since 2012, across the four consecutive Summer Olympic Games, female athletes have accounted for over 55 percent of competitors and won over 60 percent of the medals. During the same period across the four Paralympic Games, women have made up 50.22 percent of participants and secured 55.62 percent of the medals. Female athletes fight for their nations, collaborate in unity, and challenge their limits, playing an equal role as their male counterparts in competitive sports. The fighting spirit of the Chinese women's volleyball team has inspired the Chinese people to this day.
\nExtensive fitness-for-all programs are carried out nationwide, and a program of cultivating female community sports instructors in rural areas has provided training for over 65,000 women in 10,000 villages. By the end of 2024, there were about 3.71 million community sports instructors across the country, among which 56.1 percent were women, demonstrating women's leadership and responsibility in advancing China's fitness-for-all initiative in the new era.
\n4. Women's Undertakings in Grassroots Social Governance
\nIn building a grassroots social governance model based on collaboration, participation, and common interests, China has attached great importance to the role of women and women's organizations, expanded the channels for their orderly participation in grassroots governance, and ensured their involvement in managing grassroots-level public affairs and public-interest undertakings in accordance with the law. Chinese women have excelled in these roles, becoming a major force in grassroots governance.
\nThe positive role of family ties, values, and traditions in grassroots governance. China has improved mechanisms that help to foster family virtues, facilitate education cooperation between families, schools and society, deliver more accessible family services, and resolve marital and family disputes, supporting women in nurturing harmony within households, and thus contributing to a more peaceful and harmonious society for all.
\nFamily virtue cultivation activities such as the selection of the "Most Beautiful Families", "Model Families", and "Five-Virtue Families", and initiatives like "Share Your Family Rules, Mottoes, and Values", "Family Virtues in Letters", and "Family Education Cultivates Values and Virtues" have been organized. These activities champion the new socialist family morality and values, emphasizing love for the country and family, mutual care, devotion to progress and kindness, and joint efforts with shared benefits. A total of 1,597 households have been honored as "National Model Families", 6,258 as "National Five-Virtue Families", and 16.48 million as the "Most Beautiful Families". Additionally, more than 500,000 lectures, exhibitions and performances on family values and traditions have been hosted around the country, attracting a combined attendance of 250 million people.
\nPanel 16 Family Points System Contributing to Rural Governance
\nGansu Province has implemented an innovative system, which breaks down key aspects of rural governance into points for households in villages and communities. Clear criteria and scoring standards are established for adding or deducting points. Law-abiding families that demonstrate harmony, mutual support among neighbors, and industriousness can collect points by adopting a green lifestyle, participating in public-interest programs, and discarding outdated customs. These points can then be redeemed locally for a wide range of household goods. The initiative has inspired women and their families to participate more actively in rural governance and efforts to improve their living environment and beautify their villages, driving big impact in grassroots governance with ingenuity.
\nWomen's extensive participation in building a peaceful and harmonious community. Women actively participate in the comprehensive maintenance of public order and contribute to resolving problems and disputes at the grassroots level. Local governments have been exploring a "Women's Federations Plus" mediation model. By the end of 2024, 3,690 mediation commissions above the county level for resolving marriage and family disputes had been established under the leadership of women's federations. Marriage mediation organizations now provide service at comprehensive governance centers, litigation service centers, and community police offices, and marriage mediation offices have been established at the village and community level. Since 2016, nearly 1.36 million cases have been resolved through mediation. In 2023, 295 women mediators were commended by the Ministry of Justice as National Model Mediators, accounting for 29.5 percent of those recognized.
\nWomen also play an active part in patrols for maintaining order and in supervision. The "Jiangdong Aunties" team in Jingkou District, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province has completed 5,000 hours of voluntary patrols and participated in over 1,000 public service activities since its establishment in 2017. The "Xicheng Aunties" in Beijing and women community liaisons in Weinan City, Shaanxi Province, have promptly identified and reported potential risks for social governance, working at the forefront of conflict resolution at the grassroots level. Women acting as community workers, grid managers, and residential building chiefs have made significant contributions to building a peaceful and harmonious community.
\nPanel 17 Mediation Office for Promoting Family Harmony
\nIn 2016, the Women's Federation of Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, established a Marriage and Family Disputes Mediation Office and launched a project to promote marital and family harmony and ensure the legal rights of women and children. A set of operational mechanisms was established, including joint meetings, information sharing, and rotating professionals, and experts in the fields of law, sociology, and psychology were recruited to form a dedicated voluntary service group.
\nBased on practical experience, a mediation method of "four aspects plus three synchronizations" was adopted to mediate disputes, wherein the "four aspects" refer to the psychological, legal, emotional, and rational dimensions, while the "three synchronizations" denote the alignment of answering questions with raising public awareness of the law, providing emotional guidance with teaching life experience, and resolving disputes with protecting rights. At the same time, a four-step method of stabilizing emotions, understanding demands, instilling hope, and establishing support was adopted in solving many family disputes. By the end of July 2025, more than 10,000 cases had been solved through this project, with a success rate of 95 percent, benefiting more than 30,000 individuals.
\nActive engagement in voluntary service and other public-interest programs. China emphasizes the healthy development of voluntary services and social organizations, among which women play an active role. In 2024, there were 24 million women registered as volunteers and 350,000 women volunteer teams. These volunteers play an important role in promoting national strategies, improving the people's wellbeing, and strengthening social governance. They have provided nearly one million voluntary services, covering all 17 goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The number of women in social organizations is on the rise. In 2023, women comprised 42.3 percent of the staff and 26.3 percent of the heads of social organizations respectively, up by 13.3 and 4.9 percentage points from 2012.
\nPanel 18 Wang's Volunteer Group: Inspiring More Women to Serve Their Community
\nIn 2005, Wang Lanhua, a Hui woman, former director on a residents committee in Wuzhong City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region formed a volunteer group with six former colleagues — a group she continues to lead 20 years later. Her voluntary service leaves no stone unturned, reaching every corner of the community to look after left-behind children and elderly people who live alone, while providing conflict resolution services and addressing people's immediate concerns. Wang and her team warm the residents' hearts with their selfless dedication, and their influence in community service has drawn more and more community members to join. These volunteers from different ethnic groups encapsulate the idea of all ethnic groups as one family with their solidarity and mutual help. Now, there are 1,315 registered volunteers in Wang's Volunteer Group, and Wang's dedication has seen her honored as a model for ethnic solidarity.
\n5. Women's Contributions in the Eco-environmental Field
\nChina upholds and acts on the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and promotes modernization based on harmony between humanity and nature by following a path of green development that gives priority to eco-environmental conservation. Women play an important role in building a beautiful China, and are continuing to develop the awareness and skills required to drive forward eco-environmental protection.
\nPanel 19 Princess of the Beavers
\nWomen are emerging as key practitioners in biodiversity protection, and Chu Wenwen represents a new generation of female conservationists committed to protecting local biodiversity. Born in 1994 in Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Chu founded the Altay Nature Conservation Association and launched a series of public-interest projects to protect beavers and other wildlife, including the Beaver Cafeteria, Beaver Guardian, and Beaver Ark initiatives. The Beaver Cafeteria project focuses on restoring shrubs in natural habitats, which provide food for more than 100 species of wild animal. The Beaver Guardian project mobilizes more than 500 herdsmen along the Ulungur River to participate in conservation efforts and serve as voluntary patrols. The Beaver Ark project established a professional wildlife rescue center that has saved over 400 wild animals injured or trapped by human activities. Thanks in part to Chu's efforts, the population of Mongolian-Xinjiang beavers (Castor fiber birulai) has increased by 250 to date, earning her the honorary nickname "Princess of the Beavers".
\nPromoting ecosystem protection and restoration. China pursues the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, grasslands and deserts, with the aim of establishing an overarching framework that extends from the mountaintops to the oceans. Women play a significant role in the nation's ecosystem protection and restoration. Among the 17,000 eco-environmental guardians working at the 190,700 sq km Sanjiangyuan National Park, 33.3 percent are women. The Women Tree-Planting Team in Changjiang Li Autonomous County of Hainan Province has been dedicated to planting more than six million coastal defense trees, establishing a forest spanning over 2,000 hectares in the desert after 30 years of trial and error. The women's militia company for sand control in Shaanxi Province has converted more than 933.33 hectares of barren deserts into oases covered with rows of trees over the past five decades. The women's volunteer team in Helan County of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region conducts regular activities to protect rivers, shoals, and birds, and the Women's Action for the Yangtze River Protection is an ongoing activity in Nanjing City of Jiangsu Province to provide vital protection for China's longest river. Women's perseverance and wisdom are shown in many aspects of eco-environmental protection, from green coverage expansion and desertification prevention and control, to the protection of forests, rivers, and biodiversity.
\nPanel 20 Sci-Tech Courtyard Supporting Green Agriculture
\nThe Sci-Tech Courtyard is a service platform that integrates agricultural scitech innovation, demonstration and promotion, and talent cultivation. In the Dongpo Sci-Tech Courtyard of Agricultural Skill Promotion in Meishan City, Sichuan Province, 33 team members — including 22 women — work on the front line of green agriculture. With women at its core, the team provides comprehensive services in skill training, field production guidance, problem identification and resolution, and industry chain alignment, benefiting more than 50,000 villagers. The Sci-Tech Courtyard also makes targeted efforts in new species selection, cultivation technique research for high-quality and high-yield crops, and the development of green planting and cultivation models. Over the past nine years, comparative trials of more than 400 paddy varieties have been completed, leading to the selection of 40 high-quality and high-yield species that have significantly increased the proportion of such crops in the region. Cultivation of 824,467 hectares of these paddies has generated a net income growth of RMB2.65 billion. In addition, more than 10 new planting techniques have been promoted, and research on green planting and cultivation models has been advanced, increasing crop yield and economic benefits while reducing pesticide use.
\nAccelerating the green transformation of production models. China upholds green and low-carbon development as a fundamental approach to resolving environmental problems, and promotes a sound economic structure that facilitates green, low-carbon, and circular development. Women actively participate in the efforts to promote green development in industry, shift the production model of agriculture, and improve the sustainable level of the service industry. By 2024, the number of companies in the green economy sector invested in by women entrepreneurs had reached 445,000, accounting for 27.4 percent of the total. These companies cover a range of market segments, including clean energy, organic agriculture, and eco-conservation. Scientific management of fertilizer and pesticide use and innovative ecological planting serve to save agricultural resources, improve the eco-environment of agricultural production areas, and supply high-quality green agricultural products, promoting the triple-win of less pesticide use, more income, and better environment. New models of eco-environmental businesses have been established, including urban modern agriculture, leisure agriculture, eco-tourism, high-quality homestays, and rural complexes. By the end of 2024, the number of family farms run by women reached 487,000, and women accounted for 68.6 percent of all holders of vocational skill certificates in rural homestay housekeeping.
\nLiving a green lifestyle. Green development is closely connected to each of our lives. Chinese women advocate the values of eco-civilization and encourage simple, moderate, green, low-carbon, sound and healthy ways of life and consumption by integrating these concepts into everyday routines. They have played a leading role in building green families through saving water and electricity, participating in the "Clear Your Plate" campaign, using green modes of transport, and engaging in waste sorting. Women also actively participate in developing beautiful courtyards and harmonious villages, guided by standards such as tidy rooms, hygienic kitchens and toilets, neat courtyards, abundant greenery, and harmonious families. To date, more than 12 million households have been awarded the title of "Beautiful Courtyard". Women are consistently in the frontline of enhancing public awareness of environmental protection and improving community environment. For example, in Shanghai, a themed campaign was launched to find 10,000 families living a green lifestyle and recruit 100,000 family waste sorting volunteers, creating a good atmosphere for the million families participating in this endeavor.
\nParticipating in disaster prevention and mitigation. China regards people's lives and safety as the primary goal of disaster prevention and mitigation. It boosts public participation and improves the capabilities of the whole society to defend and respond to disasters, and women play a key role in this — particularly in investigation and identification of potential risks and hidden dangers, early warning and treatment, and information reporting. In 2024, women accounted for 23.6 percent of disaster information assistants nationwide, totaling 267,000, and comprised 61.6 percent of national chief meteorological experts. Women actively participate in disaster relief operations and public education on disaster prevention and mitigation, and promote family education in relevant fields. There are 13.71 million registered women fire volunteers nationwide, representing 52.4 percent of the total. The National Natural Disaster Emergency Relief Plan put forward requirements for safeguarding the rights and interests of special groups. Through the collaborative efforts of the government and society, material guarantee for special needs, such as women's hygiene products and supplies for pregnant and postpartum women, has been strengthened.
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nChina upholds the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, aligns with the prevailing global trends towards peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, and actively advances the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. Through close cooperation with other countries, China is helping accelerate the creation of an international environment conducive to women's development and a better world for all.
\n1. Participating in Global Governance on Women's Issues
\nChina plays a leading role in implementing the spirit of the UN Fourth World Conference on Women and advances global governance on women's issues through concrete actions.
\nSupporting the central role of the United Nations. China has co-hosted the Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment with UN Women to encourage countries to fulfill their commitments and inject new momentum into the global advancement of women. At the UN Human Rights Council, China has repeatedly delivered joint statements on promoting and protecting women's rights, pushed for the adoption of relevant resolutions, and called on countries to work together to implement the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action. China consistently sends high-level delegations to the sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and collaborates with UN organizations and agencies to conduct seminars on women's poverty reduction, the digital economy, inclusive finance, technology empowerment, and gender equality amid demographic changes, sharing China's experience in promoting women's development. Since 2015, China has donated US $20 million to UN Women and carried out practical cooperation with multiple UN specialized agencies on women's issues. In partnership with UNESCO, it has established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education and implemented projects in Africa focusing on digital and health education for girls. Chinese women hold important positions and serve as experts in the UN system, contributing their expertise to global governance on women's issues.
\nPanel 21 China and UNESCO Jointly Established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education
\nIn 2015, China partnered with UNESCO to establish the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education, which recognizes institutions and individuals that have made outstanding contributions to advancing education for girls and women. This is the first prize of its kind established by UNESCO. Proposed and funded by the Chinese government, it is awarded annually to two laureates, who each receive US $50,000 to further their work in girls' and women's education. As of 2024, 18 organizations and projects from 18 countries had received the award, including the Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education. This prize has provided an increasing number of girls and women with opportunities to change their lives and pursue their dreams. It has also raised greater awareness of and support for girls' and women's education among more people, thereby galvanizing concerted efforts to advance global gender equality in education.
\nFirmly fulfilling international obligations. China fulfills its obligations under international conventions such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, regularly submits national implementation reports, and actively participates in review processes to promote gender equality and women's development. It actively implements the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, continuously improves women's living conditions and expands their development prospects, and has achieved the poverty reduction and health-related targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule. Through these efforts, China has not only improved the lives of Chinese women, but has also offered the international community its approach to safeguarding women's human rights.
\nLeading and advancing multilateral and regional agendas for women's development. At the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, China proposed the Global AI Governance Initiative, emphasizing the need to avoid gender bias in AI development. The country also facilitated the adoption of the Resolution on Enhancing International Cooperation in Capacity-Building of Artificial Intelligence at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, which underscores ensuring universal benefits from AI, enhancing digital inclusion and achieving gender equality while empowering women and girls. Since 2012, China has hosted 29 women's conferences under frameworks including APEC, G20, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), China-ASEAN, China-Africa, China-Arab States, China-Central Asia, and Lancang-Mekong Cooperation. Through these mechanisms, China has deeply engaged in cooperation on women's issues, focusing on topics including poverty reduction, development, employment, business startup, education empowerment, and pandemic response. These efforts have facilitated targeted experience-sharing, dialogues, and collaborative actions, enabling China to advocate actionable propositions for advancing women's comprehensive development, inclusivity, and sustainable development.
\n2. Deepening Cooperation and Exchanges to Advance Women's Development
\nChina integrates the deepening of women's development cooperation into the frameworks of high-quality Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and South-South cooperation, to jointly promote women's sustainable development.
\nAdvancing women's development in BRI participating countries. China actively promotes high-quality BRI cooperation. Initiatives such as the Silk Road E-commerce have created employment opportunities and pathways for women in these countries, and digital technology enablement program for women in ASEAN countries — alongside other related programs — have supported women in the region in seeking employment and starting businesses. For 10 consecutive years, China and partner countries have jointly hosted a series of events under the theme "Pool Women's Strength for Belt and Road Cooperation", encouraging women in these countries to become supporters, participants, contributors, and beneficiaries of the BRI.
\nSupporting women's poverty reduction and development in South-South cooperation. China supports developing countries in improving women's living conditions and development environment. It has implemented 100 maternal and child health projects and 100 happy campus projects, along with a series of small but effective public wellbeing programs focusing on housing, rural roads, and technology training to empower women and girls. Through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has carried out women-related projects worth nearly US $40 million across over 20 countries. Additionally, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund has allocated RMB12 million to support women's development programs. Through foreign aid training and technical assistance, Juncao technology has helped women in 106 countries gain meaningful employment.
\nPanel 22 Juncao Technology Assistance: Empowering Women in Developing Countries to Realize Their Dreams
\nJuncao technology is a unique Chinese method for cultivating edible and medicinal fungi that uses grass as a substitute for wood. First included in China's foreign aid programs in 1994, it has since been introduced to 106 countries. In Lesotho, a compact 10-square-meter Juncao mushroom cultivation model has enabled impoverished farmers with limited land to produce 1.2 tonnes of fresh Juncao mushrooms annually from a single 10-square-meter plot. In African and Pacific Island nations, women use Juncao as livestock feed to mitigate shortages caused by climate change. Seruwaia Kabukabu from Fiji has led local women in growing Juncao mushrooms, significantly improving the living conditions of families in her community. In recognition of her work, she has been elected as chairperson of the Fiji Mushroom Farmers Association. Juncao has thus become a "grass of happiness" for people in developing countries.
\nDeepening international cooperation in women's capacity building. China continues to strengthen and expand support training programs focused on women and children in developing countries. Since 2018, it has implemented over 100 programs in this domain, including the Seminar on Promoting Maternal and Child Health Under Global Development Initiative, and the Seminar on Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries — Women and Children. Additionally, China has launched degree programs in women's leadership and social development, training nearly 4,000 outstanding professionals in the field of women's development. An exchange and training base for global women's development cooperation has been established in Beijing to design tailored empowerment programs for women in developing countries. Training and exchange centers for Chinese and foreign women have been set up in collaboration with 15 countries, and through international cooperation in vocational education, the Luban Workshops have trained 5,944 female students, who account for 23.25 percent of all participants in the project.
\nSolid progress in people-to-people exchanges in the field of women's affairs. China has actively developed global partnerships and engaged in comprehensive, multi-channel friendly exchanges with women's organizations and institutions from over 140 countries. It has conducted dialogues with foreign female political leaders, spouses of heads of state, and female government ministers, organized high-level delegations for overseas visits, and pioneered new approaches to high-level women's foreign exchanges. China has deepened women's exchanges under its cultural and people-to-people exchange mechanisms with other countries, holding thematic seminars on women's entrepreneurship, economic empowerment, education, anti-domestic violence, and family culture, while strengthening cooperation in areas such as women's rights and interests, bridging the digital gender divide, and promoting women's participation in sci-tech innovation and sustainable development. The Female Diplomats' China Adventures series has been launched to share the practical experiences of Chinese women in economic development and grassroots governance, and exchange insights on promoting gender equality. China supports women's participation in cross-cultural exchanges, with women accounting for 80 percent of dispatched Chinese-language teachers and 90 percent of volunteers in international Chinese language education.
\n3. Actively Addressing Global Challenges
\nChina supports women in playing an active role in maintaining peace and security, and in addressing challenges including climate change, public health crises, and humanitarian disasters.
\nSupporting women's participation in maintaining peace and security. China has taken concrete actions to implement UN Security Council resolutions on "Women, Peace and Security", supporting women's important roles in conflict prevention, peace negotiations, and post-conflict reconstruction. In 2022, the China-UN Peace and Development Trust Fund initiated a training program for senior female talent to promote gender equality in high-level positions within UN peacekeeping operations. China has deployed over 1,200 female peacekeepers and more than 100 female police officers to UN missions, who have participated in medical support, liaison and coordination, mine clearance, patrols and observation, and efforts to advance gender equality and protect women.
\nPanel 23 Chinese Female Peacekeeping Officer Received an Honorary Certificate for UN Military Gender Advocate Award
\nThe UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award was established in 2016 to recognize peacekeepers who have made outstanding contributions to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. On May 29, 2020, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Chinese officer Xin Yuan, a senior mine clearance staff officer at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), received an award in this category in recognition of her exceptional service, becoming the first Chinese service member to win this honor. Xin was the only female staff officer responsible for mine clearance operations in UNIFIL. She assumed significant risks by conducting surveys in minefields alongside clearance teams, developed meticulous clearance plans, and completed mine clearance tasks 34 days ahead of schedule, clearing over 1,500 square meters of minefields. Her efforts earned her special commendation from the UNIFIL headquarters.
\nEmpowering women to address climate change. China has consistently organized training programs on South-South cooperation for climate change response, implementing a gender-balanced enrollment policy. Since 2022, nearly 300 female officials, experts and scholars from developing countries engaged in climate change projects have participated in training programs in China. From 2012 to 2024, China conducted nearly 100 foreign aid training projects in meteorological monitoring, forecasting, and services, with women accounting for 36.72 percent of the trainees. It has donated 5,000 household solar photovoltaic power generation systems and 10,000 clean cooking stoves to Myanmar, reducing indoor air pollution and its associated health risks while supporting the country's low-carbon transition. The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund supported Cambodia in implementing a project on gender mainstreaming in climate action, enhancing rural women's climate adaptability and resilience.
\nAddressing women's needs in international humanitarian assistance. In efforts to alleviate migrant and refugee crises, China has placed high priority on women and children, encouraging women to register as recipients of household assistance supplies and providing special care for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Projects in the Republic of Congo specifically target pregnant and breastfeeding women as beneficiaries, effectively reducing malnutrition rates among women and children. In 2023, China provided over 120,000 hygiene kits, valued at US $1.5 million, to Rohingya women and girls seeking refuge in Bangladesh, benefiting more than 60,000 women and girls.
\nConclusion
\nThe pursuit of gender equality is a great cause. In the new era, the spirit of self-esteem, confidence, independence and self-reliance among Chinese women is demonstrated as the Chinese people forge ahead with resolve under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The glorious journey of women's development in China is deeply integrated into the process of achieving the Two Centenary Goals under the Party's leadership. Never before have Chinese women enjoyed such tremendous opportunities to realize their full potential and achieve their dreams, and never before has the cause of Chinese women borne witness to such broad prospects for development.
\nToday, China is working to build a great country and achieve national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. This requires pooling the strength of hundreds of millions of women and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development at a higher level. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China will unswervingly follow the path of women's development under socialism with Chinese characteristics, adhere to the fundamental national policy of gender equality, and thoroughly implement the Outline of Women's Development in China to enhance women's overall capabilities. Through these efforts, the country will create conditions and platforms for women to participate in economic and social development, protect their legitimate rights and interests, and encourage them to stand at the forefront of the times.
\nIn today's world, promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development presents both opportunities and significant challenges. All countries must strive to create safe and secure environments for women's survival and development, eliminate violence, discrimination and poverty, and effectively address the impact of climate change. It is essential to continuously empower women, ensuring they enjoy more and better opportunities and play more significant roles in the new revolution in science, technology and industry. We must adhere to true multilateralism, honor international obligations, and promote mutual learning and people-to-people exchanges among women worldwide. China is ready to work with countries around the world to expedite actions to create a brighter future for women's development and write a new chapter in the global progress of women.
\n\n\n\n\nContents
\nPreface
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nConclusion
\nPreface
\nThroughout history, women have played an essential role in shaping human civilization and have made immense contributions to social progress. But the paths towards gender equality and women's well-rounded development across the world have been long and arduous.
\nSince its founding in 1921, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has remained committed to women's liberation and development and gender equality. The CPC regards women as a major force for advancing all endeavors of the Party and the nation, always places the work concerning women high on its agenda, and leads women in their pursuit of liberation, progress and development. In doing so, the Party has opened a socialist path for women's development with Chinese characteristics.
\nThe 18th CPC National Congress in 2012 marked the beginning of a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In this new era, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has emphasized safeguarding women's lawful rights and interests and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development as integral components of Chinese modernization. Accordingly, it has made a series of major decisions and plans that are pioneering in vision, overarching in scope, and enduring in significance. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, initiated, planned for, supported and chaired the Party's first ever Central Conference on the Party's Work with People's Organizations in 2015, attended the 11th, 12th and 13th national women's congresses in 2013, 2018 and 2023 respectively, and held talks with each newly elected leadership team of the All-China Women's Federation. He has also delivered important speeches on work related to women and children, the role of women's federations, and the significance of family ties, values and traditions, thereby identifying the direction, objectives and guidelines of China's endeavors for women in the new era.
\nUpholding gender equality, among other basic national policies, has been incorporated into the CPC's political program, and promoting women's well-rounded development has been included in the national development plan. The legal system for safeguarding women's rights and interests also continues to improve. China has developed a sound approach to its endeavors concerning women. Chinese women actively participate in government initiatives, serve as advocates of civic virtues, fight for their dreams, and excel across all professions. In the new era, China has delivered numerous historic achievements in its endeavors concerning women. The Chinese socialist path for women's development continues to expand, opening ever-broader opportunities for advancement.
\nWomen around the world have a shared future. China's endeavors concerning women are an integral part of the global cause. In 1995, China hosted the Fourth World Conference on Women, organized by the United Nations. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the conference has since become a milestone for global gender equality. At important occasions such as the 2015 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment and the 2020 high-level meeting on the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, Xi Jinping, in his role as president of China, elaborated on China's propositions on gender equality and women's well-rounded development, and proposed holding another global leaders' meeting on women in 2025.
\nOn the occasion of the 2025 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, the Chinese government is publishing this white paper to present China's philosophy, principles, and innovative practices in promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development in the new era, highlight Chinese women's outstanding achievements and contribution, and affirm China's commitment to join global endeavors for women's advancement.
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nIn the process of Chinese modernization, based on China's realities and the trend of the times, the CPC leads Chinese women in exercising their lawful democratic rights, participating in social and economic development, and sharing the fruits of reform and development, all on the foundation of gender equality.
\n1. Upholding the CPC's Overall Leadership
\nThe CPC's leadership is the fundamental guarantee of China's work related to women. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has approached this work as an integral part of its broader strategic goal of achieving national rejuvenation, incorporating gender equality and women's well-rounded development into the overall architecture of Chinese socialism.
\nUpholding the fundamental national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children have been included into the reports to the 18th, 19th and 20th CPC national congresses, held in 2012, 2017 and 2022 respectively.
\nAt the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2019, the Party called for upholding and improving the systems and mechanisms for promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development and proposed leveraging the important role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance.
\nAt the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2020, upholding the national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children were written into the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, along with the promotion of family ties, values and traditions.
\nAt the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2021, the promotion of family ties, values and traditions and the protection of the rights and interests of women and children were incorporated into the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century.
\nAt the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in 2024, the Party incorporated improving the system for protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children and refining the mechanisms for leveraging the role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance into the overall plan for deeper comprehensive reform.
\nThis evolution in policy-making has ensured that China's endeavors concerning women have progressed smoothly under the CPC's overall leadership.
\n2. Implementing the Fundamental National Policy of Gender Equality
\nHighlighting gender equality as a basic national policy is an innovative practice of the Chinese socialist system and a momentous decision for advancing this cause and women's well-rounded development.
\nChina has improved top-level design and systematic planning accordingly. In formulating laws and policies and making plans and arrangements, the country has taken into full consideration the differences between women and men and the distinctive interests of women. It has promoted gender equality in rights, opportunities and outcomes, safeguarding women's rights and interests in accordance with the law.
\nChina is committed to cultivating a social ethos of respect and care for women, eliminating all forms of discrimination against them, and discarding obsolete ideas and practices that hinder their development. This more inclusive and dynamic social environment has allowed gender equality to truly become a shared social norm and part of the value system.
\n3. Synergizing Women's Development with Social and Economic Progress
\nDevelopment cannot be achieved without women, and its fruits should be shared by all. In this spirit, China has integrated the advancement of gender equality into its broader development process.
\nWomen's development has been incorporated into the Five-sphere Integrated Plan, which promotes coordinated progress in the economic, political, cultural, social and eco-environmental fields. Goals and tasks for women's development have also been embedded in the five-year plans for national economic and social development. The level of women's development is regarded as an essential measurement for social and economic development. With these efforts, China has synergized its endeavors for women with its social and economic progress in terms of planning and implementation, ensuring that modernization brings greater benefits to women in a fairer way, enabling them to enjoy a growing, guaranteed and sustained sense of gain, fulfillment and security.
\n4. Fully Leveraging Women's Proactive Role in National Development
\nWomen constitute a powerful force driving human progress, while at the same time shaping and determining their own futures. Upholding a people-centered philosophy of development, China respects the agency of women and has strengthened relevant institutional safeguards, policy support, and public service supply for their development.
\nChina has carried out programs encouraging women to strive for achievements, which seek to enhance women's overall capabilities, broaden channels for their participation in national development, and fully stimulate their enthusiasm, initiative and creativity, with an ultimate goal of realizing, safeguarding and improving women's vital and immediate interests to the maximum extent.
\nThe country encourages women to integrate their personal aspirations with the undertakings of the Party and the country, and to leverage their individual strengths in implementing the new development philosophy, fostering a new development dynamic, promoting high-quality development, achieving greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology, and advancing rural revitalization across the board. Utilizing their distinctive role in society and family, women are called upon to contribute considerably to the building of China into a great country and the realization of national rejuvenation.
\n5. Joining Global Women in Building a Bright Shared Future
\nHumanity lives in one homeland, and women around the world have a shared future. China upholds the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity, and facilitates the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. It advocates putting the people first, stays committed to results-oriented actions, and contributes Chinese initiatives, solutions and actions to global endeavors for women.
\nChina supports the United Nations in prioritizing women's development, promotes cooperation with the rest of the world in relevant fields, and builds international consensus on gender equality through extensive exchanges and mutual learning. Together with all other countries, China works to shape a global environment conducive to women's development, to safeguard international fairness and justice, and to make its due contribution to moving the world to a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress.
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nWomen's cause is an integral part of state governance. To advance this cause, China has continued to strengthen institutional support and safeguards, fostering the necessary conditions and environment for the comprehensive development of women.
\n1. Improving the Framework for Advancing Women's Cause
\nChina has established a mechanism for the work related to women, under which Party committees exercise leadership, governments assume primary responsibility, working committees on children and women play a coordinating role, women's federations work in collaboration, relevant departments provide support, and the whole of society participates. These concerted efforts have ensured that gender equality is upheld in all areas of economic and social development and all aspects of social life.
\nThe people's congresses have strengthened legislation and supervision. The National People's Congress (NPC) has established the Social Development Affairs Committee to undertake legislation, conduct supervision, and handle proposals and suggestions from NPC deputies concerning the protection of women's rights and interests. It attaches importance to incorporating legal initiatives for promoting women's development and safeguarding women's rights and interests into the legislative plans of its Standing Committee, and to soliciting opinions and accepting feasible proposals from women's federations and women themselves during legislative review and legal supervision.
\nAdditionally, the NPC hears and reviews the State Council's report on combating domestic violence, identifies the protection of female employees' lawful and special rights and interests as an important component of enforcement inspections of the Trade Union Law, and urges relevant departments to perform their statutory duties in protecting women's rights and interests. The people's congresses of 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government have also set up social development affairs committees to formulate local regulations to supplement national laws, thereby strengthening legal safeguards for women's rights and interests.
\nThe Chinese People's Government has effectively fulfilled its primary responsibility. The government has formulated and organized the implementation of outlines for women's development, and convened meetings on work related to children and women. The working committees on children and women have played their role as deliberative and coordinating bodies, and Party institutions, government departments, judicial authorities, and people's organizations have fulfilled their responsibilities in work related to women. The government has strengthened the statistics monitoring mechanism for the outlines for the development of women in China and established a gender statistics monitoring system covering over 2,400 indicators. Furthermore, gender has been incorporated as a key metric into national censuses and time-use surveys, and the fourth Survey on Social Status of Women in China has been conducted to assess women's development across multiple dimensions.
\nThe Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) has strengthened its role in conducting consultations and offering suggestions. CPPCC committees at all levels perform their duties in political consultation, democratic supervision, and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs. They conduct consultations on women's issues through a variety of channels and platforms, including subject-specific, sector-specific and proposal handling consultations, as well as consultative meetings with relevant departments. As one of the 34 sectors defined by the CPPCC, women's federations conduct research and consultations on key issues and major challenges in women's development, such as the protection of women's reproductive and health rights and interests. The National Committee of the CPPCC has conducted consultations and made suggestions to support women's development, addressing issues including fair employment and career development, the strengthening of family ties, values, and traditions, and universal access to childcare services.
\nWomen's federations have served as bridges for connection and communication. The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) is a people's organization of women of all ethnic groups and from all sectors of society in China. It unites women for further emancipation and development under the leadership of the CPC. The ACWF has established an organizational system of women's federations at the national, provincial, prefectural, county, township and village levels, covering government departments, public institutions, new types of economic entities and social organizations, and groups in new forms of employment.
\nWomen's federations at all levels have served as bridges linking the Party and the government with women, and as assistants to the Party. While supporting major national development strategies, they have performed their functions of guiding, serving, and engaging with women, and launched five key initiatives: providing women with political guidance; encouraging them to excel in the workplace; providing guidance and support in family education, family services, and the cultivation of family virtues; offering support for women's rights protection; and improving the problem-solving capability of women's federations and their staff's professional competence.
\nIn addition, women's federations have mobilized resources to support women's development through six practical measures: supporting female volunteers who provide care for children in need; growing the scale and quality of female-dominated family services; improving vocational training for women; developing a system of childcare services that is accessible to all; advancing the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project to help underprivileged schoolgirls; and telling engaging stories about the development of Chinese women. Through these initiatives, they have delivered accessible services and tangible benefits to women, children and families.
\n2. Setting Objectives and Tasks for Women's Development with Overall Planning
\nChina's national development plans have clarified the strategic tasks for women's development. Five-year plans are blueprints and guides of action for China's economic and social development during their designated time frames. The government has incorporated objectives for women's development into these plans for meeting its strategic goal of modernization.
\nThe 12th Five-year Plan (2011-2015) for the first time included a section dedicated specifically to advancing women's all-round development. It also set requirements for developing human resources with a focus on women, strengthening labor protection for women, and resolutely combating violence and crimes against women. The 13th Five-year Plan (2016-2020) further strengthened the protection of women's rights and interests and for the first time devoted a separate chapter to ensuring women's rights and equal access to education, employment, and participation in social affairs, and eliminating discrimination and prejudice against women. It also set the targets for poverty alleviation and reduction among women. The 14th Five-year Plan (2021-2025) outlines further measures to safeguard women's rights and interests in areas including health, education, employment, participation in state governance, and social security. For the first time, it contains a section specifically dedicated to the strengthening of family development which focuses on improving the supporting policies and services for this goal.
\nSpecial plans in related fields have been made to address women's practical development needs. Plans for improving people's wellbeing — including the Outline of Healthy China 2030, the Outline of the Development Plan for Education (2024-2035), and the special plans for boosting employment and the development of civil affairs undertakings during the 14th Five-year Plan period — have put forward policies and measures to improve the health of women and children, safeguard women's equal rights to education, support women's employment, entrepreneurship, and career development, and improve care and services for rural women who stay behind to care for families while their husbands work in cities.
\nThe National Medium — and Long-term Talent Development Plan (2010-2020) has outlined arrangements to promote gender balance in the talent pool and strengthen the training and selection of female talent. The National Action Plan for Scientific Literacy (2021-2035) has made specific arrangements to improve the scientific literacy of rural women. The National Human Rights Action Plan, in all four phases, includes a section on the measures for safeguarding women's rights and interests, covering personal, property, education, employment and health rights.
\nOutlines for women's development have laid out phased targets. Since 1995, China has formulated and implemented four outlines for women's development, each outlining the primary objectives, strategies, and measures for women's development in its corresponding phase.
\nThe Outline of Women's Development in China (2021-2030) contains 75 primary objectives and 93 strategic measures across eight fields: health, education, economy, participation in decision-making and administration, social security, family development, environment, and the legal sector. The document also outlines the 41 Party and government departments and institutions responsible for implementing these strategic measures.
\nNationwide, 31 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, along with over 300 prefectures and cities and more than 2,000 counties and districts, have formulated plans for local women's development based on their actual conditions. The objectives and tasks set in the Outline dovetail with national development plans, align with sector-specific plans, and are integrated across the national, provincial, city and county levels. A comprehensive planning system for advancing women's development is now firmly in place.
\n3. Strengthening Legal Guarantee for Women's Rights and Interests
\nContinuing to improve the legal system. Legal protection of women's rights and interests is an integral part of advancing law-based governance. China has established a legal system anchored in the Constitution and centered on the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, covering over 100 laws and regulations.
\nThe Civil Code was compiled, which includes a Personality Rights section that clarifies the definition of sexual harassment and the responsibilities of employers. Its Marriage and Family section improves mechanisms for the identification and settlement of marital debts, and economic compensation for unpaid domestic work in divorce proceedings.
\nThe Criminal Law has been revised to abolish the crime of "prostitution involving underage girls" and punish such acts as rape, raise the statutory minimum penalty for the crime of child molestation, and introduce harsher punishments for the crime of purchasing abducted and trafficked women. Additionally, the crime of sexual assault by a person with a duty of care has been added to the Criminal Law.
\nThe amended Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests has made more comprehensive and systematic provisions on the system and mechanism for protecting women's rights and interests. China has also formulated the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and created systems of compulsory reporting, admonition, personal safety protection order, and emergent protection.
\nThe revised Law on Land Contract in Rural Areas has improved the legal guarantees for rural women's land rights and interests, ensuring their rightful entitlement to land and corresponding rights. The Law on Rural Collective Economic Organizations has been formulated to provide institutional safeguards ensuring that women do not lose their membership, rights and interests in such organizations due to changes in marital status.
\nIn addition, the Legal Aid Law, the Law on Basic Medical and Health Care and the Promotion of Health, and the Population and Family Planning Law all have provisions for safeguarding women's rights and interests.
\nA gender equality review mechanism has been established at the national level and across all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government. This mechanism conducts assessments of laws and regulations related to women's rights and interests, ensuring that the fundamental national policy of gender equality is implemented in laws and regulations at the source.
\nPanel 1 Revisions to the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests
\nThe Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests was promulgated in 1992, amended in 2005 and 2018, and thoroughly revised in 2022, expanding from 61 articles in nine chapters to 86 articles in ten chapters with the revision.
\nThe Law fully embodies the fundamental national policy of gender equality and has strengthened the comprehensive protection of women's political rights, personal and personality rights and interests, and their rights and interests in culture, education, employment, social security, property, marriage, and family. It has added new provisions on the mechanism for safeguarding women's rights and interests, the mechanism for gender equality assessment of laws and regulations, the system for collecting and publishing gender statistics, and education on gender equality as a basic national policy. It has established legal aid channels, including a public-interest litigation system for safeguarding women's rights and interests, a mechanism for admonishing violators of women's rights and interests in employment and social security, and a nationwide service hotline for protecting women's rights.
\nOverall, the Law has strengthened legal liabilities and reinforced its rigidity.
\nStrengthening law enforcement and judicial protection. China has taken resolute actions to combat criminal and illegal acts that infringe upon women's and girls' personal rights. Since 2013, public security agencies have continued to carry out special operations targeting the abduction and trafficking of women and children. By 2024, the number of such cases had decreased by 95 percent compared with 2013.
\nChina has established an inter-departmental cooperation and consultation mechanism against domestic violence, issued guidelines on the implementation of admonitions against domestic violence and personal protection orders, and promulgated judicial interpretations clarifying specific interventions and prevention measures, and forms of evidence for identifying domestic violence.
\nThe systems and measures for preventing and addressing workplace sexual harassment have been improved, with the addition of "dispute over liability for damages caused by sexual harassment" as an independent cause of action. To strengthen the protection of the personal rights and interests of girls, China has established a compulsory reporting system for cases of offenses against minors, as well as mechanisms for urging parental care and supervision over minors, for preventing violators from engaging in certain occupations, and for providing one-stop judicial support.
\nProcuratorates at all levels have registered and handled 3,810 public-interest cases concerning women's rights and interests. Since 2012, legal aid institutions across China have provided legal assistance for women involved in over 4.2 million cases, and free legal consultations for over 20 million women.
\nRaising public awareness of the rule of law. China continued to formulate and implement the seventh and eighth five-year plans for popularizing legal knowledge, both of which include laws and regulations on protecting women's lawful rights and interests. The country has strengthened law promotion and interpretation efforts, and the NPC Standing Committee has organized press conferences to expound on the principles in formulating and revising the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law, and share their highlights.
\nEfforts have been made to raise public legal awareness through multiple channels and approaches. Since 2012, articles on protecting women's rights and interests published through the official WeChat account for law popularization have been viewed 91.36 million times, and the annual legal knowledge competition has attracted tens of millions of participants. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions has organized legal awareness activities for female employees for 11 consecutive years, and women's federations at all levels across China have held more than 3.76 million events to raise legal awareness and provide legal services since 2016, with the participation of over 400 million women.
\nIn 2024, courts and procuratorates across the country, in conjunction with women's federations, organized more than 4,200 open day events on safeguarding the rights and interests of women and children and released over 3,800 typical cases. A legal education program for rural women reached more than 86 percent of China's rural areas.
\n4. Creating an Equal and Harmonious Social Environment
\nVigorously promoting the fundamental national policy of gender equality. China has carried out targeted public education on gender equality across multiple dimensions and through multiple channels, promoting this basic national policy in government departments, schools, enterprises, urban and rural communities, and families.
\nFor Party and government leaders, the Implementation of Gender Equality as a Basic National Policy has been compiled as a coursebook and incorporated into the curriculum and teaching plans of Party schools. For students, education on gender equality has been promoted in elementary and high schools, as well as in universities, and integrated into textbook planning and regulatory standards, and guides for related courses. Gender balance is emphasized in textbook illustrations, and excellent female writers have seen greater representation in textbooks, to eliminate gender stereotypes in teaching materials.
\nFor the general public, gender equality has been incorporated into cultural and ethical development in both urban and rural communities, into self-regulations and rules for their residents, and into efforts to cultivate good family ties, values, and traditions. Party members and officials, experts, scholars, and those who work in women's affairs have given talks and lectures, and engaged in public communication on gender equality in approachable and popular forms, enabling the public to understand this basic national policy and apply it in their daily lives.
\nPanel 2 Guangdong Promoting Gender Equality Education in Elementary and High Schools
\nSince 2012, Guangdong Province has promoted gender equality education in schools. Targeting students in urban elementary and high schools, three types of courses have been developed, with a focus on cognitive understanding, behavioral norms and attitudinal guidance. These are themed courses on gender equality, integrated courses that incorporate ideas of gender equality into related subjects, and practical courses that engage students in all types of activities. Targeting students in rural elementary and high schools, courses have been developed for students in different grades with a focus on care for left-behind children, physical development during puberty, and prevention of sexual assault among adolescents.
\nBy the first half of 2025, Guangdong had established 661 demonstration elementary and high schools for gender equality education, with a professional teaching staff of over 1,500 members. Assessment results indicate that education on gender equality has generated a positive effect on both male and female students, raising their gender equality awareness, promoting physical and mental health, improving academic performance, and reducing bullying and disciplinary violations.
\nStrengthening the awareness of gender equality in the media. The Advertising Law and other relevant laws, as well as the Outline of Women's Development in China, all stipulate regulations regarding gender equality assessment and supervision in the media, prohibiting reports or advertisements with contents that disparage, undermine, or infringe upon women's dignity.
\nGender equality reviews have been conducted throughout the script development, production, screening, and distribution of films and TV programs. News outlets have issued lists of prohibited and offensive terms to eliminate discriminatory expressions in news reports. Media organizations have implemented a social responsibility reporting system and upheld the professional ethic of safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of women, children, the elderly, and the disabled and protecting their physical and mental health.
\nThe stories of women role models have been told through media coverage, special releases and events in recognition of their contribution, showcasing patriotism, devotion to the people, perseverance and progress in the face of challenges, and commitment to virtue and good deeds. Gender equality has now become a widely accepted social norm.
\nCreating a clean cyberspace. China has issued judicial interpretations, released exemplary cases, and carried out special operations to combat fraud, abduction, trafficking, rape, and other crimes against women and children committed or facilitated through online channels. Offenses that infringe upon women's personality rights, such as the illegal disclosure of personal information, defamation, and malicious online abuse, are strictly punished. Online platforms have taken on greater responsibility by addressing illegal and inappropriate content, including removing articles and short videos that advocate a preference for sons over daughters or exaggerate family disputes.
\nChina has increased the supply of high-quality online content. Special campaigns have been launched to introduce new media products showcasing women in the new era and their commitment to the country, such as the theme song Blooms of China, the women's federation promotional video Together, and the family values promotional video I Love My Family. These products have reached hundreds of millions of women and families, and facilitated new progress in providing theoretical and political guidance to women.
\nEfforts have also been made to improve the digital literacy of the general public, foster responsible internet usage among women, tell engaging stories of China and Chinese women, spread mainstream values, and promote positive energy online.
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nEradicating poverty, improving living standards, and achieving common prosperity are essential tasks of socialism. China has made continuous efforts to ensure people's access to childcare, education, employment, medical services, eldercare, housing, and social assistance, meeting women's expectation for a better life.
\n1. Elimination of Absolute Poverty
\nChina has organized the largest and most intensive poverty alleviation campaign in human history, benefiting the greatest number of people. By the end of 2020, it had successfully eliminated absolute poverty throughout the country, meeting the poverty reduction target of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. On this epic journey of poverty reduction, China has honored its solemn commitment that no one should be left behind, specifically targeting women as a key group to widen their path towards prosperity.
\nTaking targeted measures to guarantee basic living needs. China has adopted a targeted strategy in poverty alleviation. Under this framework, it maintains detailed records on the distribution of impoverished populations, the underlying causes of poverty, the specific categories of poverty, and the expectations of the poor. This approach guarantees the implementation of targeted efforts in six areas: identification of those in need, project arrangement, capital utilization, the introduction of household-specific measures, the dispatch of officials to villages based on local conditions, and the achievement of set goals. As a result, women, who comprise approximately half of the impoverished population, have benefited from targeted resource allocation.
\nThe Health Program for Poverty Alleviation and its health promotion campaigns have guaranteed access to basic medical and health services for impoverished rural women.
\nThrough education initiatives for poverty alleviation, compulsory education in impoverished areas has been steadily improved, ensuring that no school-age girls from poor families drop out of school due to poverty.
\nSocial security systems have been strengthened to ensure eligible women on the list of the registered poor receive subsistence allowances or assistance and support for the extremely poor.
\nRenovation of dilapidated houses in rural areas, particularly in severely impoverished areas, has been subsidized by the government. Relocation projects have helped over 9.6 million people, who originally lived in inhospitable areas, to emerge from poverty and seek development.
\nThe basic food and clothing needs of impoverished women have been guaranteed, and their access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing has been ensured.
\nAfter winning the battle against absolute poverty, the country initiated a five-year transition period during which poverty alleviation support policies remained in effect to buttress areas and populations that had recently emerged from poverty. Based on the stable operation of such policies, a robust dynamic monitoring and assistance mechanism has been established to prevent any relapse into or occurrence of poverty, and support remains in place for women lifted out of poverty and those in low-income areas to participate in the local economy, seek more employment opportunities, and increase incomes.
\nBoosting the economy to create job opportunities for women and raise their income. China is committed to the policy of development-driven poverty alleviation to empower impoverished women.
\nIt has strengthened industrial support by facilitating the gradient transfer of labor-intensive industries such as food processing and clothing manufacturing, benefitting 98.9 percent of poor households. By advancing east-west cooperation in labor services, setting up poverty alleviation workshops, and creating public-interest rural jobs, the country has provided job opportunities for poor women with the will and ability to work. In its efforts to alleviate poverty, China has leveraged new forms of business and industries such as e-commerce programs, photovoltaic technology, and tourism to help impoverished women find good jobs within their local communities. In ethnic minority areas, the transition of the hand-knitting business from a purely traditional craft to a driver of the local economy has transformed the lives of the women embroidery artisans in the Miao and Yi communities.
\nChina has increased fiscal and financial support. In the critical battle against poverty, special supportive polices such as offering subsidized loans requiring no collateral or guarantee and tax reductions or exemptions were introduced. Cumulatively, over RMB450 billion in guaranteed microloans and poverty alleviation microcredit were disbursed to women in need, and 8.7 million impoverished women saw their income increased through entrepreneurship. From 2021 to 2024, the country sustained a flow of microcredit designated for people recently lifted out of poverty, of which RMB76.83 billion were offered to nearly 1.93 million women.
\nEfforts in skills training have been strengthened, with training courses on vocational skills, entrepreneurship, and practical agricultural technology being held through multiple channels, at multiple levels, and in multiple forms. As of 2020, training programs had been organized for a total of 10.21 million impoverished women and female technicians. From 2023 to 2024, the Rain and Dew Program sponsored 632,000 women to receive vocational education, allowing them to continue their march out of poverty.
\nPanel 3 Poverty Alleviation Workshops for Women Help Women Find Jobs and Emerge from Poverty
\nPoverty Alleviation Workshops for Women constitute a targeted model that helps boost employment and incomes among impoverished women. The Guidelines on the Three-Year Action Plan for Winning the Battle Against Poverty issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council required the establishment of poverty alleviation workshops to employ people from poor households near their homes. In line with this document, governments in poor regions adopted measures such as employment subsidies, workspace rental subsidies, and credit assistance to encourage enterprises to establish poverty alleviation workshops for women in poor rural communities, helping them find work in fields such as agricultural products processing and handicrafts weaving. By providing employment opportunities close to home, local governments and enterprises have enabled women to balance earning an additional income with their farming and family duties. During the critical battle against poverty, more than 10,000 such workshops for women have been established nationwide, helping women in need find secure employment in their local areas.
\nIncreasing input to break the bottlenecks constraining women's development. China has advanced infrastructure development, fundamentally solving many of the issues impeding women's development in impoverished areas, such as insufficient access to transport, electricity, water and communications. Where conditions permit, all towns, townships, and administrative villages have been connected to paved roads and provided with bus and postal services. Full coverage of reliable power supply has been largely realized in rural areas. All counties have access to gigabit internet, all townships to 5G services, and all villages to broadband connections. By the end of 2024, 94 percent of the rural population had enjoyed access to tap water.
\nPanel 4 Female National Models for Poverty Alleviation
\nWomen fully performed their role as "half the sky" in the critical battle against poverty. Among the 10 individuals honored as national models for poverty alleviation by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council in 2021, five were women. They include Bai Jingying, who led 26,000 women in shaking off poverty through a new trail — working in the Mongolian broidery industry; Zhang Guimei, who leveraged her expertise in education to found China's first free senior high school for girls, helping more than 2,000 girls from impoverished mountainous areas reach university; Huang Wenxiu, a poverty alleviation official and a resident first Party secretary, and Zhang Xiaojuan, a vice director of a county-level poverty alleviation office, both of whom sacrificed their young lives for poverty elimination while working at the grassroots level to help residents solve difficulties; and Xia Sen, who donated her savings of RMB2,032,000 accumulated through a lifetime of work and frugality to improve schools in poverty-stricken rural areas, including through the provision of grants that have gone on to help 182 students from poor households enroll in university.
\n2. Notable Improvement in Health
\nPrioritizing people's health in its development strategy, China makes all-out efforts to build a healthy China, with women's and children's health the cornerstone of this work. By consolidating and improving institutional arrangements and optimizing resource allocation, the country provides women with full life-circle health services.
\nContinuous improvement of the maternal and child healthcare system. China has integrated its maternal and child healthcare network into its national medical and healthcare framework that covers its 1.4 billion people. A service system for maternal and child healthcare has been built, with maternal and child healthcare institutions as the core, community-level medical and healthcare institutions as the foundation, and medium and large hospitals and research institutes as the pillars.
\nFrom 2012 to 2023, the number of health professionals at maternal and child healthcare institutions increased from 277,000 to 537,000, with an annual growth rate of over 6 percent; the actual number of beds rose from 187,000 to 295,000, up by nearly 60 percent. At present, China has 3,081 maternal and child healthcare institutions, 3,491 treatment centers for high-risk and critically ill pregnant and postpartum women, and 3,221 treatment centers for critically ill neonates. More than 2,600 traditional Chinese medicine hospitals at Grade II and above have gynecological departments.
\nThe "internet plus maternal and child healthcare" service model has been developed, and training sessions and guidance for treating pregnant and postpartum women in severe and critical conditions have been provided through 31 provincial-level "cloud-based maternal and child healthcare" telemedicine platforms, making maternal and child healthcare services much more equitable.
\nPanel 5 Five Mechanisms for Maternal and Neonatal Safety Safeguarding the Health of Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Newborns
\nThe five mechanisms for maternal and neonatal safety covers pregnancy risk screening and evaluation, targeted management of high-risk pregnant and postpartum women, emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, maternal mortality case reporting, and admonition of underperforming healthcare providers. Based on the severity of pregnancy risks, pregnant and postpartum women are classified into one of five categories and each is assigned a label: green for low risk, yellow for common risk, orange for relatively high risk, red for high risk, or purple for carrying an infectious disease. Their treatment is then managed according to their category. This general system is supported by a nationwide, tiered network for treating pregnant and postpartum women and neonates in severe and critical conditions, which features coordination between different levels, highly efficient response, and orderly operation. It closely monitors key high-risk groups and strengthens the emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, thereby ensuring the safety of mothers and newborns.
\nBreakthroughs in solving key issues in women's health. China has strengthened its resource coordination to integrate the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B into major public health service programs. In 2024, the rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission in China fell to 1.2 percent, meeting the targets for eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission.
\nChina has promoted the comprehensive prevention and treatment of cervical cancer and breast cancer. Between 2009 and 2024, 342 million free screenings for cervical cancer and 245 million free screenings for breast cancer were carried out nationwide, and between 2012 and 2024, the central government allocated RMB3.01 billion for treatment and support for women with these forms of cancer. HPV vaccination has been incorporated into the government's public welfare initiatives in 18 provinces as of June 2025, benefiting 5 million girls of eligible age annually through free vaccination programs.
\nA group of specialty branches and outpatient departments focusing on women's healthcare have been established, covering the entire process of childbearing and women's full life cycle.
\nA reproductive health promotion campaign has been carried out. By the end of 2024, youth health education services had been provided in more than 10,000 elementary and high schools and more than 1,000 higher education institutions across the country.
\nThe campaign to raise national health awareness, the initiative to build healthy families, the Healthy China: Mother's Action, and other initiatives have been rolled out to guide women to lead their family members and the wider society in raising health awareness and health management capacity.
\nRemarkable improvement in women's health. In 2020, the average life expectancy of women in China rose to 80.9 years.
\nSince 2012, the national hospital delivery rate has remained above 99 percent, and in 2024, the systematic maternal management rate reached 94.9 percent. The maternal mortality rate has dropped by 76.9 percent, from 61.9 per 100,000 in 1995 to 14.3 per 100,000 in 2024 — far below the global average.
\nIn terms of core maternal and child health indicators, namely maternal, infant, and under-five mortality rates, China ranks among the top in global upper-middle-income countries. It has met the relevant targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule and has been recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the 10 high performing countries in maternal and child health outcomes.
\n3. Substantial Increase in Women's Education Level
\nIn building up its strength in education and coordinating integrated reforms of educational, sci-tech and talent systems and mechanisms, China has made tremendous efforts to ensure women's equitable access to education of all categories and levels, raise women's scientific literacy and promote life-long education for them. As a result, women's right to education has been effectively guaranteed.
\nGender divide in basic education has been largely eliminated. China has implemented four consecutive preschool education action plans. In 2024, girls accounted for 47.3 percent of children in kindergartens, totaling 16.94 million.
\nPanel 6 The Spring Bud Project Helps Girls from Impoverished Families Realize Their Dreams Through Schooling
\nThe Spring Bud Project is a public welfare project launched by the China Children and Teenagers' Fund in 1989 to help out-of-school girls from poverty-stricken areas return to school and improve their access to education. In 2019, Prof. Peng Liyuan, special envoy for girls' education under the Spring Bud Project, launched the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project. By carrying out education in health, digital technology, science and technology, music, and other areas, this initiative helps girls from poor households pursue well-rounded development. By the end of 2024, the project had raised RMB3.44 billion of non-governmental funds, providing 4.36 million instances of education assistance and more than 200,000 cases of one-to-one growth support and tailored psychological counseling for girls. This enabled girls to enjoy a more equitable and inclusive education of higher quality. In 2023, the Spring Bud Project won the UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education. In 2024, it was designated as one of the best cases in the Fifth Call of Global Solicitation on Best Poverty Reduction Practices.
\nChina promotes the high-quality and balanced development of compulsory education, and has accelerated efforts to narrow the educational gaps between regions, schools, groups, and between urban and rural areas. The net elementary education enrollment rate of school-age girls stays above 99.9 percent, and in 2024, girls made up 46.98 percent of students of nine-year compulsory education.
\nThe Plan to Popularize Senior High School Education (2017-2020) and the Action Plan to Develop County-level Senior High Schools During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) Period have been implemented nationwide, and the proportion of girls among the senior high school population is continuing to rise, standing at 49.3 percent in 2024.
\nA rough balance between male and female students in higher education has been achieved. China has made sustained efforts to develop the world's largest higher education system, cement and advance accessibility in higher education, and ensure gender equality in the enrollment of regular institutions of higher learning. In 2024, female students in these institutions made up 50.76 percent of the total, 14.15 percentage points higher than in 1995. Among them, female graduate students accounted for 50.01 percent, an increase of 22.43 percentage points from 1995.
\nWomen enjoy higher-quality vocational education and life-long education. China has speeded up its efforts to build a modern vocational education system and offers assistance to eligible students in the form of tuition exemptions, scholarships, grants, and student loans. As a result, women are enjoying more and better access to high-quality vocational education. In 2024, female students accounted for 47.9 percent of higher vocational school students at the undergraduate and junior college levels, and 45.2 percent of secondary vocational school students.
\nThe women's life-long learning system has become more open and flexible, with the establishment of the national smart education platform for life-long education offering a more convenient and accessible channel that meets women's diverse learning needs. The number of women receiving adult education continues to rise steadily year on year, and in 2024, female students at adult education institutions at the undergraduate and junior college levels numbered 5.13 million, 54 percent of the total, representing an increase of 1.96 million compared to 2012. In 2020, the average length of schooling for female citizens at or above the age of 15 reached 9.59 years.
\nWomen's scientific literacy is on the rise. The Chinese government has promulgated the Outline of the Action Plan for Improving Scientific Literacy for All (2021-2035), which covers raising women's scientific literacy.
\nIt has issued the Guidelines for Science Education in Elementary and High Schools, improved the curriculum, textbooks, experimental teaching, teachers' training, and extra-curricular activity programs of these schools, and enhanced the coordination and transformation of science education resources.
\nTo inspire and cultivate female students' interests in science, public-interest programs aimed at female students have been rolled out, including the Science Lovers Program for Female College Students, Science Empowering Girls, Spring Bud InnoGirls Program, STEM Girls, and Her Science.
\nA program for raising the capabilities of female employees has also been implemented, and, in particular, efforts have been made to help them improve digital skills.
\nThanks to these initiatives and more, the gender gap in scientific literacy is continuing to narrow. The female sci-tech talent pool continues to expand in scale, improve in structure, and grow in capability, with female scientists now regularly making outstanding contributions in various fields, including basic theory, applied technology, and engineering. In 2024, female R&D professionals numbered 2.85 million, representing an increase of 1.69 million from that in 2012.
\nPanel 7 STEM Girls Program Kindles Girls' Science Dream
\nIn 2018, the China Women's Development Foundation established the public-interest program of STEM Girls for female high school students aged 12-16 to inspire their enthusiasm and interest in STEM subjects. Through open recruitment and online courses, the program selects outstanding female high school students and sends them to universities and research institutions, including Tsinghua University, Tongji University, the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In the study camps at these institutions, girls can engage in exploration and learning in mechanical engineering, energy sources in architecture, eco-environment, biophysics, and other STEM subjects. They conduct visits, research, and hands-on experiments, form innovative plans, and work for their application. In the seven years since its launch, the program has covered more than 100 high schools in 24 provincial-level administrative units, training more than 8,200 students and helping them embark on a journey of scientific exploration and move forward in steady steps.
\n4. Continuous Improvement in Social Security
\nChina has established the world's largest social security system. Built on the principle of ensuring universal coverage for all eligible individuals, the system aims to narrow urban-rural disparities, improve social security policies for key groups, strengthen support for women in difficulty, and steadily raise benefit levels. As a result of this system, women now enjoy more comprehensive, reliable and equitable social security.
\nMedical and old-age insurance systems achieved full coverage. China's healthcare security system has been continuously improved, supported by increased government subsidies for individual contributions to basic medical insurance among rural and non-working urban residents.
\nIn 2024, 651 million women were covered by basic medical insurance, accounting for 49.1 percent of all participants. Additionally, 260 million women were covered by basic pension insurance for rural and non-working urban residents, representing 48 percent of all enrollees, while 260 million women participated in the basic pension scheme for urban employees, constituting 48.2 percent of the total.
\nMore women are protected against unemployment and work-related injuries. Efforts have been made to safeguard employees' employment security, occupational safety, and health protections. By the end of 2024, approximately 105 million women were enrolled in unemployment insurance, accounting for 42.7 percent of all participants and reflecting a 70 percent increase since 2012. Additionally, about 117 million women were covered by work-related injury insurance, comprising 38.6 percent of all enrollees, and reflecting a 60 percent increase since 2012.
\nSpecific measures have been introduced to ensure that workers in new forms of employment receive effective assistance and compensation in case of occupational injuries. Real-time settlement of medical expenses for work-related injuries incurred outside the provincial-level unit where the patient is insured has been fully implemented, protecting the rights and interests of female workers and better meeting their healthcare needs.
\nMaternity protection for women has improved significantly. The integrated implementation of maternity insurance and basic medical insurance for employees has been fully advanced, and continuous efforts have been made to expand employer participation in maternity insurance and to gradually extend its coverage. Regions with the necessary conditions have been guided to include flexibly employed people in maternity insurance. For unemployed women, the unemployment insurance fund pay their maternity insurance contributions on their behalf during their period of unemployment benefit eligibility, while non-working women are covered for maternity medical benefits through their participation in the basic medical insurance scheme for rural and non-working urban residents. By the end of 2024, 111 million women were covered by maternity insurance. All 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, have included eligible assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in their medical insurance schemes.
\nSocial security for women in need is further strengthened. Subsistence allowance standards have continued to rise, with the national average urban and rural subsistence allowance standards in 2024 140 percent and 240 percent higher than those of 2012, respectively.
\nFinancial assistance or premium payments are provided for women from eligible disadvantaged groups, such as those receiving subsistence allowances or classified as extremely impoverished individuals, to participate in basic medical and pension insurance schemes for rural and non-working urban residents.
\nA comprehensive system of living subsidies for persons with disabilities facing financial difficulties and nursing subsidies for those with severe disabilities has been established. In 2024, about 9.40 million women received these subsidies, accounting for 46 percent of all recipients.
\nTargeted assistance and support initiatives have been implemented for rural stay-behind women in difficult circumstances, including efforts to establish records, ensure basic living standards, promote employment and income generation, and enrich cultural lives.
\n5. Improved Family Lives
\nChina places emphasis on fostering family culture, values, and traditions, recognizing the unique role of women in both social and family life. Efforts continue to be made to leverage women's distinctive contributions in promoting traditional Chinese family virtues and establishing positive family traditions. Policies supporting family development are continuously improved, enhancing families' capacity for development and creating favorable conditions for women to enjoy better family lives.
\nMore equal and harmonious family relations in the new era. Laws and regulations including the Civil Code, the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law have been promulgated to protect women's rights within marriage and the family.
\nA new marital and childbearing culture is widely promoted. Marriage and family counseling services are widely available at marriage registration authorities at or above the county level nationwide. Over 2,000 pilot units are advancing marriage customs reform, and activities such as "bringing new marriage and childbearing norms into households" are continuously carried out to promote values including gender equality, mutual respect, and shared parenting responsibilities between couples.
\nThe Fourth Survey on the Social Status of Women in China shows that 90 percent of married women participate in decision-making on major family matters, an increase of approximately 15 percentage points compared to 2010. The gender gap in time spent on household chores has narrowed, and there is a growing emphasis on marital relationships based on mutual respect and trust.
\nA family-friendly society gradually in shape. To meet the demands of high-quality population development and family wellbeing, measures have been introduced to improve childbirth support policies and develop a childbirth-friendly society.
\nThe childbirth leave system has been enhanced, with local regulations extending maternity leave and paternity leave and introducing parental childcare leave. Special additional deductions for individual income tax have been implemented, covering expenses for under-three children nursing, eldercare, and children's education. A childcare subsidy system has been established and implemented, while free pre-school education has been promoted in a phased way.
\nEmployers are encouraged to create "family-friendly workplaces" by adopting flexible working hours or remote work options after negotiating with employees to support them in both career development and childcare.
\nNursing facilities have been provided. By the end of 2024, 403,000 enterprises and public institutions with trade unions had set up nursing rooms for female employees. The provision of baby care rooms in public places has also been expanded, and design standards such as the Uniform Standard for the Design of Civil Buildings, the Standard for the Design of Office Buildings, and the Code for the Design of Railway Passenger Station Buildings now include requirements for such facilities. By the end of 2024, 1,449 baby care rooms had been established in railway stations; 5,371 in highway service areas (including parking areas); 286 on passenger ships and in port passenger terminals; 2,308 in secondary and above-grade bus stations; 2,599 in urban rail transit stations; and nursing rooms in all civilian airports with an annual passenger throughput of 5,000 or more.
\nPanel 8 The 15-Minute Community Life Circles Benefit Hundreds of Millions of Residents
\nThe 15-minute community life circle is a government initiative to improve people's lives by creating community business districts with diverse services. Residents in such communities should be able to meet their basic daily consumption needs and access quality services within a 15-minute walk.
\nTo address childcare needs, Shanghai has established more than 340 community-based childcare rooms in over 90 percent of its subdistricts and towns, providing temporary childcare services. For eldercare needs, Tianjin has set up 1,852 community canteens for seniors and built daytime care centers for the elderly, offering personalized eldercare services. To meet residents' daily needs, the Kangqiao Garden Community in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, has introduced affordable vegetable stalls, convenient barbershops, and small repair service points, enabling one-stop solutions for various household needs.
\nSince 2021, 4 batches of 210 pilot areas across the country have joined the initiative, building 5,510 community life circles that benefit approximately 125 million residents.
\nMore diverse services to reduce family care burden. A variety of childcare services are provided to families, including full-day, half-day, and temporary care options, and employers are also supported in establishing childcare facilities. By the end of 2024, there were 5.74 million childcare slots nationwide, with 4.08 slots per 1,000 people for children under three.
\nA family education guidance service system covering both urban and rural areas has been established. Relying on over 400,000 parent schools in urban and rural communities and more than 20,000 online new media platforms, family education guidance service teams have worked to organize rich and diverse parent-child activities, bringing scientific family education guidance services directly to households and communities.
\nThe eldercare framework has been optimized, where home care is supported by communities and professional institutions, featuring a combination of medical care and eldercare services. Services such as meal assistance, bathing aid, home modifications for the elderly, and barrier-free renovations for financially difficult families with members with severe disabilities have become more accessible.
\nPanel 9 Family Education in the New Era Strengthens the Foundation of Early Nurturing
\nChina places great importance on family education. The Law on Family Education Promotion has been enacted to strengthen parents' primary responsibility in guardianship, establish a collaborative mechanism for family education work, clarify state support measures for family education, and define the role of social forces in supporting family education. The All-China Women's Federation, the Ministry of Education, and other relevant departments have successively issued six five-year plans for family education, setting periodic targets and measures. The National Family Education Guidance Outline and Basic Behavioral Norms for Parents in Family Education have been formulated and revised to define the content of family education guidance.
\nExploratory efforts are made to establish an undergraduate program on family education in colleges and universities to train professionals for this sector. A life-cycle family guidance curriculum system has been developed, and the "Happy Family" online platform for family education services has been established. Family education instructors have been included as an occupation in the General Code of Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China. All these endeavors will promote the digital and professional development of family education and support families in scientific parenting.
\nThe domestic service sector continues to improve in quality and expand in scale. By the end of 2023, there were approximately 600,000 domestic service entities and 16,000 women-led domestic service community stations. National domestic service vocational skills competitions have been held to encourage skill enhancement among people working in this sector, provide a growth platform for more of them, and deliver high-quality services to families.
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nOn the new journey of Chinese modernization, every individual plays a key role. Connecting their own future with that of the country and the nation, Chinese women have devoted themselves to the building of a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful. They have attained major achievements in the new era, creating a better life through action and hard work.
\n1. Achievements in Promoting High-Quality Economic Development
\nIn promoting high-quality economic development, China is committed to expanding channels for women's participation, improving their capabilities, and stimulating their creativity. Women are "holding up half the sky" and playing an increasingly prominent role.
\nRealizing potential in employment and entrepreneurship. Upholding employment as a priority, China has increased fiscal investment, and implemented initiatives such as the Women's Action for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Action for Promoting Women's Employment and Entrepreneurship. Special recruitment sections and events for women have been held, sponsored by the National Employment Promotion Action and Spring Breeze Action, aiming to help more women find better jobs.
\nGender discrimination in employment has been placed under the scrutiny of labor protection supervision. The System of Special Labor Protection for Female Employees in the Workplace (Reference Text) and the System for Eliminating Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (Reference Text) have been formulated as guidelines for employers to improve their corresponding systems for protecting female employees' lawful rights and interests.
\nBy the end of 2024, RMB640 billion in loans had been provided to support 8.49 million women in realizing their entrepreneurial dreams. Since 2012, women have accounted for about 43 percent of the total employed population. According to the fifth national economic census in 2024, 42.6 percent of the employees in government agencies, public institutions, and state-owned enterprises were women, an increase of 3.6 percentage points compared to the fourth census.
\nPanel 10 Beautiful Crafts Workshops Providing Employment and Income Growth for Women with Disabilities
\nThe Beautiful Crafts Workshops program was jointly launched by China Disabled Persons' Federation and All-China Women's Federation in 2022 to help women with disabilities find employment and increase income. Through collaboration between the government, enterprises, and public service organizations, a full-chain service model integrating training, employment, entrepreneurship and protection has been formulated to ensure that women participating in this program have access to employment opportunities and secure stable incomes through the acquisition of important skills.
\nA total of 125 national-level Beautiful Crafts Workshops now provide disabled women with free training courses in hand knitting, embroidery, and pottery, and support some of them in setting up studios and engaging in live-streaming sales. This program has facilitated flexible home-based employment for 190,000 women with disabilities, doubling their average annual income compared to 2022. The outcomes have been displayed at major events including the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the UN Human Rights Council meetings, and the 10th International Abilympics.
\nThe scale of women's accomplishments is reflected in their significant representation among national honorees: They constitute 34 percent of the National Moral Models and 30.9 percent of the Most Beautiful Souls and National Exemplary Educators. Since 2012, a total of 1,821 women have been awarded the titles of National Model Workers and Advanced Workers, 1,957 have received the National May 1st Labor Medal, 5,001 have been honored as National March 8th Red-Banner Pacesetters, and 6,489 recognized as National Role Models for Women's Achievements.
\nPioneering innovation in science and technology. As part of the efforts to implement the Women's Action for Scientific and Technological Innovation, China has formulated the Measures on Supporting Female Talent to Play a Greater Role in Sci-Tech Innovation, which outline 16 concrete measures, including supporting female scientists to undertake national sci-tech projects and participate in decision-making on sci-tech development, as well as improving evaluation and incentive mechanisms for them.
\nThe National Natural Science Foundation has appropriately relaxed the age limits for female applicants in Categories A, B and C of the Young Scientists Fund, raising the maximum age thresholds by three years, two years, and five years respectively, compared to their male counterparts. Leveraging platforms such as the Zhongguancun Forum, Pujiang Innovation Forum, and World AI Conference, China has launched summits and forums for women working in science and technology, and hosted the Women Technicians Forum and a range of training programs for high-caliber female sci-tech professionals. These actions have created platforms for women in STEM fields to conduct professional exchange and learning, apply their research outcomes, and serve the public.
\nToday, women account for 45.8 percent of all sci-tech researchers in China. They are tackling tough problems and achieving breakthroughs in pioneering fields, overcoming daunting obstacles, and scaling new heights at the forefront of innovation, and making significant contributions to building China into a sci-tech powerhouse with greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology.
\nPanel 11 Glorious Achievements of Female Sci-Tech Workers in China
\nThrough their unwavering dedication and exceptional wisdom, Chinese women have made groundbreaking contributions across diverse fields of science and technology, writing glorious chapters in the nation's rich history of sci-tech innovation.
\nTu Youyou, chief scientist at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and a recipient of the Medal of the Republic, was the first person to discover artemisinin. This class of drugs has significantly reduced the mortality rate of malaria patients and saved millions of lives globally. Tu's pioneering research led to her becoming the first home-grown Chinese scientist to receive a Nobel Prize.
\nLiu Yang, China's first female astronaut, Wang Yaping, the first female taikonaut to walk in space, and Wang Haoze, the first female aerospace flight engineer to board China's space station, each courageously challenged the unknown, demonstrating the strength of Chinese women in aerospace.
\nLiao Hong, professor at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, integrated applied basic research with agricultural production to build up about 20,000 hectares of eco-friendly tea gardens, providing a comprehensive solution to the eco-friendly planting and management of Wuyi rock tea.
\nFor over two decades, Shan Xinghua, recipient of the title Role Model of the Era, has led her team in developing the 12306 China Railway ticketing system into a super-large real-time platform with a world-leading transaction volume, boosting China's strength in transportation.
\nTaking the lead in rural revitalization. Through the Women's Action for Rural Revitalization, China has strengthened quality training to empower women farmers. Since 2017, the High-quality Farmer Training Program has trained over 2.24 million women farmers, and between 2022 and 2024, the project for cultivating leaders for rural industry revitalization trained 12,000 female individuals.
\nThe achievements of women in rural revitalization have been recognized through initiatives like the Double Hundred and Double Thousand Initiative, which recognizes outstanding rural craftspeople, 100 of whom in the first batch were women, accounting for 36.6 percent of the total. In the final round of the first National Farmers' Skills Competition, female participants comprised 69.5 percent of all winners. Furthermore, by the end of 2024, 134,000 female workers responsible for extending agricultural technologies and services had obtained professional titles, representing 35.4 percent of the total.
\nPanel 12 A Small Industrial Incubation Platform Galvanizing Women's Power for Rural Revitalization
\nAs a successful example of the Green Rural Revival Program in Zhejiang, Lizu Village in Yiwu has developed from a backward hamlet to a National Model Village, and women have played a vital role in this transformation.
\nThe village is home to a Shared Prosperity Workshop — an incubation platform for industrial projects that attracts numerous aspiring makers and entrepreneurs. This workshop operates as a women's alliance for shared prosperity, and follows a work mechanism under which community-level service centers introduce promising projects under the leadership of the local executive committee of women's federations. The project has helped local women start their own businesses, increasing their incomes and fostering integration between urban and rural areas.
\nAfter five years, the number of makers and entrepreneurs has increased from over 30 to 272, among which 75 percent are women. The "Homemade by Mom" food street and the Women's Fair have increased women's incomes by over RMB13.7 million, while live-streaming activities to promote agricultural products have generated sales of RMB27 million. This small incubator has created big opportunities for women to embrace prosperity.
\nPursuing excellence in the digital economy. China has issued the Action Plan for Strengthening the Digital Literacy and Skills of the General Public and the Action Plan for Digital Rural Development, which include measures such as carrying out digital literacy education and skills training for women and developing women-led e-commerce brands. Chinese women have answered the call of the digital age, and are committed to developing the digital economy, with 14,147 women obtaining the vocational skills certificates for AI trainers in 2024 alone — comprising 42.3 percent of the yearly total. Women represent over half of the entrepreneurs in the internet sector and about one third of the workforce engaging in new business forms such as digital trade, e-commerce, and live streaming. As the digital economy advances, it is providing more opportunities for women.
\nPanel 13 The \"AI Dou\" Project: Helping Women Excel in the Digital Economy
\nThrough digital empowerment, the China Women's Development Foundation is pioneering innovative pathways for women's development. In 2019, the organization launched the "AI Dou" Project for AI industrial incubation in conjunction with relevant businesses. This project aims to help stay-behind women and returning youth to secure data annotation and similar jobs near home, by introducing digital employment opportunities to underdeveloped counties, carrying out vocational training, and incubating locally operated social enterprises. By the end of 2024, the project had established 16 digital employment centers in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Gansu, Guizhou and Ningxia, providing employment opportunities for over 7,500 women. Among those provided with stable jobs by the project, 70 percent were women.
\n2. Equal Participation in Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nAs China advances whole-process people's democracy, it remains committed to increasing women's participation in the management of state, economic, cultural and social affairs. Women enjoy equal political rights and actively participate in democratic practices, contributing their strengths with great enthusiasm.
\nExercising state power through the people's congresses. The proportion of women in people's congresses at all levels continues to rise. In the 14th NPC convened in 2023, there were 790 women deputies, accounting for 26.5 percent of the total. This represents an increase of 3.1 percentage points from the 12th NPC and 1.6 percentage points from the 13th NPC. At the county and township levels, women constitute 31.64 percent and 32.36 percent of deputies, respectively. These women deputies fulfill their duties in accordance with the law, soliciting and reflecting public opinion from all sectors of society. Between 2018 and 2025, NPC women deputies put forward 29,328 suggestions, criticisms and opinions, accounting for 42.3 percent of the total.
\nPanel 14 Women Deputies to the People's Congresses Practicing Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nZhu Guoping, an outstanding representative of the "neighborhood chiefs" in Shanghai, has been a key figure in her local community for over three decades. She served as a deputy to three consecutive NPCs — the 11th, 12th, and 13th — where she had a particular focus on eldercare, childcare and healthcare. Among her suggestions in these fields, two proposals calling for increased fiscal investment in general practitioners and pediatricians were both adopted by the Ministry of Finance, earning her praise as someone who "bridges national policy decisions with public concerns".
\nHongqiao Subdistrict, where Zhu works, functions as a community-level legislative outreach office, set up by the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee. It has solicited opinions for 97 draft laws, including the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and the Law on the Protection of Minors. The subdistrict has proposed over 3,200 suggestions, with 280 being adopted after review, channeling grassroots legislative input to the Great Hall of the People.
\nDiscussing state affairs and making suggestions at consultative meetings of the CPPCC. The proportion of female members in the CPPCC National Committee and local committees has seen a consistent increase. In 2023, 487 female members served on the National Committee of the 14th CPPCC, accounting for 22.4 percent of the total — an increase of 4.6 percentage points and 2 percentage points from the 12th CPPCC and 13th CPPCC, respectively. In the same year, there were 5,401 female members on the provincial-level committees of the CPPCC, accounting for 27.36 percent of the membership at this level. The female members fulfill their duties in full and play a major role in political consultation, democratic supervision, and the deliberation and administration of state affairs. Since the 14th CPPCC National Committee, female members have submitted 4,282 proposals, representing 26.6 percent of the total.
\nActively engaging in decision-making and administration. China attaches importance to the cultivation and selection of female officials and the recruitment of women into the CPC. It has formulated and implemented outlines for strengthening Party and government leadership teams and on women's development, which set specific quantitative and proportional requirements for the appointment of female officials and female heads of leadership bodies. These goals are expected to be met while strict quality standards are upheld.
\nThe proportions of women among the CPC membership and delegates to the Party congresses are increasing. In 2024, 30.9 percent of CPC members were female, an increase of 7.1 percentage points compared to the 2012 level. Female Party members accounted for 27 percent of the delegates to the 20th CPC National Congress, an increase of 4 percentage points from the Party's 18th National Congress in 2012. Women represent 42.3 percent, 43.78 percent, and 51.5 percent of all the judges, prosecutors and jurors nationwide.
\nExtensively participating in grassroots democracy. Effective measures have been taken in the villagers committee elections to expand women's membership. In 2022, women constituted 26.1 percent of villagers committee members and 54.3 percent of urban residents committee members, an increase of 4 percentage points and 5.5 percentage points, respectively, from 2012 levels.
\nFemale workers play an active role in democratic management in enterprises. In 2023, women employees made up 37.7 percent, 41.9 percent, and 34.2 percent of the boards of directors, boards of supervisors, and workers' congress representatives, increasing by 11.4 percentage points, 14.9 percentage points, and 4.4 percentage points, respectively, compared to 2012. A total of 431,000 councils of women have been established in urban and rural communities, facilitating extensive consultations on public affairs concerning women's immediate interests.
\n3. Excellence in a Flourishing Culture
\nIn developing a thriving socialist culture, China has given full play to women's role in creating cultural wealth and cultivated female talent in the cultural sector. Through innovation and with creativity, women have made a significant contribution to preserving cultural heritage and promoting the best of traditional Chinese culture.
\nDemonstrating vitality at the forefront of culture and communication. Women have become a pillar of cultural prosperity and development and are playing an increasingly important role in cultural creation, communication and studies. Female writers and artists have produced masterpieces that have shaped the image of women in the new era, as varied as the Peking Opera Mother, ballet Yimeng, prose works My Altay, TV series She and Her Girls, movie Huang Wenxiu, documentary Aunt Haiyun, variety shows The Daughters of Chinese Villages and Sisters Who Make Waves 2024, and short drama Got Old Recently.
\nBy the end of 2023, about 456,900 women across the country were employed in the radio, television, and online audio-visual sectors, comprising 43.14 percent of the total employees. In the senior professional title evaluations for the journalism section organized by the National Press and Publication Administration in 2024, women accounted for 44.1 percent of those receiving senior professional titles and 50.6 percent of those gaining associate senior ones.
\nWomen constitute 27.5 percent of participants in key talent initiatives in the field of public communication and culture, including 45.2 percent of successful candidates in the cultural talent program and 42.5 percent in the youth cultural talent program under the National Cultural Talent of Excellence Initiative. Through their work in culture and communication, women have vigorously committed themselves in the promotion and practice of the core socialist values.
\nShowing strengths in preserving and vitalizing ethnic cultures. By passing down traditional crafts and facilitating cultural innovation and dissemination, women are injecting new vitality into ethnic cultures. Among the 3,997 recognized representative bearers of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) items on the national list, 25 percent are women. The research and training program for ICH bearers has provided training for 51,000 people, with women accounting for 57 percent. Under the plan on revitalizing traditional Chinese craftsmanship and the specialized initiatives to revitalize rural areas by promoting ICH, many women have played a leading role in transforming local natural resources and rural cultural assets into cultural products and industries. Handicraft brands such as "Dove Flower: Songtao's Miao Embroidery" in Guizhou and "Weiyuan Tu Ethnic Coiling Embroidery" in Qinghai are shining examples of this transformation.
\nNew business models — often fronted by women — such as "ICH plus guesthouses", "ICH plus cultural products", and "ICH plus study trips" have also been launched in recent years, breathing new life into traditional ethnic cultures. The rise of digital technology has allowed traditional culture to flourish again, and an increasing number of young women now play a central role in promoting the "China-Chic" trend and preserving and vitalizing ICH, facilitating ICH's integration in modern life and helping it reach a global audience.
\nExcelling in both competitive and mass leisure sports. The Outline for Building a Strong Sporting Nation has explicitly set the goal of achieving balanced development between men's and women's events. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games issued a Gender Equality Commitment covering 14 specific areas, including equal participation, gender-equal and fair portrayal, and gender equality in leadership and workforce.
\nPanel 15 Creating Masterpieces and Promoting Civilization with Stitches and Threads
\nFemale embroiders, with needles as brushes and silk threads as ink, create delicate works that embody the resilience, patience, and determination of the Chinese people through every stitch and thread. These artisans are committed to revitalizing ancient techniques in a modern society.
\nSuzhou embroidery is one of the four most celebrated forms of Chinese embroidery. The art form originated in Zhenhu Township, where local women are now encouraged to set up their own embroidery businesses. As a result of this push, over 90 percent of Suzhou embroidery entrepreneurs are women.
\nMiao embroidery is another highly praised technique, celebrated as a "wordless epic created with colorful threads and a living totem worn on the body". Under the Brocade and Embroidery Initiative, Guizhou Province has empowered over 500,000 women working in handicraft industries such as Miao embroidery and batik to create a splendid life through splendid products.
\nWith a history of over 3,000 years, Li brocade is renowned as a "living monument of Chinese textile history". Currently, 18,000 female weavers work to preserve and develop this art. Tibetan carpet making is a skill that boasts thousands of years of history. Tibetan women begin learning the weaving techniques from a young age and pass down this precious craftsmanship through generations. Women in the Chaoshan area in southeastern Guangdong, based on traditional stitching techniques, have pioneered innovations to create 3D double-sided padded embroidery, carrying forward this traditional art in a modern world.
\nThe number of female elite athletes in China has witnessed rapid growth, and the proportion of international-level female athletes has remained above 50 percent. Since 2012, across the four consecutive Summer Olympic Games, female athletes have accounted for over 55 percent of competitors and won over 60 percent of the medals. During the same period across the four Paralympic Games, women have made up 50.22 percent of participants and secured 55.62 percent of the medals. Female athletes fight for their nations, collaborate in unity, and challenge their limits, playing an equal role as their male counterparts in competitive sports. The fighting spirit of the Chinese women's volleyball team has inspired the Chinese people to this day.
\nExtensive fitness-for-all programs are carried out nationwide, and a program of cultivating female community sports instructors in rural areas has provided training for over 65,000 women in 10,000 villages. By the end of 2024, there were about 3.71 million community sports instructors across the country, among which 56.1 percent were women, demonstrating women's leadership and responsibility in advancing China's fitness-for-all initiative in the new era.
\n4. Women's Undertakings in Grassroots Social Governance
\nIn building a grassroots social governance model based on collaboration, participation, and common interests, China has attached great importance to the role of women and women's organizations, expanded the channels for their orderly participation in grassroots governance, and ensured their involvement in managing grassroots-level public affairs and public-interest undertakings in accordance with the law. Chinese women have excelled in these roles, becoming a major force in grassroots governance.
\nThe positive role of family ties, values, and traditions in grassroots governance. China has improved mechanisms that help to foster family virtues, facilitate education cooperation between families, schools and society, deliver more accessible family services, and resolve marital and family disputes, supporting women in nurturing harmony within households, and thus contributing to a more peaceful and harmonious society for all.
\nFamily virtue cultivation activities such as the selection of the "Most Beautiful Families", "Model Families", and "Five-Virtue Families", and initiatives like "Share Your Family Rules, Mottoes, and Values", "Family Virtues in Letters", and "Family Education Cultivates Values and Virtues" have been organized. These activities champion the new socialist family morality and values, emphasizing love for the country and family, mutual care, devotion to progress and kindness, and joint efforts with shared benefits. A total of 1,597 households have been honored as "National Model Families", 6,258 as "National Five-Virtue Families", and 16.48 million as the "Most Beautiful Families". Additionally, more than 500,000 lectures, exhibitions and performances on family values and traditions have been hosted around the country, attracting a combined attendance of 250 million people.
\nPanel 16 Family Points System Contributing to Rural Governance
\nGansu Province has implemented an innovative system, which breaks down key aspects of rural governance into points for households in villages and communities. Clear criteria and scoring standards are established for adding or deducting points. Law-abiding families that demonstrate harmony, mutual support among neighbors, and industriousness can collect points by adopting a green lifestyle, participating in public-interest programs, and discarding outdated customs. These points can then be redeemed locally for a wide range of household goods. The initiative has inspired women and their families to participate more actively in rural governance and efforts to improve their living environment and beautify their villages, driving big impact in grassroots governance with ingenuity.
\nWomen's extensive participation in building a peaceful and harmonious community. Women actively participate in the comprehensive maintenance of public order and contribute to resolving problems and disputes at the grassroots level. Local governments have been exploring a "Women's Federations Plus" mediation model. By the end of 2024, 3,690 mediation commissions above the county level for resolving marriage and family disputes had been established under the leadership of women's federations. Marriage mediation organizations now provide service at comprehensive governance centers, litigation service centers, and community police offices, and marriage mediation offices have been established at the village and community level. Since 2016, nearly 1.36 million cases have been resolved through mediation. In 2023, 295 women mediators were commended by the Ministry of Justice as National Model Mediators, accounting for 29.5 percent of those recognized.
\nWomen also play an active part in patrols for maintaining order and in supervision. The "Jiangdong Aunties" team in Jingkou District, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province has completed 5,000 hours of voluntary patrols and participated in over 1,000 public service activities since its establishment in 2017. The "Xicheng Aunties" in Beijing and women community liaisons in Weinan City, Shaanxi Province, have promptly identified and reported potential risks for social governance, working at the forefront of conflict resolution at the grassroots level. Women acting as community workers, grid managers, and residential building chiefs have made significant contributions to building a peaceful and harmonious community.
\nPanel 17 Mediation Office for Promoting Family Harmony
\nIn 2016, the Women's Federation of Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, established a Marriage and Family Disputes Mediation Office and launched a project to promote marital and family harmony and ensure the legal rights of women and children. A set of operational mechanisms was established, including joint meetings, information sharing, and rotating professionals, and experts in the fields of law, sociology, and psychology were recruited to form a dedicated voluntary service group.
\nBased on practical experience, a mediation method of "four aspects plus three synchronizations" was adopted to mediate disputes, wherein the "four aspects" refer to the psychological, legal, emotional, and rational dimensions, while the "three synchronizations" denote the alignment of answering questions with raising public awareness of the law, providing emotional guidance with teaching life experience, and resolving disputes with protecting rights. At the same time, a four-step method of stabilizing emotions, understanding demands, instilling hope, and establishing support was adopted in solving many family disputes. By the end of July 2025, more than 10,000 cases had been solved through this project, with a success rate of 95 percent, benefiting more than 30,000 individuals.
\nActive engagement in voluntary service and other public-interest programs. China emphasizes the healthy development of voluntary services and social organizations, among which women play an active role. In 2024, there were 24 million women registered as volunteers and 350,000 women volunteer teams. These volunteers play an important role in promoting national strategies, improving the people's wellbeing, and strengthening social governance. They have provided nearly one million voluntary services, covering all 17 goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The number of women in social organizations is on the rise. In 2023, women comprised 42.3 percent of the staff and 26.3 percent of the heads of social organizations respectively, up by 13.3 and 4.9 percentage points from 2012.
\nPanel 18 Wang's Volunteer Group: Inspiring More Women to Serve Their Community
\nIn 2005, Wang Lanhua, a Hui woman, former director on a residents committee in Wuzhong City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region formed a volunteer group with six former colleagues — a group she continues to lead 20 years later. Her voluntary service leaves no stone unturned, reaching every corner of the community to look after left-behind children and elderly people who live alone, while providing conflict resolution services and addressing people's immediate concerns. Wang and her team warm the residents' hearts with their selfless dedication, and their influence in community service has drawn more and more community members to join. These volunteers from different ethnic groups encapsulate the idea of all ethnic groups as one family with their solidarity and mutual help. Now, there are 1,315 registered volunteers in Wang's Volunteer Group, and Wang's dedication has seen her honored as a model for ethnic solidarity.
\n5. Women's Contributions in the Eco-environmental Field
\nChina upholds and acts on the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and promotes modernization based on harmony between humanity and nature by following a path of green development that gives priority to eco-environmental conservation. Women play an important role in building a beautiful China, and are continuing to develop the awareness and skills required to drive forward eco-environmental protection.
\nPanel 19 Princess of the Beavers
\nWomen are emerging as key practitioners in biodiversity protection, and Chu Wenwen represents a new generation of female conservationists committed to protecting local biodiversity. Born in 1994 in Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Chu founded the Altay Nature Conservation Association and launched a series of public-interest projects to protect beavers and other wildlife, including the Beaver Cafeteria, Beaver Guardian, and Beaver Ark initiatives. The Beaver Cafeteria project focuses on restoring shrubs in natural habitats, which provide food for more than 100 species of wild animal. The Beaver Guardian project mobilizes more than 500 herdsmen along the Ulungur River to participate in conservation efforts and serve as voluntary patrols. The Beaver Ark project established a professional wildlife rescue center that has saved over 400 wild animals injured or trapped by human activities. Thanks in part to Chu's efforts, the population of Mongolian-Xinjiang beavers (Castor fiber birulai) has increased by 250 to date, earning her the honorary nickname "Princess of the Beavers".
\nPromoting ecosystem protection and restoration. China pursues the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, grasslands and deserts, with the aim of establishing an overarching framework that extends from the mountaintops to the oceans. Women play a significant role in the nation's ecosystem protection and restoration. Among the 17,000 eco-environmental guardians working at the 190,700 sq km Sanjiangyuan National Park, 33.3 percent are women. The Women Tree-Planting Team in Changjiang Li Autonomous County of Hainan Province has been dedicated to planting more than six million coastal defense trees, establishing a forest spanning over 2,000 hectares in the desert after 30 years of trial and error. The women's militia company for sand control in Shaanxi Province has converted more than 933.33 hectares of barren deserts into oases covered with rows of trees over the past five decades. The women's volunteer team in Helan County of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region conducts regular activities to protect rivers, shoals, and birds, and the Women's Action for the Yangtze River Protection is an ongoing activity in Nanjing City of Jiangsu Province to provide vital protection for China's longest river. Women's perseverance and wisdom are shown in many aspects of eco-environmental protection, from green coverage expansion and desertification prevention and control, to the protection of forests, rivers, and biodiversity.
\nPanel 20 Sci-Tech Courtyard Supporting Green Agriculture
\nThe Sci-Tech Courtyard is a service platform that integrates agricultural scitech innovation, demonstration and promotion, and talent cultivation. In the Dongpo Sci-Tech Courtyard of Agricultural Skill Promotion in Meishan City, Sichuan Province, 33 team members — including 22 women — work on the front line of green agriculture. With women at its core, the team provides comprehensive services in skill training, field production guidance, problem identification and resolution, and industry chain alignment, benefiting more than 50,000 villagers. The Sci-Tech Courtyard also makes targeted efforts in new species selection, cultivation technique research for high-quality and high-yield crops, and the development of green planting and cultivation models. Over the past nine years, comparative trials of more than 400 paddy varieties have been completed, leading to the selection of 40 high-quality and high-yield species that have significantly increased the proportion of such crops in the region. Cultivation of 824,467 hectares of these paddies has generated a net income growth of RMB2.65 billion. In addition, more than 10 new planting techniques have been promoted, and research on green planting and cultivation models has been advanced, increasing crop yield and economic benefits while reducing pesticide use.
\nAccelerating the green transformation of production models. China upholds green and low-carbon development as a fundamental approach to resolving environmental problems, and promotes a sound economic structure that facilitates green, low-carbon, and circular development. Women actively participate in the efforts to promote green development in industry, shift the production model of agriculture, and improve the sustainable level of the service industry. By 2024, the number of companies in the green economy sector invested in by women entrepreneurs had reached 445,000, accounting for 27.4 percent of the total. These companies cover a range of market segments, including clean energy, organic agriculture, and eco-conservation. Scientific management of fertilizer and pesticide use and innovative ecological planting serve to save agricultural resources, improve the eco-environment of agricultural production areas, and supply high-quality green agricultural products, promoting the triple-win of less pesticide use, more income, and better environment. New models of eco-environmental businesses have been established, including urban modern agriculture, leisure agriculture, eco-tourism, high-quality homestays, and rural complexes. By the end of 2024, the number of family farms run by women reached 487,000, and women accounted for 68.6 percent of all holders of vocational skill certificates in rural homestay housekeeping.
\nLiving a green lifestyle. Green development is closely connected to each of our lives. Chinese women advocate the values of eco-civilization and encourage simple, moderate, green, low-carbon, sound and healthy ways of life and consumption by integrating these concepts into everyday routines. They have played a leading role in building green families through saving water and electricity, participating in the "Clear Your Plate" campaign, using green modes of transport, and engaging in waste sorting. Women also actively participate in developing beautiful courtyards and harmonious villages, guided by standards such as tidy rooms, hygienic kitchens and toilets, neat courtyards, abundant greenery, and harmonious families. To date, more than 12 million households have been awarded the title of "Beautiful Courtyard". Women are consistently in the frontline of enhancing public awareness of environmental protection and improving community environment. For example, in Shanghai, a themed campaign was launched to find 10,000 families living a green lifestyle and recruit 100,000 family waste sorting volunteers, creating a good atmosphere for the million families participating in this endeavor.
\nParticipating in disaster prevention and mitigation. China regards people's lives and safety as the primary goal of disaster prevention and mitigation. It boosts public participation and improves the capabilities of the whole society to defend and respond to disasters, and women play a key role in this — particularly in investigation and identification of potential risks and hidden dangers, early warning and treatment, and information reporting. In 2024, women accounted for 23.6 percent of disaster information assistants nationwide, totaling 267,000, and comprised 61.6 percent of national chief meteorological experts. Women actively participate in disaster relief operations and public education on disaster prevention and mitigation, and promote family education in relevant fields. There are 13.71 million registered women fire volunteers nationwide, representing 52.4 percent of the total. The National Natural Disaster Emergency Relief Plan put forward requirements for safeguarding the rights and interests of special groups. Through the collaborative efforts of the government and society, material guarantee for special needs, such as women's hygiene products and supplies for pregnant and postpartum women, has been strengthened.
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nChina upholds the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, aligns with the prevailing global trends towards peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, and actively advances the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. Through close cooperation with other countries, China is helping accelerate the creation of an international environment conducive to women's development and a better world for all.
\n1. Participating in Global Governance on Women's Issues
\nChina plays a leading role in implementing the spirit of the UN Fourth World Conference on Women and advances global governance on women's issues through concrete actions.
\nSupporting the central role of the United Nations. China has co-hosted the Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment with UN Women to encourage countries to fulfill their commitments and inject new momentum into the global advancement of women. At the UN Human Rights Council, China has repeatedly delivered joint statements on promoting and protecting women's rights, pushed for the adoption of relevant resolutions, and called on countries to work together to implement the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action. China consistently sends high-level delegations to the sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and collaborates with UN organizations and agencies to conduct seminars on women's poverty reduction, the digital economy, inclusive finance, technology empowerment, and gender equality amid demographic changes, sharing China's experience in promoting women's development. Since 2015, China has donated US $20 million to UN Women and carried out practical cooperation with multiple UN specialized agencies on women's issues. In partnership with UNESCO, it has established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education and implemented projects in Africa focusing on digital and health education for girls. Chinese women hold important positions and serve as experts in the UN system, contributing their expertise to global governance on women's issues.
\nPanel 21 China and UNESCO Jointly Established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education
\nIn 2015, China partnered with UNESCO to establish the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education, which recognizes institutions and individuals that have made outstanding contributions to advancing education for girls and women. This is the first prize of its kind established by UNESCO. Proposed and funded by the Chinese government, it is awarded annually to two laureates, who each receive US $50,000 to further their work in girls' and women's education. As of 2024, 18 organizations and projects from 18 countries had received the award, including the Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education. This prize has provided an increasing number of girls and women with opportunities to change their lives and pursue their dreams. It has also raised greater awareness of and support for girls' and women's education among more people, thereby galvanizing concerted efforts to advance global gender equality in education.
\nFirmly fulfilling international obligations. China fulfills its obligations under international conventions such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, regularly submits national implementation reports, and actively participates in review processes to promote gender equality and women's development. It actively implements the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, continuously improves women's living conditions and expands their development prospects, and has achieved the poverty reduction and health-related targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule. Through these efforts, China has not only improved the lives of Chinese women, but has also offered the international community its approach to safeguarding women's human rights.
\nLeading and advancing multilateral and regional agendas for women's development. At the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, China proposed the Global AI Governance Initiative, emphasizing the need to avoid gender bias in AI development. The country also facilitated the adoption of the Resolution on Enhancing International Cooperation in Capacity-Building of Artificial Intelligence at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, which underscores ensuring universal benefits from AI, enhancing digital inclusion and achieving gender equality while empowering women and girls. Since 2012, China has hosted 29 women's conferences under frameworks including APEC, G20, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), China-ASEAN, China-Africa, China-Arab States, China-Central Asia, and Lancang-Mekong Cooperation. Through these mechanisms, China has deeply engaged in cooperation on women's issues, focusing on topics including poverty reduction, development, employment, business startup, education empowerment, and pandemic response. These efforts have facilitated targeted experience-sharing, dialogues, and collaborative actions, enabling China to advocate actionable propositions for advancing women's comprehensive development, inclusivity, and sustainable development.
\n2. Deepening Cooperation and Exchanges to Advance Women's Development
\nChina integrates the deepening of women's development cooperation into the frameworks of high-quality Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and South-South cooperation, to jointly promote women's sustainable development.
\nAdvancing women's development in BRI participating countries. China actively promotes high-quality BRI cooperation. Initiatives such as the Silk Road E-commerce have created employment opportunities and pathways for women in these countries, and digital technology enablement program for women in ASEAN countries — alongside other related programs — have supported women in the region in seeking employment and starting businesses. For 10 consecutive years, China and partner countries have jointly hosted a series of events under the theme "Pool Women's Strength for Belt and Road Cooperation", encouraging women in these countries to become supporters, participants, contributors, and beneficiaries of the BRI.
\nSupporting women's poverty reduction and development in South-South cooperation. China supports developing countries in improving women's living conditions and development environment. It has implemented 100 maternal and child health projects and 100 happy campus projects, along with a series of small but effective public wellbeing programs focusing on housing, rural roads, and technology training to empower women and girls. Through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has carried out women-related projects worth nearly US $40 million across over 20 countries. Additionally, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund has allocated RMB12 million to support women's development programs. Through foreign aid training and technical assistance, Juncao technology has helped women in 106 countries gain meaningful employment.
\nPanel 22 Juncao Technology Assistance: Empowering Women in Developing Countries to Realize Their Dreams
\nJuncao technology is a unique Chinese method for cultivating edible and medicinal fungi that uses grass as a substitute for wood. First included in China's foreign aid programs in 1994, it has since been introduced to 106 countries. In Lesotho, a compact 10-square-meter Juncao mushroom cultivation model has enabled impoverished farmers with limited land to produce 1.2 tonnes of fresh Juncao mushrooms annually from a single 10-square-meter plot. In African and Pacific Island nations, women use Juncao as livestock feed to mitigate shortages caused by climate change. Seruwaia Kabukabu from Fiji has led local women in growing Juncao mushrooms, significantly improving the living conditions of families in her community. In recognition of her work, she has been elected as chairperson of the Fiji Mushroom Farmers Association. Juncao has thus become a "grass of happiness" for people in developing countries.
\nDeepening international cooperation in women's capacity building. China continues to strengthen and expand support training programs focused on women and children in developing countries. Since 2018, it has implemented over 100 programs in this domain, including the Seminar on Promoting Maternal and Child Health Under Global Development Initiative, and the Seminar on Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries — Women and Children. Additionally, China has launched degree programs in women's leadership and social development, training nearly 4,000 outstanding professionals in the field of women's development. An exchange and training base for global women's development cooperation has been established in Beijing to design tailored empowerment programs for women in developing countries. Training and exchange centers for Chinese and foreign women have been set up in collaboration with 15 countries, and through international cooperation in vocational education, the Luban Workshops have trained 5,944 female students, who account for 23.25 percent of all participants in the project.
\nSolid progress in people-to-people exchanges in the field of women's affairs. China has actively developed global partnerships and engaged in comprehensive, multi-channel friendly exchanges with women's organizations and institutions from over 140 countries. It has conducted dialogues with foreign female political leaders, spouses of heads of state, and female government ministers, organized high-level delegations for overseas visits, and pioneered new approaches to high-level women's foreign exchanges. China has deepened women's exchanges under its cultural and people-to-people exchange mechanisms with other countries, holding thematic seminars on women's entrepreneurship, economic empowerment, education, anti-domestic violence, and family culture, while strengthening cooperation in areas such as women's rights and interests, bridging the digital gender divide, and promoting women's participation in sci-tech innovation and sustainable development. The Female Diplomats' China Adventures series has been launched to share the practical experiences of Chinese women in economic development and grassroots governance, and exchange insights on promoting gender equality. China supports women's participation in cross-cultural exchanges, with women accounting for 80 percent of dispatched Chinese-language teachers and 90 percent of volunteers in international Chinese language education.
\n3. Actively Addressing Global Challenges
\nChina supports women in playing an active role in maintaining peace and security, and in addressing challenges including climate change, public health crises, and humanitarian disasters.
\nSupporting women's participation in maintaining peace and security. China has taken concrete actions to implement UN Security Council resolutions on "Women, Peace and Security", supporting women's important roles in conflict prevention, peace negotiations, and post-conflict reconstruction. In 2022, the China-UN Peace and Development Trust Fund initiated a training program for senior female talent to promote gender equality in high-level positions within UN peacekeeping operations. China has deployed over 1,200 female peacekeepers and more than 100 female police officers to UN missions, who have participated in medical support, liaison and coordination, mine clearance, patrols and observation, and efforts to advance gender equality and protect women.
\nPanel 23 Chinese Female Peacekeeping Officer Received an Honorary Certificate for UN Military Gender Advocate Award
\nThe UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award was established in 2016 to recognize peacekeepers who have made outstanding contributions to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. On May 29, 2020, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Chinese officer Xin Yuan, a senior mine clearance staff officer at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), received an award in this category in recognition of her exceptional service, becoming the first Chinese service member to win this honor. Xin was the only female staff officer responsible for mine clearance operations in UNIFIL. She assumed significant risks by conducting surveys in minefields alongside clearance teams, developed meticulous clearance plans, and completed mine clearance tasks 34 days ahead of schedule, clearing over 1,500 square meters of minefields. Her efforts earned her special commendation from the UNIFIL headquarters.
\nEmpowering women to address climate change. China has consistently organized training programs on South-South cooperation for climate change response, implementing a gender-balanced enrollment policy. Since 2022, nearly 300 female officials, experts and scholars from developing countries engaged in climate change projects have participated in training programs in China. From 2012 to 2024, China conducted nearly 100 foreign aid training projects in meteorological monitoring, forecasting, and services, with women accounting for 36.72 percent of the trainees. It has donated 5,000 household solar photovoltaic power generation systems and 10,000 clean cooking stoves to Myanmar, reducing indoor air pollution and its associated health risks while supporting the country's low-carbon transition. The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund supported Cambodia in implementing a project on gender mainstreaming in climate action, enhancing rural women's climate adaptability and resilience.
\nAddressing women's needs in international humanitarian assistance. In efforts to alleviate migrant and refugee crises, China has placed high priority on women and children, encouraging women to register as recipients of household assistance supplies and providing special care for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Projects in the Republic of Congo specifically target pregnant and breastfeeding women as beneficiaries, effectively reducing malnutrition rates among women and children. In 2023, China provided over 120,000 hygiene kits, valued at US $1.5 million, to Rohingya women and girls seeking refuge in Bangladesh, benefiting more than 60,000 women and girls.
\nConclusion
\nThe pursuit of gender equality is a great cause. In the new era, the spirit of self-esteem, confidence, independence and self-reliance among Chinese women is demonstrated as the Chinese people forge ahead with resolve under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The glorious journey of women's development in China is deeply integrated into the process of achieving the Two Centenary Goals under the Party's leadership. Never before have Chinese women enjoyed such tremendous opportunities to realize their full potential and achieve their dreams, and never before has the cause of Chinese women borne witness to such broad prospects for development.
\nToday, China is working to build a great country and achieve national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. This requires pooling the strength of hundreds of millions of women and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development at a higher level. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China will unswervingly follow the path of women's development under socialism with Chinese characteristics, adhere to the fundamental national policy of gender equality, and thoroughly implement the Outline of Women's Development in China to enhance women's overall capabilities. Through these efforts, the country will create conditions and platforms for women to participate in economic and social development, protect their legitimate rights and interests, and encourage them to stand at the forefront of the times.
\nIn today's world, promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development presents both opportunities and significant challenges. All countries must strive to create safe and secure environments for women's survival and development, eliminate violence, discrimination and poverty, and effectively address the impact of climate change. It is essential to continuously empower women, ensuring they enjoy more and better opportunities and play more significant roles in the new revolution in science, technology and industry. We must adhere to true multilateralism, honor international obligations, and promote mutual learning and people-to-people exchanges among women worldwide. China is ready to work with countries around the world to expedite actions to create a brighter future for women's development and write a new chapter in the global progress of women.
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\nContents
\nPreface
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nConclusion
\nPreface
\nThroughout history, women have played an essential role in shaping human civilization and have made immense contributions to social progress. But the paths towards gender equality and women's well-rounded development across the world have been long and arduous.
\nSince its founding in 1921, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has remained committed to women's liberation and development and gender equality. The CPC regards women as a major force for advancing all endeavors of the Party and the nation, always places the work concerning women high on its agenda, and leads women in their pursuit of liberation, progress and development. In doing so, the Party has opened a socialist path for women's development with Chinese characteristics.
\nThe 18th CPC National Congress in 2012 marked the beginning of a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In this new era, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has emphasized safeguarding women's lawful rights and interests and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development as integral components of Chinese modernization. Accordingly, it has made a series of major decisions and plans that are pioneering in vision, overarching in scope, and enduring in significance. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, initiated, planned for, supported and chaired the Party's first ever Central Conference on the Party's Work with People's Organizations in 2015, attended the 11th, 12th and 13th national women's congresses in 2013, 2018 and 2023 respectively, and held talks with each newly elected leadership team of the All-China Women's Federation. He has also delivered important speeches on work related to women and children, the role of women's federations, and the significance of family ties, values and traditions, thereby identifying the direction, objectives and guidelines of China's endeavors for women in the new era.
\nUpholding gender equality, among other basic national policies, has been incorporated into the CPC's political program, and promoting women's well-rounded development has been included in the national development plan. The legal system for safeguarding women's rights and interests also continues to improve. China has developed a sound approach to its endeavors concerning women. Chinese women actively participate in government initiatives, serve as advocates of civic virtues, fight for their dreams, and excel across all professions. In the new era, China has delivered numerous historic achievements in its endeavors concerning women. The Chinese socialist path for women's development continues to expand, opening ever-broader opportunities for advancement.
\nWomen around the world have a shared future. China's endeavors concerning women are an integral part of the global cause. In 1995, China hosted the Fourth World Conference on Women, organized by the United Nations. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the conference has since become a milestone for global gender equality. At important occasions such as the 2015 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment and the 2020 high-level meeting on the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, Xi Jinping, in his role as president of China, elaborated on China's propositions on gender equality and women's well-rounded development, and proposed holding another global leaders' meeting on women in 2025.
\nOn the occasion of the 2025 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, the Chinese government is publishing this white paper to present China's philosophy, principles, and innovative practices in promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development in the new era, highlight Chinese women's outstanding achievements and contribution, and affirm China's commitment to join global endeavors for women's advancement.
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nIn the process of Chinese modernization, based on China's realities and the trend of the times, the CPC leads Chinese women in exercising their lawful democratic rights, participating in social and economic development, and sharing the fruits of reform and development, all on the foundation of gender equality.
\n1. Upholding the CPC's Overall Leadership
\nThe CPC's leadership is the fundamental guarantee of China's work related to women. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has approached this work as an integral part of its broader strategic goal of achieving national rejuvenation, incorporating gender equality and women's well-rounded development into the overall architecture of Chinese socialism.
\nUpholding the fundamental national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children have been included into the reports to the 18th, 19th and 20th CPC national congresses, held in 2012, 2017 and 2022 respectively.
\nAt the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2019, the Party called for upholding and improving the systems and mechanisms for promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development and proposed leveraging the important role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance.
\nAt the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2020, upholding the national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children were written into the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, along with the promotion of family ties, values and traditions.
\nAt the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2021, the promotion of family ties, values and traditions and the protection of the rights and interests of women and children were incorporated into the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century.
\nAt the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in 2024, the Party incorporated improving the system for protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children and refining the mechanisms for leveraging the role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance into the overall plan for deeper comprehensive reform.
\nThis evolution in policy-making has ensured that China's endeavors concerning women have progressed smoothly under the CPC's overall leadership.
\n2. Implementing the Fundamental National Policy of Gender Equality
\nHighlighting gender equality as a basic national policy is an innovative practice of the Chinese socialist system and a momentous decision for advancing this cause and women's well-rounded development.
\nChina has improved top-level design and systematic planning accordingly. In formulating laws and policies and making plans and arrangements, the country has taken into full consideration the differences between women and men and the distinctive interests of women. It has promoted gender equality in rights, opportunities and outcomes, safeguarding women's rights and interests in accordance with the law.
\nChina is committed to cultivating a social ethos of respect and care for women, eliminating all forms of discrimination against them, and discarding obsolete ideas and practices that hinder their development. This more inclusive and dynamic social environment has allowed gender equality to truly become a shared social norm and part of the value system.
\n3. Synergizing Women's Development with Social and Economic Progress
\nDevelopment cannot be achieved without women, and its fruits should be shared by all. In this spirit, China has integrated the advancement of gender equality into its broader development process.
\nWomen's development has been incorporated into the Five-sphere Integrated Plan, which promotes coordinated progress in the economic, political, cultural, social and eco-environmental fields. Goals and tasks for women's development have also been embedded in the five-year plans for national economic and social development. The level of women's development is regarded as an essential measurement for social and economic development. With these efforts, China has synergized its endeavors for women with its social and economic progress in terms of planning and implementation, ensuring that modernization brings greater benefits to women in a fairer way, enabling them to enjoy a growing, guaranteed and sustained sense of gain, fulfillment and security.
\n4. Fully Leveraging Women's Proactive Role in National Development
\nWomen constitute a powerful force driving human progress, while at the same time shaping and determining their own futures. Upholding a people-centered philosophy of development, China respects the agency of women and has strengthened relevant institutional safeguards, policy support, and public service supply for their development.
\nChina has carried out programs encouraging women to strive for achievements, which seek to enhance women's overall capabilities, broaden channels for their participation in national development, and fully stimulate their enthusiasm, initiative and creativity, with an ultimate goal of realizing, safeguarding and improving women's vital and immediate interests to the maximum extent.
\nThe country encourages women to integrate their personal aspirations with the undertakings of the Party and the country, and to leverage their individual strengths in implementing the new development philosophy, fostering a new development dynamic, promoting high-quality development, achieving greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology, and advancing rural revitalization across the board. Utilizing their distinctive role in society and family, women are called upon to contribute considerably to the building of China into a great country and the realization of national rejuvenation.
\n5. Joining Global Women in Building a Bright Shared Future
\nHumanity lives in one homeland, and women around the world have a shared future. China upholds the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity, and facilitates the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. It advocates putting the people first, stays committed to results-oriented actions, and contributes Chinese initiatives, solutions and actions to global endeavors for women.
\nChina supports the United Nations in prioritizing women's development, promotes cooperation with the rest of the world in relevant fields, and builds international consensus on gender equality through extensive exchanges and mutual learning. Together with all other countries, China works to shape a global environment conducive to women's development, to safeguard international fairness and justice, and to make its due contribution to moving the world to a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress.
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nWomen's cause is an integral part of state governance. To advance this cause, China has continued to strengthen institutional support and safeguards, fostering the necessary conditions and environment for the comprehensive development of women.
\n1. Improving the Framework for Advancing Women's Cause
\nChina has established a mechanism for the work related to women, under which Party committees exercise leadership, governments assume primary responsibility, working committees on children and women play a coordinating role, women's federations work in collaboration, relevant departments provide support, and the whole of society participates. These concerted efforts have ensured that gender equality is upheld in all areas of economic and social development and all aspects of social life.
\nThe people's congresses have strengthened legislation and supervision. The National People's Congress (NPC) has established the Social Development Affairs Committee to undertake legislation, conduct supervision, and handle proposals and suggestions from NPC deputies concerning the protection of women's rights and interests. It attaches importance to incorporating legal initiatives for promoting women's development and safeguarding women's rights and interests into the legislative plans of its Standing Committee, and to soliciting opinions and accepting feasible proposals from women's federations and women themselves during legislative review and legal supervision.
\nAdditionally, the NPC hears and reviews the State Council's report on combating domestic violence, identifies the protection of female employees' lawful and special rights and interests as an important component of enforcement inspections of the Trade Union Law, and urges relevant departments to perform their statutory duties in protecting women's rights and interests. The people's congresses of 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government have also set up social development affairs committees to formulate local regulations to supplement national laws, thereby strengthening legal safeguards for women's rights and interests.
\nThe Chinese People's Government has effectively fulfilled its primary responsibility. The government has formulated and organized the implementation of outlines for women's development, and convened meetings on work related to children and women. The working committees on children and women have played their role as deliberative and coordinating bodies, and Party institutions, government departments, judicial authorities, and people's organizations have fulfilled their responsibilities in work related to women. The government has strengthened the statistics monitoring mechanism for the outlines for the development of women in China and established a gender statistics monitoring system covering over 2,400 indicators. Furthermore, gender has been incorporated as a key metric into national censuses and time-use surveys, and the fourth Survey on Social Status of Women in China has been conducted to assess women's development across multiple dimensions.
\nThe Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) has strengthened its role in conducting consultations and offering suggestions. CPPCC committees at all levels perform their duties in political consultation, democratic supervision, and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs. They conduct consultations on women's issues through a variety of channels and platforms, including subject-specific, sector-specific and proposal handling consultations, as well as consultative meetings with relevant departments. As one of the 34 sectors defined by the CPPCC, women's federations conduct research and consultations on key issues and major challenges in women's development, such as the protection of women's reproductive and health rights and interests. The National Committee of the CPPCC has conducted consultations and made suggestions to support women's development, addressing issues including fair employment and career development, the strengthening of family ties, values, and traditions, and universal access to childcare services.
\nWomen's federations have served as bridges for connection and communication. The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) is a people's organization of women of all ethnic groups and from all sectors of society in China. It unites women for further emancipation and development under the leadership of the CPC. The ACWF has established an organizational system of women's federations at the national, provincial, prefectural, county, township and village levels, covering government departments, public institutions, new types of economic entities and social organizations, and groups in new forms of employment.
\nWomen's federations at all levels have served as bridges linking the Party and the government with women, and as assistants to the Party. While supporting major national development strategies, they have performed their functions of guiding, serving, and engaging with women, and launched five key initiatives: providing women with political guidance; encouraging them to excel in the workplace; providing guidance and support in family education, family services, and the cultivation of family virtues; offering support for women's rights protection; and improving the problem-solving capability of women's federations and their staff's professional competence.
\nIn addition, women's federations have mobilized resources to support women's development through six practical measures: supporting female volunteers who provide care for children in need; growing the scale and quality of female-dominated family services; improving vocational training for women; developing a system of childcare services that is accessible to all; advancing the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project to help underprivileged schoolgirls; and telling engaging stories about the development of Chinese women. Through these initiatives, they have delivered accessible services and tangible benefits to women, children and families.
\n2. Setting Objectives and Tasks for Women's Development with Overall Planning
\nChina's national development plans have clarified the strategic tasks for women's development. Five-year plans are blueprints and guides of action for China's economic and social development during their designated time frames. The government has incorporated objectives for women's development into these plans for meeting its strategic goal of modernization.
\nThe 12th Five-year Plan (2011-2015) for the first time included a section dedicated specifically to advancing women's all-round development. It also set requirements for developing human resources with a focus on women, strengthening labor protection for women, and resolutely combating violence and crimes against women. The 13th Five-year Plan (2016-2020) further strengthened the protection of women's rights and interests and for the first time devoted a separate chapter to ensuring women's rights and equal access to education, employment, and participation in social affairs, and eliminating discrimination and prejudice against women. It also set the targets for poverty alleviation and reduction among women. The 14th Five-year Plan (2021-2025) outlines further measures to safeguard women's rights and interests in areas including health, education, employment, participation in state governance, and social security. For the first time, it contains a section specifically dedicated to the strengthening of family development which focuses on improving the supporting policies and services for this goal.
\nSpecial plans in related fields have been made to address women's practical development needs. Plans for improving people's wellbeing — including the Outline of Healthy China 2030, the Outline of the Development Plan for Education (2024-2035), and the special plans for boosting employment and the development of civil affairs undertakings during the 14th Five-year Plan period — have put forward policies and measures to improve the health of women and children, safeguard women's equal rights to education, support women's employment, entrepreneurship, and career development, and improve care and services for rural women who stay behind to care for families while their husbands work in cities.
\nThe National Medium — and Long-term Talent Development Plan (2010-2020) has outlined arrangements to promote gender balance in the talent pool and strengthen the training and selection of female talent. The National Action Plan for Scientific Literacy (2021-2035) has made specific arrangements to improve the scientific literacy of rural women. The National Human Rights Action Plan, in all four phases, includes a section on the measures for safeguarding women's rights and interests, covering personal, property, education, employment and health rights.
\nOutlines for women's development have laid out phased targets. Since 1995, China has formulated and implemented four outlines for women's development, each outlining the primary objectives, strategies, and measures for women's development in its corresponding phase.
\nThe Outline of Women's Development in China (2021-2030) contains 75 primary objectives and 93 strategic measures across eight fields: health, education, economy, participation in decision-making and administration, social security, family development, environment, and the legal sector. The document also outlines the 41 Party and government departments and institutions responsible for implementing these strategic measures.
\nNationwide, 31 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, along with over 300 prefectures and cities and more than 2,000 counties and districts, have formulated plans for local women's development based on their actual conditions. The objectives and tasks set in the Outline dovetail with national development plans, align with sector-specific plans, and are integrated across the national, provincial, city and county levels. A comprehensive planning system for advancing women's development is now firmly in place.
\n3. Strengthening Legal Guarantee for Women's Rights and Interests
\nContinuing to improve the legal system. Legal protection of women's rights and interests is an integral part of advancing law-based governance. China has established a legal system anchored in the Constitution and centered on the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, covering over 100 laws and regulations.
\nThe Civil Code was compiled, which includes a Personality Rights section that clarifies the definition of sexual harassment and the responsibilities of employers. Its Marriage and Family section improves mechanisms for the identification and settlement of marital debts, and economic compensation for unpaid domestic work in divorce proceedings.
\nThe Criminal Law has been revised to abolish the crime of "prostitution involving underage girls" and punish such acts as rape, raise the statutory minimum penalty for the crime of child molestation, and introduce harsher punishments for the crime of purchasing abducted and trafficked women. Additionally, the crime of sexual assault by a person with a duty of care has been added to the Criminal Law.
\nThe amended Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests has made more comprehensive and systematic provisions on the system and mechanism for protecting women's rights and interests. China has also formulated the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and created systems of compulsory reporting, admonition, personal safety protection order, and emergent protection.
\nThe revised Law on Land Contract in Rural Areas has improved the legal guarantees for rural women's land rights and interests, ensuring their rightful entitlement to land and corresponding rights. The Law on Rural Collective Economic Organizations has been formulated to provide institutional safeguards ensuring that women do not lose their membership, rights and interests in such organizations due to changes in marital status.
\nIn addition, the Legal Aid Law, the Law on Basic Medical and Health Care and the Promotion of Health, and the Population and Family Planning Law all have provisions for safeguarding women's rights and interests.
\nA gender equality review mechanism has been established at the national level and across all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government. This mechanism conducts assessments of laws and regulations related to women's rights and interests, ensuring that the fundamental national policy of gender equality is implemented in laws and regulations at the source.
\nPanel 1 Revisions to the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests
\nThe Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests was promulgated in 1992, amended in 2005 and 2018, and thoroughly revised in 2022, expanding from 61 articles in nine chapters to 86 articles in ten chapters with the revision.
\nThe Law fully embodies the fundamental national policy of gender equality and has strengthened the comprehensive protection of women's political rights, personal and personality rights and interests, and their rights and interests in culture, education, employment, social security, property, marriage, and family. It has added new provisions on the mechanism for safeguarding women's rights and interests, the mechanism for gender equality assessment of laws and regulations, the system for collecting and publishing gender statistics, and education on gender equality as a basic national policy. It has established legal aid channels, including a public-interest litigation system for safeguarding women's rights and interests, a mechanism for admonishing violators of women's rights and interests in employment and social security, and a nationwide service hotline for protecting women's rights.
\nOverall, the Law has strengthened legal liabilities and reinforced its rigidity.
\nStrengthening law enforcement and judicial protection. China has taken resolute actions to combat criminal and illegal acts that infringe upon women's and girls' personal rights. Since 2013, public security agencies have continued to carry out special operations targeting the abduction and trafficking of women and children. By 2024, the number of such cases had decreased by 95 percent compared with 2013.
\nChina has established an inter-departmental cooperation and consultation mechanism against domestic violence, issued guidelines on the implementation of admonitions against domestic violence and personal protection orders, and promulgated judicial interpretations clarifying specific interventions and prevention measures, and forms of evidence for identifying domestic violence.
\nThe systems and measures for preventing and addressing workplace sexual harassment have been improved, with the addition of "dispute over liability for damages caused by sexual harassment" as an independent cause of action. To strengthen the protection of the personal rights and interests of girls, China has established a compulsory reporting system for cases of offenses against minors, as well as mechanisms for urging parental care and supervision over minors, for preventing violators from engaging in certain occupations, and for providing one-stop judicial support.
\nProcuratorates at all levels have registered and handled 3,810 public-interest cases concerning women's rights and interests. Since 2012, legal aid institutions across China have provided legal assistance for women involved in over 4.2 million cases, and free legal consultations for over 20 million women.
\nRaising public awareness of the rule of law. China continued to formulate and implement the seventh and eighth five-year plans for popularizing legal knowledge, both of which include laws and regulations on protecting women's lawful rights and interests. The country has strengthened law promotion and interpretation efforts, and the NPC Standing Committee has organized press conferences to expound on the principles in formulating and revising the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law, and share their highlights.
\nEfforts have been made to raise public legal awareness through multiple channels and approaches. Since 2012, articles on protecting women's rights and interests published through the official WeChat account for law popularization have been viewed 91.36 million times, and the annual legal knowledge competition has attracted tens of millions of participants. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions has organized legal awareness activities for female employees for 11 consecutive years, and women's federations at all levels across China have held more than 3.76 million events to raise legal awareness and provide legal services since 2016, with the participation of over 400 million women.
\nIn 2024, courts and procuratorates across the country, in conjunction with women's federations, organized more than 4,200 open day events on safeguarding the rights and interests of women and children and released over 3,800 typical cases. A legal education program for rural women reached more than 86 percent of China's rural areas.
\n4. Creating an Equal and Harmonious Social Environment
\nVigorously promoting the fundamental national policy of gender equality. China has carried out targeted public education on gender equality across multiple dimensions and through multiple channels, promoting this basic national policy in government departments, schools, enterprises, urban and rural communities, and families.
\nFor Party and government leaders, the Implementation of Gender Equality as a Basic National Policy has been compiled as a coursebook and incorporated into the curriculum and teaching plans of Party schools. For students, education on gender equality has been promoted in elementary and high schools, as well as in universities, and integrated into textbook planning and regulatory standards, and guides for related courses. Gender balance is emphasized in textbook illustrations, and excellent female writers have seen greater representation in textbooks, to eliminate gender stereotypes in teaching materials.
\nFor the general public, gender equality has been incorporated into cultural and ethical development in both urban and rural communities, into self-regulations and rules for their residents, and into efforts to cultivate good family ties, values, and traditions. Party members and officials, experts, scholars, and those who work in women's affairs have given talks and lectures, and engaged in public communication on gender equality in approachable and popular forms, enabling the public to understand this basic national policy and apply it in their daily lives.
\nPanel 2 Guangdong Promoting Gender Equality Education in Elementary and High Schools
\nSince 2012, Guangdong Province has promoted gender equality education in schools. Targeting students in urban elementary and high schools, three types of courses have been developed, with a focus on cognitive understanding, behavioral norms and attitudinal guidance. These are themed courses on gender equality, integrated courses that incorporate ideas of gender equality into related subjects, and practical courses that engage students in all types of activities. Targeting students in rural elementary and high schools, courses have been developed for students in different grades with a focus on care for left-behind children, physical development during puberty, and prevention of sexual assault among adolescents.
\nBy the first half of 2025, Guangdong had established 661 demonstration elementary and high schools for gender equality education, with a professional teaching staff of over 1,500 members. Assessment results indicate that education on gender equality has generated a positive effect on both male and female students, raising their gender equality awareness, promoting physical and mental health, improving academic performance, and reducing bullying and disciplinary violations.
\nStrengthening the awareness of gender equality in the media. The Advertising Law and other relevant laws, as well as the Outline of Women's Development in China, all stipulate regulations regarding gender equality assessment and supervision in the media, prohibiting reports or advertisements with contents that disparage, undermine, or infringe upon women's dignity.
\nGender equality reviews have been conducted throughout the script development, production, screening, and distribution of films and TV programs. News outlets have issued lists of prohibited and offensive terms to eliminate discriminatory expressions in news reports. Media organizations have implemented a social responsibility reporting system and upheld the professional ethic of safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of women, children, the elderly, and the disabled and protecting their physical and mental health.
\nThe stories of women role models have been told through media coverage, special releases and events in recognition of their contribution, showcasing patriotism, devotion to the people, perseverance and progress in the face of challenges, and commitment to virtue and good deeds. Gender equality has now become a widely accepted social norm.
\nCreating a clean cyberspace. China has issued judicial interpretations, released exemplary cases, and carried out special operations to combat fraud, abduction, trafficking, rape, and other crimes against women and children committed or facilitated through online channels. Offenses that infringe upon women's personality rights, such as the illegal disclosure of personal information, defamation, and malicious online abuse, are strictly punished. Online platforms have taken on greater responsibility by addressing illegal and inappropriate content, including removing articles and short videos that advocate a preference for sons over daughters or exaggerate family disputes.
\nChina has increased the supply of high-quality online content. Special campaigns have been launched to introduce new media products showcasing women in the new era and their commitment to the country, such as the theme song Blooms of China, the women's federation promotional video Together, and the family values promotional video I Love My Family. These products have reached hundreds of millions of women and families, and facilitated new progress in providing theoretical and political guidance to women.
\nEfforts have also been made to improve the digital literacy of the general public, foster responsible internet usage among women, tell engaging stories of China and Chinese women, spread mainstream values, and promote positive energy online.
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nEradicating poverty, improving living standards, and achieving common prosperity are essential tasks of socialism. China has made continuous efforts to ensure people's access to childcare, education, employment, medical services, eldercare, housing, and social assistance, meeting women's expectation for a better life.
\n1. Elimination of Absolute Poverty
\nChina has organized the largest and most intensive poverty alleviation campaign in human history, benefiting the greatest number of people. By the end of 2020, it had successfully eliminated absolute poverty throughout the country, meeting the poverty reduction target of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. On this epic journey of poverty reduction, China has honored its solemn commitment that no one should be left behind, specifically targeting women as a key group to widen their path towards prosperity.
\nTaking targeted measures to guarantee basic living needs. China has adopted a targeted strategy in poverty alleviation. Under this framework, it maintains detailed records on the distribution of impoverished populations, the underlying causes of poverty, the specific categories of poverty, and the expectations of the poor. This approach guarantees the implementation of targeted efforts in six areas: identification of those in need, project arrangement, capital utilization, the introduction of household-specific measures, the dispatch of officials to villages based on local conditions, and the achievement of set goals. As a result, women, who comprise approximately half of the impoverished population, have benefited from targeted resource allocation.
\nThe Health Program for Poverty Alleviation and its health promotion campaigns have guaranteed access to basic medical and health services for impoverished rural women.
\nThrough education initiatives for poverty alleviation, compulsory education in impoverished areas has been steadily improved, ensuring that no school-age girls from poor families drop out of school due to poverty.
\nSocial security systems have been strengthened to ensure eligible women on the list of the registered poor receive subsistence allowances or assistance and support for the extremely poor.
\nRenovation of dilapidated houses in rural areas, particularly in severely impoverished areas, has been subsidized by the government. Relocation projects have helped over 9.6 million people, who originally lived in inhospitable areas, to emerge from poverty and seek development.
\nThe basic food and clothing needs of impoverished women have been guaranteed, and their access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing has been ensured.
\nAfter winning the battle against absolute poverty, the country initiated a five-year transition period during which poverty alleviation support policies remained in effect to buttress areas and populations that had recently emerged from poverty. Based on the stable operation of such policies, a robust dynamic monitoring and assistance mechanism has been established to prevent any relapse into or occurrence of poverty, and support remains in place for women lifted out of poverty and those in low-income areas to participate in the local economy, seek more employment opportunities, and increase incomes.
\nBoosting the economy to create job opportunities for women and raise their income. China is committed to the policy of development-driven poverty alleviation to empower impoverished women.
\nIt has strengthened industrial support by facilitating the gradient transfer of labor-intensive industries such as food processing and clothing manufacturing, benefitting 98.9 percent of poor households. By advancing east-west cooperation in labor services, setting up poverty alleviation workshops, and creating public-interest rural jobs, the country has provided job opportunities for poor women with the will and ability to work. In its efforts to alleviate poverty, China has leveraged new forms of business and industries such as e-commerce programs, photovoltaic technology, and tourism to help impoverished women find good jobs within their local communities. In ethnic minority areas, the transition of the hand-knitting business from a purely traditional craft to a driver of the local economy has transformed the lives of the women embroidery artisans in the Miao and Yi communities.
\nChina has increased fiscal and financial support. In the critical battle against poverty, special supportive polices such as offering subsidized loans requiring no collateral or guarantee and tax reductions or exemptions were introduced. Cumulatively, over RMB450 billion in guaranteed microloans and poverty alleviation microcredit were disbursed to women in need, and 8.7 million impoverished women saw their income increased through entrepreneurship. From 2021 to 2024, the country sustained a flow of microcredit designated for people recently lifted out of poverty, of which RMB76.83 billion were offered to nearly 1.93 million women.
\nEfforts in skills training have been strengthened, with training courses on vocational skills, entrepreneurship, and practical agricultural technology being held through multiple channels, at multiple levels, and in multiple forms. As of 2020, training programs had been organized for a total of 10.21 million impoverished women and female technicians. From 2023 to 2024, the Rain and Dew Program sponsored 632,000 women to receive vocational education, allowing them to continue their march out of poverty.
\nPanel 3 Poverty Alleviation Workshops for Women Help Women Find Jobs and Emerge from Poverty
\nPoverty Alleviation Workshops for Women constitute a targeted model that helps boost employment and incomes among impoverished women. The Guidelines on the Three-Year Action Plan for Winning the Battle Against Poverty issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council required the establishment of poverty alleviation workshops to employ people from poor households near their homes. In line with this document, governments in poor regions adopted measures such as employment subsidies, workspace rental subsidies, and credit assistance to encourage enterprises to establish poverty alleviation workshops for women in poor rural communities, helping them find work in fields such as agricultural products processing and handicrafts weaving. By providing employment opportunities close to home, local governments and enterprises have enabled women to balance earning an additional income with their farming and family duties. During the critical battle against poverty, more than 10,000 such workshops for women have been established nationwide, helping women in need find secure employment in their local areas.
\nIncreasing input to break the bottlenecks constraining women's development. China has advanced infrastructure development, fundamentally solving many of the issues impeding women's development in impoverished areas, such as insufficient access to transport, electricity, water and communications. Where conditions permit, all towns, townships, and administrative villages have been connected to paved roads and provided with bus and postal services. Full coverage of reliable power supply has been largely realized in rural areas. All counties have access to gigabit internet, all townships to 5G services, and all villages to broadband connections. By the end of 2024, 94 percent of the rural population had enjoyed access to tap water.
\nPanel 4 Female National Models for Poverty Alleviation
\nWomen fully performed their role as "half the sky" in the critical battle against poverty. Among the 10 individuals honored as national models for poverty alleviation by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council in 2021, five were women. They include Bai Jingying, who led 26,000 women in shaking off poverty through a new trail — working in the Mongolian broidery industry; Zhang Guimei, who leveraged her expertise in education to found China's first free senior high school for girls, helping more than 2,000 girls from impoverished mountainous areas reach university; Huang Wenxiu, a poverty alleviation official and a resident first Party secretary, and Zhang Xiaojuan, a vice director of a county-level poverty alleviation office, both of whom sacrificed their young lives for poverty elimination while working at the grassroots level to help residents solve difficulties; and Xia Sen, who donated her savings of RMB2,032,000 accumulated through a lifetime of work and frugality to improve schools in poverty-stricken rural areas, including through the provision of grants that have gone on to help 182 students from poor households enroll in university.
\n2. Notable Improvement in Health
\nPrioritizing people's health in its development strategy, China makes all-out efforts to build a healthy China, with women's and children's health the cornerstone of this work. By consolidating and improving institutional arrangements and optimizing resource allocation, the country provides women with full life-circle health services.
\nContinuous improvement of the maternal and child healthcare system. China has integrated its maternal and child healthcare network into its national medical and healthcare framework that covers its 1.4 billion people. A service system for maternal and child healthcare has been built, with maternal and child healthcare institutions as the core, community-level medical and healthcare institutions as the foundation, and medium and large hospitals and research institutes as the pillars.
\nFrom 2012 to 2023, the number of health professionals at maternal and child healthcare institutions increased from 277,000 to 537,000, with an annual growth rate of over 6 percent; the actual number of beds rose from 187,000 to 295,000, up by nearly 60 percent. At present, China has 3,081 maternal and child healthcare institutions, 3,491 treatment centers for high-risk and critically ill pregnant and postpartum women, and 3,221 treatment centers for critically ill neonates. More than 2,600 traditional Chinese medicine hospitals at Grade II and above have gynecological departments.
\nThe "internet plus maternal and child healthcare" service model has been developed, and training sessions and guidance for treating pregnant and postpartum women in severe and critical conditions have been provided through 31 provincial-level "cloud-based maternal and child healthcare" telemedicine platforms, making maternal and child healthcare services much more equitable.
\nPanel 5 Five Mechanisms for Maternal and Neonatal Safety Safeguarding the Health of Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Newborns
\nThe five mechanisms for maternal and neonatal safety covers pregnancy risk screening and evaluation, targeted management of high-risk pregnant and postpartum women, emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, maternal mortality case reporting, and admonition of underperforming healthcare providers. Based on the severity of pregnancy risks, pregnant and postpartum women are classified into one of five categories and each is assigned a label: green for low risk, yellow for common risk, orange for relatively high risk, red for high risk, or purple for carrying an infectious disease. Their treatment is then managed according to their category. This general system is supported by a nationwide, tiered network for treating pregnant and postpartum women and neonates in severe and critical conditions, which features coordination between different levels, highly efficient response, and orderly operation. It closely monitors key high-risk groups and strengthens the emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, thereby ensuring the safety of mothers and newborns.
\nBreakthroughs in solving key issues in women's health. China has strengthened its resource coordination to integrate the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B into major public health service programs. In 2024, the rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission in China fell to 1.2 percent, meeting the targets for eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission.
\nChina has promoted the comprehensive prevention and treatment of cervical cancer and breast cancer. Between 2009 and 2024, 342 million free screenings for cervical cancer and 245 million free screenings for breast cancer were carried out nationwide, and between 2012 and 2024, the central government allocated RMB3.01 billion for treatment and support for women with these forms of cancer. HPV vaccination has been incorporated into the government's public welfare initiatives in 18 provinces as of June 2025, benefiting 5 million girls of eligible age annually through free vaccination programs.
\nA group of specialty branches and outpatient departments focusing on women's healthcare have been established, covering the entire process of childbearing and women's full life cycle.
\nA reproductive health promotion campaign has been carried out. By the end of 2024, youth health education services had been provided in more than 10,000 elementary and high schools and more than 1,000 higher education institutions across the country.
\nThe campaign to raise national health awareness, the initiative to build healthy families, the Healthy China: Mother's Action, and other initiatives have been rolled out to guide women to lead their family members and the wider society in raising health awareness and health management capacity.
\nRemarkable improvement in women's health. In 2020, the average life expectancy of women in China rose to 80.9 years.
\nSince 2012, the national hospital delivery rate has remained above 99 percent, and in 2024, the systematic maternal management rate reached 94.9 percent. The maternal mortality rate has dropped by 76.9 percent, from 61.9 per 100,000 in 1995 to 14.3 per 100,000 in 2024 — far below the global average.
\nIn terms of core maternal and child health indicators, namely maternal, infant, and under-five mortality rates, China ranks among the top in global upper-middle-income countries. It has met the relevant targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule and has been recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the 10 high performing countries in maternal and child health outcomes.
\n3. Substantial Increase in Women's Education Level
\nIn building up its strength in education and coordinating integrated reforms of educational, sci-tech and talent systems and mechanisms, China has made tremendous efforts to ensure women's equitable access to education of all categories and levels, raise women's scientific literacy and promote life-long education for them. As a result, women's right to education has been effectively guaranteed.
\nGender divide in basic education has been largely eliminated. China has implemented four consecutive preschool education action plans. In 2024, girls accounted for 47.3 percent of children in kindergartens, totaling 16.94 million.
\nPanel 6 The Spring Bud Project Helps Girls from Impoverished Families Realize Their Dreams Through Schooling
\nThe Spring Bud Project is a public welfare project launched by the China Children and Teenagers' Fund in 1989 to help out-of-school girls from poverty-stricken areas return to school and improve their access to education. In 2019, Prof. Peng Liyuan, special envoy for girls' education under the Spring Bud Project, launched the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project. By carrying out education in health, digital technology, science and technology, music, and other areas, this initiative helps girls from poor households pursue well-rounded development. By the end of 2024, the project had raised RMB3.44 billion of non-governmental funds, providing 4.36 million instances of education assistance and more than 200,000 cases of one-to-one growth support and tailored psychological counseling for girls. This enabled girls to enjoy a more equitable and inclusive education of higher quality. In 2023, the Spring Bud Project won the UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education. In 2024, it was designated as one of the best cases in the Fifth Call of Global Solicitation on Best Poverty Reduction Practices.
\nChina promotes the high-quality and balanced development of compulsory education, and has accelerated efforts to narrow the educational gaps between regions, schools, groups, and between urban and rural areas. The net elementary education enrollment rate of school-age girls stays above 99.9 percent, and in 2024, girls made up 46.98 percent of students of nine-year compulsory education.
\nThe Plan to Popularize Senior High School Education (2017-2020) and the Action Plan to Develop County-level Senior High Schools During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) Period have been implemented nationwide, and the proportion of girls among the senior high school population is continuing to rise, standing at 49.3 percent in 2024.
\nA rough balance between male and female students in higher education has been achieved. China has made sustained efforts to develop the world's largest higher education system, cement and advance accessibility in higher education, and ensure gender equality in the enrollment of regular institutions of higher learning. In 2024, female students in these institutions made up 50.76 percent of the total, 14.15 percentage points higher than in 1995. Among them, female graduate students accounted for 50.01 percent, an increase of 22.43 percentage points from 1995.
\nWomen enjoy higher-quality vocational education and life-long education. China has speeded up its efforts to build a modern vocational education system and offers assistance to eligible students in the form of tuition exemptions, scholarships, grants, and student loans. As a result, women are enjoying more and better access to high-quality vocational education. In 2024, female students accounted for 47.9 percent of higher vocational school students at the undergraduate and junior college levels, and 45.2 percent of secondary vocational school students.
\nThe women's life-long learning system has become more open and flexible, with the establishment of the national smart education platform for life-long education offering a more convenient and accessible channel that meets women's diverse learning needs. The number of women receiving adult education continues to rise steadily year on year, and in 2024, female students at adult education institutions at the undergraduate and junior college levels numbered 5.13 million, 54 percent of the total, representing an increase of 1.96 million compared to 2012. In 2020, the average length of schooling for female citizens at or above the age of 15 reached 9.59 years.
\nWomen's scientific literacy is on the rise. The Chinese government has promulgated the Outline of the Action Plan for Improving Scientific Literacy for All (2021-2035), which covers raising women's scientific literacy.
\nIt has issued the Guidelines for Science Education in Elementary and High Schools, improved the curriculum, textbooks, experimental teaching, teachers' training, and extra-curricular activity programs of these schools, and enhanced the coordination and transformation of science education resources.
\nTo inspire and cultivate female students' interests in science, public-interest programs aimed at female students have been rolled out, including the Science Lovers Program for Female College Students, Science Empowering Girls, Spring Bud InnoGirls Program, STEM Girls, and Her Science.
\nA program for raising the capabilities of female employees has also been implemented, and, in particular, efforts have been made to help them improve digital skills.
\nThanks to these initiatives and more, the gender gap in scientific literacy is continuing to narrow. The female sci-tech talent pool continues to expand in scale, improve in structure, and grow in capability, with female scientists now regularly making outstanding contributions in various fields, including basic theory, applied technology, and engineering. In 2024, female R&D professionals numbered 2.85 million, representing an increase of 1.69 million from that in 2012.
\nPanel 7 STEM Girls Program Kindles Girls' Science Dream
\nIn 2018, the China Women's Development Foundation established the public-interest program of STEM Girls for female high school students aged 12-16 to inspire their enthusiasm and interest in STEM subjects. Through open recruitment and online courses, the program selects outstanding female high school students and sends them to universities and research institutions, including Tsinghua University, Tongji University, the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In the study camps at these institutions, girls can engage in exploration and learning in mechanical engineering, energy sources in architecture, eco-environment, biophysics, and other STEM subjects. They conduct visits, research, and hands-on experiments, form innovative plans, and work for their application. In the seven years since its launch, the program has covered more than 100 high schools in 24 provincial-level administrative units, training more than 8,200 students and helping them embark on a journey of scientific exploration and move forward in steady steps.
\n4. Continuous Improvement in Social Security
\nChina has established the world's largest social security system. Built on the principle of ensuring universal coverage for all eligible individuals, the system aims to narrow urban-rural disparities, improve social security policies for key groups, strengthen support for women in difficulty, and steadily raise benefit levels. As a result of this system, women now enjoy more comprehensive, reliable and equitable social security.
\nMedical and old-age insurance systems achieved full coverage. China's healthcare security system has been continuously improved, supported by increased government subsidies for individual contributions to basic medical insurance among rural and non-working urban residents.
\nIn 2024, 651 million women were covered by basic medical insurance, accounting for 49.1 percent of all participants. Additionally, 260 million women were covered by basic pension insurance for rural and non-working urban residents, representing 48 percent of all enrollees, while 260 million women participated in the basic pension scheme for urban employees, constituting 48.2 percent of the total.
\nMore women are protected against unemployment and work-related injuries. Efforts have been made to safeguard employees' employment security, occupational safety, and health protections. By the end of 2024, approximately 105 million women were enrolled in unemployment insurance, accounting for 42.7 percent of all participants and reflecting a 70 percent increase since 2012. Additionally, about 117 million women were covered by work-related injury insurance, comprising 38.6 percent of all enrollees, and reflecting a 60 percent increase since 2012.
\nSpecific measures have been introduced to ensure that workers in new forms of employment receive effective assistance and compensation in case of occupational injuries. Real-time settlement of medical expenses for work-related injuries incurred outside the provincial-level unit where the patient is insured has been fully implemented, protecting the rights and interests of female workers and better meeting their healthcare needs.
\nMaternity protection for women has improved significantly. The integrated implementation of maternity insurance and basic medical insurance for employees has been fully advanced, and continuous efforts have been made to expand employer participation in maternity insurance and to gradually extend its coverage. Regions with the necessary conditions have been guided to include flexibly employed people in maternity insurance. For unemployed women, the unemployment insurance fund pay their maternity insurance contributions on their behalf during their period of unemployment benefit eligibility, while non-working women are covered for maternity medical benefits through their participation in the basic medical insurance scheme for rural and non-working urban residents. By the end of 2024, 111 million women were covered by maternity insurance. All 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, have included eligible assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in their medical insurance schemes.
\nSocial security for women in need is further strengthened. Subsistence allowance standards have continued to rise, with the national average urban and rural subsistence allowance standards in 2024 140 percent and 240 percent higher than those of 2012, respectively.
\nFinancial assistance or premium payments are provided for women from eligible disadvantaged groups, such as those receiving subsistence allowances or classified as extremely impoverished individuals, to participate in basic medical and pension insurance schemes for rural and non-working urban residents.
\nA comprehensive system of living subsidies for persons with disabilities facing financial difficulties and nursing subsidies for those with severe disabilities has been established. In 2024, about 9.40 million women received these subsidies, accounting for 46 percent of all recipients.
\nTargeted assistance and support initiatives have been implemented for rural stay-behind women in difficult circumstances, including efforts to establish records, ensure basic living standards, promote employment and income generation, and enrich cultural lives.
\n5. Improved Family Lives
\nChina places emphasis on fostering family culture, values, and traditions, recognizing the unique role of women in both social and family life. Efforts continue to be made to leverage women's distinctive contributions in promoting traditional Chinese family virtues and establishing positive family traditions. Policies supporting family development are continuously improved, enhancing families' capacity for development and creating favorable conditions for women to enjoy better family lives.
\nMore equal and harmonious family relations in the new era. Laws and regulations including the Civil Code, the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law have been promulgated to protect women's rights within marriage and the family.
\nA new marital and childbearing culture is widely promoted. Marriage and family counseling services are widely available at marriage registration authorities at or above the county level nationwide. Over 2,000 pilot units are advancing marriage customs reform, and activities such as "bringing new marriage and childbearing norms into households" are continuously carried out to promote values including gender equality, mutual respect, and shared parenting responsibilities between couples.
\nThe Fourth Survey on the Social Status of Women in China shows that 90 percent of married women participate in decision-making on major family matters, an increase of approximately 15 percentage points compared to 2010. The gender gap in time spent on household chores has narrowed, and there is a growing emphasis on marital relationships based on mutual respect and trust.
\nA family-friendly society gradually in shape. To meet the demands of high-quality population development and family wellbeing, measures have been introduced to improve childbirth support policies and develop a childbirth-friendly society.
\nThe childbirth leave system has been enhanced, with local regulations extending maternity leave and paternity leave and introducing parental childcare leave. Special additional deductions for individual income tax have been implemented, covering expenses for under-three children nursing, eldercare, and children's education. A childcare subsidy system has been established and implemented, while free pre-school education has been promoted in a phased way.
\nEmployers are encouraged to create "family-friendly workplaces" by adopting flexible working hours or remote work options after negotiating with employees to support them in both career development and childcare.
\nNursing facilities have been provided. By the end of 2024, 403,000 enterprises and public institutions with trade unions had set up nursing rooms for female employees. The provision of baby care rooms in public places has also been expanded, and design standards such as the Uniform Standard for the Design of Civil Buildings, the Standard for the Design of Office Buildings, and the Code for the Design of Railway Passenger Station Buildings now include requirements for such facilities. By the end of 2024, 1,449 baby care rooms had been established in railway stations; 5,371 in highway service areas (including parking areas); 286 on passenger ships and in port passenger terminals; 2,308 in secondary and above-grade bus stations; 2,599 in urban rail transit stations; and nursing rooms in all civilian airports with an annual passenger throughput of 5,000 or more.
\nPanel 8 The 15-Minute Community Life Circles Benefit Hundreds of Millions of Residents
\nThe 15-minute community life circle is a government initiative to improve people's lives by creating community business districts with diverse services. Residents in such communities should be able to meet their basic daily consumption needs and access quality services within a 15-minute walk.
\nTo address childcare needs, Shanghai has established more than 340 community-based childcare rooms in over 90 percent of its subdistricts and towns, providing temporary childcare services. For eldercare needs, Tianjin has set up 1,852 community canteens for seniors and built daytime care centers for the elderly, offering personalized eldercare services. To meet residents' daily needs, the Kangqiao Garden Community in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, has introduced affordable vegetable stalls, convenient barbershops, and small repair service points, enabling one-stop solutions for various household needs.
\nSince 2021, 4 batches of 210 pilot areas across the country have joined the initiative, building 5,510 community life circles that benefit approximately 125 million residents.
\nMore diverse services to reduce family care burden. A variety of childcare services are provided to families, including full-day, half-day, and temporary care options, and employers are also supported in establishing childcare facilities. By the end of 2024, there were 5.74 million childcare slots nationwide, with 4.08 slots per 1,000 people for children under three.
\nA family education guidance service system covering both urban and rural areas has been established. Relying on over 400,000 parent schools in urban and rural communities and more than 20,000 online new media platforms, family education guidance service teams have worked to organize rich and diverse parent-child activities, bringing scientific family education guidance services directly to households and communities.
\nThe eldercare framework has been optimized, where home care is supported by communities and professional institutions, featuring a combination of medical care and eldercare services. Services such as meal assistance, bathing aid, home modifications for the elderly, and barrier-free renovations for financially difficult families with members with severe disabilities have become more accessible.
\nPanel 9 Family Education in the New Era Strengthens the Foundation of Early Nurturing
\nChina places great importance on family education. The Law on Family Education Promotion has been enacted to strengthen parents' primary responsibility in guardianship, establish a collaborative mechanism for family education work, clarify state support measures for family education, and define the role of social forces in supporting family education. The All-China Women's Federation, the Ministry of Education, and other relevant departments have successively issued six five-year plans for family education, setting periodic targets and measures. The National Family Education Guidance Outline and Basic Behavioral Norms for Parents in Family Education have been formulated and revised to define the content of family education guidance.
\nExploratory efforts are made to establish an undergraduate program on family education in colleges and universities to train professionals for this sector. A life-cycle family guidance curriculum system has been developed, and the "Happy Family" online platform for family education services has been established. Family education instructors have been included as an occupation in the General Code of Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China. All these endeavors will promote the digital and professional development of family education and support families in scientific parenting.
\nThe domestic service sector continues to improve in quality and expand in scale. By the end of 2023, there were approximately 600,000 domestic service entities and 16,000 women-led domestic service community stations. National domestic service vocational skills competitions have been held to encourage skill enhancement among people working in this sector, provide a growth platform for more of them, and deliver high-quality services to families.
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nOn the new journey of Chinese modernization, every individual plays a key role. Connecting their own future with that of the country and the nation, Chinese women have devoted themselves to the building of a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful. They have attained major achievements in the new era, creating a better life through action and hard work.
\n1. Achievements in Promoting High-Quality Economic Development
\nIn promoting high-quality economic development, China is committed to expanding channels for women's participation, improving their capabilities, and stimulating their creativity. Women are "holding up half the sky" and playing an increasingly prominent role.
\nRealizing potential in employment and entrepreneurship. Upholding employment as a priority, China has increased fiscal investment, and implemented initiatives such as the Women's Action for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Action for Promoting Women's Employment and Entrepreneurship. Special recruitment sections and events for women have been held, sponsored by the National Employment Promotion Action and Spring Breeze Action, aiming to help more women find better jobs.
\nGender discrimination in employment has been placed under the scrutiny of labor protection supervision. The System of Special Labor Protection for Female Employees in the Workplace (Reference Text) and the System for Eliminating Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (Reference Text) have been formulated as guidelines for employers to improve their corresponding systems for protecting female employees' lawful rights and interests.
\nBy the end of 2024, RMB640 billion in loans had been provided to support 8.49 million women in realizing their entrepreneurial dreams. Since 2012, women have accounted for about 43 percent of the total employed population. According to the fifth national economic census in 2024, 42.6 percent of the employees in government agencies, public institutions, and state-owned enterprises were women, an increase of 3.6 percentage points compared to the fourth census.
\nPanel 10 Beautiful Crafts Workshops Providing Employment and Income Growth for Women with Disabilities
\nThe Beautiful Crafts Workshops program was jointly launched by China Disabled Persons' Federation and All-China Women's Federation in 2022 to help women with disabilities find employment and increase income. Through collaboration between the government, enterprises, and public service organizations, a full-chain service model integrating training, employment, entrepreneurship and protection has been formulated to ensure that women participating in this program have access to employment opportunities and secure stable incomes through the acquisition of important skills.
\nA total of 125 national-level Beautiful Crafts Workshops now provide disabled women with free training courses in hand knitting, embroidery, and pottery, and support some of them in setting up studios and engaging in live-streaming sales. This program has facilitated flexible home-based employment for 190,000 women with disabilities, doubling their average annual income compared to 2022. The outcomes have been displayed at major events including the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the UN Human Rights Council meetings, and the 10th International Abilympics.
\nThe scale of women's accomplishments is reflected in their significant representation among national honorees: They constitute 34 percent of the National Moral Models and 30.9 percent of the Most Beautiful Souls and National Exemplary Educators. Since 2012, a total of 1,821 women have been awarded the titles of National Model Workers and Advanced Workers, 1,957 have received the National May 1st Labor Medal, 5,001 have been honored as National March 8th Red-Banner Pacesetters, and 6,489 recognized as National Role Models for Women's Achievements.
\nPioneering innovation in science and technology. As part of the efforts to implement the Women's Action for Scientific and Technological Innovation, China has formulated the Measures on Supporting Female Talent to Play a Greater Role in Sci-Tech Innovation, which outline 16 concrete measures, including supporting female scientists to undertake national sci-tech projects and participate in decision-making on sci-tech development, as well as improving evaluation and incentive mechanisms for them.
\nThe National Natural Science Foundation has appropriately relaxed the age limits for female applicants in Categories A, B and C of the Young Scientists Fund, raising the maximum age thresholds by three years, two years, and five years respectively, compared to their male counterparts. Leveraging platforms such as the Zhongguancun Forum, Pujiang Innovation Forum, and World AI Conference, China has launched summits and forums for women working in science and technology, and hosted the Women Technicians Forum and a range of training programs for high-caliber female sci-tech professionals. These actions have created platforms for women in STEM fields to conduct professional exchange and learning, apply their research outcomes, and serve the public.
\nToday, women account for 45.8 percent of all sci-tech researchers in China. They are tackling tough problems and achieving breakthroughs in pioneering fields, overcoming daunting obstacles, and scaling new heights at the forefront of innovation, and making significant contributions to building China into a sci-tech powerhouse with greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology.
\nPanel 11 Glorious Achievements of Female Sci-Tech Workers in China
\nThrough their unwavering dedication and exceptional wisdom, Chinese women have made groundbreaking contributions across diverse fields of science and technology, writing glorious chapters in the nation's rich history of sci-tech innovation.
\nTu Youyou, chief scientist at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and a recipient of the Medal of the Republic, was the first person to discover artemisinin. This class of drugs has significantly reduced the mortality rate of malaria patients and saved millions of lives globally. Tu's pioneering research led to her becoming the first home-grown Chinese scientist to receive a Nobel Prize.
\nLiu Yang, China's first female astronaut, Wang Yaping, the first female taikonaut to walk in space, and Wang Haoze, the first female aerospace flight engineer to board China's space station, each courageously challenged the unknown, demonstrating the strength of Chinese women in aerospace.
\nLiao Hong, professor at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, integrated applied basic research with agricultural production to build up about 20,000 hectares of eco-friendly tea gardens, providing a comprehensive solution to the eco-friendly planting and management of Wuyi rock tea.
\nFor over two decades, Shan Xinghua, recipient of the title Role Model of the Era, has led her team in developing the 12306 China Railway ticketing system into a super-large real-time platform with a world-leading transaction volume, boosting China's strength in transportation.
\nTaking the lead in rural revitalization. Through the Women's Action for Rural Revitalization, China has strengthened quality training to empower women farmers. Since 2017, the High-quality Farmer Training Program has trained over 2.24 million women farmers, and between 2022 and 2024, the project for cultivating leaders for rural industry revitalization trained 12,000 female individuals.
\nThe achievements of women in rural revitalization have been recognized through initiatives like the Double Hundred and Double Thousand Initiative, which recognizes outstanding rural craftspeople, 100 of whom in the first batch were women, accounting for 36.6 percent of the total. In the final round of the first National Farmers' Skills Competition, female participants comprised 69.5 percent of all winners. Furthermore, by the end of 2024, 134,000 female workers responsible for extending agricultural technologies and services had obtained professional titles, representing 35.4 percent of the total.
\nPanel 12 A Small Industrial Incubation Platform Galvanizing Women's Power for Rural Revitalization
\nAs a successful example of the Green Rural Revival Program in Zhejiang, Lizu Village in Yiwu has developed from a backward hamlet to a National Model Village, and women have played a vital role in this transformation.
\nThe village is home to a Shared Prosperity Workshop — an incubation platform for industrial projects that attracts numerous aspiring makers and entrepreneurs. This workshop operates as a women's alliance for shared prosperity, and follows a work mechanism under which community-level service centers introduce promising projects under the leadership of the local executive committee of women's federations. The project has helped local women start their own businesses, increasing their incomes and fostering integration between urban and rural areas.
\nAfter five years, the number of makers and entrepreneurs has increased from over 30 to 272, among which 75 percent are women. The "Homemade by Mom" food street and the Women's Fair have increased women's incomes by over RMB13.7 million, while live-streaming activities to promote agricultural products have generated sales of RMB27 million. This small incubator has created big opportunities for women to embrace prosperity.
\nPursuing excellence in the digital economy. China has issued the Action Plan for Strengthening the Digital Literacy and Skills of the General Public and the Action Plan for Digital Rural Development, which include measures such as carrying out digital literacy education and skills training for women and developing women-led e-commerce brands. Chinese women have answered the call of the digital age, and are committed to developing the digital economy, with 14,147 women obtaining the vocational skills certificates for AI trainers in 2024 alone — comprising 42.3 percent of the yearly total. Women represent over half of the entrepreneurs in the internet sector and about one third of the workforce engaging in new business forms such as digital trade, e-commerce, and live streaming. As the digital economy advances, it is providing more opportunities for women.
\nPanel 13 The \"AI Dou\" Project: Helping Women Excel in the Digital Economy
\nThrough digital empowerment, the China Women's Development Foundation is pioneering innovative pathways for women's development. In 2019, the organization launched the "AI Dou" Project for AI industrial incubation in conjunction with relevant businesses. This project aims to help stay-behind women and returning youth to secure data annotation and similar jobs near home, by introducing digital employment opportunities to underdeveloped counties, carrying out vocational training, and incubating locally operated social enterprises. By the end of 2024, the project had established 16 digital employment centers in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Gansu, Guizhou and Ningxia, providing employment opportunities for over 7,500 women. Among those provided with stable jobs by the project, 70 percent were women.
\n2. Equal Participation in Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nAs China advances whole-process people's democracy, it remains committed to increasing women's participation in the management of state, economic, cultural and social affairs. Women enjoy equal political rights and actively participate in democratic practices, contributing their strengths with great enthusiasm.
\nExercising state power through the people's congresses. The proportion of women in people's congresses at all levels continues to rise. In the 14th NPC convened in 2023, there were 790 women deputies, accounting for 26.5 percent of the total. This represents an increase of 3.1 percentage points from the 12th NPC and 1.6 percentage points from the 13th NPC. At the county and township levels, women constitute 31.64 percent and 32.36 percent of deputies, respectively. These women deputies fulfill their duties in accordance with the law, soliciting and reflecting public opinion from all sectors of society. Between 2018 and 2025, NPC women deputies put forward 29,328 suggestions, criticisms and opinions, accounting for 42.3 percent of the total.
\nPanel 14 Women Deputies to the People's Congresses Practicing Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nZhu Guoping, an outstanding representative of the "neighborhood chiefs" in Shanghai, has been a key figure in her local community for over three decades. She served as a deputy to three consecutive NPCs — the 11th, 12th, and 13th — where she had a particular focus on eldercare, childcare and healthcare. Among her suggestions in these fields, two proposals calling for increased fiscal investment in general practitioners and pediatricians were both adopted by the Ministry of Finance, earning her praise as someone who "bridges national policy decisions with public concerns".
\nHongqiao Subdistrict, where Zhu works, functions as a community-level legislative outreach office, set up by the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee. It has solicited opinions for 97 draft laws, including the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and the Law on the Protection of Minors. The subdistrict has proposed over 3,200 suggestions, with 280 being adopted after review, channeling grassroots legislative input to the Great Hall of the People.
\nDiscussing state affairs and making suggestions at consultative meetings of the CPPCC. The proportion of female members in the CPPCC National Committee and local committees has seen a consistent increase. In 2023, 487 female members served on the National Committee of the 14th CPPCC, accounting for 22.4 percent of the total — an increase of 4.6 percentage points and 2 percentage points from the 12th CPPCC and 13th CPPCC, respectively. In the same year, there were 5,401 female members on the provincial-level committees of the CPPCC, accounting for 27.36 percent of the membership at this level. The female members fulfill their duties in full and play a major role in political consultation, democratic supervision, and the deliberation and administration of state affairs. Since the 14th CPPCC National Committee, female members have submitted 4,282 proposals, representing 26.6 percent of the total.
\nActively engaging in decision-making and administration. China attaches importance to the cultivation and selection of female officials and the recruitment of women into the CPC. It has formulated and implemented outlines for strengthening Party and government leadership teams and on women's development, which set specific quantitative and proportional requirements for the appointment of female officials and female heads of leadership bodies. These goals are expected to be met while strict quality standards are upheld.
\nThe proportions of women among the CPC membership and delegates to the Party congresses are increasing. In 2024, 30.9 percent of CPC members were female, an increase of 7.1 percentage points compared to the 2012 level. Female Party members accounted for 27 percent of the delegates to the 20th CPC National Congress, an increase of 4 percentage points from the Party's 18th National Congress in 2012. Women represent 42.3 percent, 43.78 percent, and 51.5 percent of all the judges, prosecutors and jurors nationwide.
\nExtensively participating in grassroots democracy. Effective measures have been taken in the villagers committee elections to expand women's membership. In 2022, women constituted 26.1 percent of villagers committee members and 54.3 percent of urban residents committee members, an increase of 4 percentage points and 5.5 percentage points, respectively, from 2012 levels.
\nFemale workers play an active role in democratic management in enterprises. In 2023, women employees made up 37.7 percent, 41.9 percent, and 34.2 percent of the boards of directors, boards of supervisors, and workers' congress representatives, increasing by 11.4 percentage points, 14.9 percentage points, and 4.4 percentage points, respectively, compared to 2012. A total of 431,000 councils of women have been established in urban and rural communities, facilitating extensive consultations on public affairs concerning women's immediate interests.
\n3. Excellence in a Flourishing Culture
\nIn developing a thriving socialist culture, China has given full play to women's role in creating cultural wealth and cultivated female talent in the cultural sector. Through innovation and with creativity, women have made a significant contribution to preserving cultural heritage and promoting the best of traditional Chinese culture.
\nDemonstrating vitality at the forefront of culture and communication. Women have become a pillar of cultural prosperity and development and are playing an increasingly important role in cultural creation, communication and studies. Female writers and artists have produced masterpieces that have shaped the image of women in the new era, as varied as the Peking Opera Mother, ballet Yimeng, prose works My Altay, TV series She and Her Girls, movie Huang Wenxiu, documentary Aunt Haiyun, variety shows The Daughters of Chinese Villages and Sisters Who Make Waves 2024, and short drama Got Old Recently.
\nBy the end of 2023, about 456,900 women across the country were employed in the radio, television, and online audio-visual sectors, comprising 43.14 percent of the total employees. In the senior professional title evaluations for the journalism section organized by the National Press and Publication Administration in 2024, women accounted for 44.1 percent of those receiving senior professional titles and 50.6 percent of those gaining associate senior ones.
\nWomen constitute 27.5 percent of participants in key talent initiatives in the field of public communication and culture, including 45.2 percent of successful candidates in the cultural talent program and 42.5 percent in the youth cultural talent program under the National Cultural Talent of Excellence Initiative. Through their work in culture and communication, women have vigorously committed themselves in the promotion and practice of the core socialist values.
\nShowing strengths in preserving and vitalizing ethnic cultures. By passing down traditional crafts and facilitating cultural innovation and dissemination, women are injecting new vitality into ethnic cultures. Among the 3,997 recognized representative bearers of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) items on the national list, 25 percent are women. The research and training program for ICH bearers has provided training for 51,000 people, with women accounting for 57 percent. Under the plan on revitalizing traditional Chinese craftsmanship and the specialized initiatives to revitalize rural areas by promoting ICH, many women have played a leading role in transforming local natural resources and rural cultural assets into cultural products and industries. Handicraft brands such as "Dove Flower: Songtao's Miao Embroidery" in Guizhou and "Weiyuan Tu Ethnic Coiling Embroidery" in Qinghai are shining examples of this transformation.
\nNew business models — often fronted by women — such as "ICH plus guesthouses", "ICH plus cultural products", and "ICH plus study trips" have also been launched in recent years, breathing new life into traditional ethnic cultures. The rise of digital technology has allowed traditional culture to flourish again, and an increasing number of young women now play a central role in promoting the "China-Chic" trend and preserving and vitalizing ICH, facilitating ICH's integration in modern life and helping it reach a global audience.
\nExcelling in both competitive and mass leisure sports. The Outline for Building a Strong Sporting Nation has explicitly set the goal of achieving balanced development between men's and women's events. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games issued a Gender Equality Commitment covering 14 specific areas, including equal participation, gender-equal and fair portrayal, and gender equality in leadership and workforce.
\nPanel 15 Creating Masterpieces and Promoting Civilization with Stitches and Threads
\nFemale embroiders, with needles as brushes and silk threads as ink, create delicate works that embody the resilience, patience, and determination of the Chinese people through every stitch and thread. These artisans are committed to revitalizing ancient techniques in a modern society.
\nSuzhou embroidery is one of the four most celebrated forms of Chinese embroidery. The art form originated in Zhenhu Township, where local women are now encouraged to set up their own embroidery businesses. As a result of this push, over 90 percent of Suzhou embroidery entrepreneurs are women.
\nMiao embroidery is another highly praised technique, celebrated as a "wordless epic created with colorful threads and a living totem worn on the body". Under the Brocade and Embroidery Initiative, Guizhou Province has empowered over 500,000 women working in handicraft industries such as Miao embroidery and batik to create a splendid life through splendid products.
\nWith a history of over 3,000 years, Li brocade is renowned as a "living monument of Chinese textile history". Currently, 18,000 female weavers work to preserve and develop this art. Tibetan carpet making is a skill that boasts thousands of years of history. Tibetan women begin learning the weaving techniques from a young age and pass down this precious craftsmanship through generations. Women in the Chaoshan area in southeastern Guangdong, based on traditional stitching techniques, have pioneered innovations to create 3D double-sided padded embroidery, carrying forward this traditional art in a modern world.
\nThe number of female elite athletes in China has witnessed rapid growth, and the proportion of international-level female athletes has remained above 50 percent. Since 2012, across the four consecutive Summer Olympic Games, female athletes have accounted for over 55 percent of competitors and won over 60 percent of the medals. During the same period across the four Paralympic Games, women have made up 50.22 percent of participants and secured 55.62 percent of the medals. Female athletes fight for their nations, collaborate in unity, and challenge their limits, playing an equal role as their male counterparts in competitive sports. The fighting spirit of the Chinese women's volleyball team has inspired the Chinese people to this day.
\nExtensive fitness-for-all programs are carried out nationwide, and a program of cultivating female community sports instructors in rural areas has provided training for over 65,000 women in 10,000 villages. By the end of 2024, there were about 3.71 million community sports instructors across the country, among which 56.1 percent were women, demonstrating women's leadership and responsibility in advancing China's fitness-for-all initiative in the new era.
\n4. Women's Undertakings in Grassroots Social Governance
\nIn building a grassroots social governance model based on collaboration, participation, and common interests, China has attached great importance to the role of women and women's organizations, expanded the channels for their orderly participation in grassroots governance, and ensured their involvement in managing grassroots-level public affairs and public-interest undertakings in accordance with the law. Chinese women have excelled in these roles, becoming a major force in grassroots governance.
\nThe positive role of family ties, values, and traditions in grassroots governance. China has improved mechanisms that help to foster family virtues, facilitate education cooperation between families, schools and society, deliver more accessible family services, and resolve marital and family disputes, supporting women in nurturing harmony within households, and thus contributing to a more peaceful and harmonious society for all.
\nFamily virtue cultivation activities such as the selection of the "Most Beautiful Families", "Model Families", and "Five-Virtue Families", and initiatives like "Share Your Family Rules, Mottoes, and Values", "Family Virtues in Letters", and "Family Education Cultivates Values and Virtues" have been organized. These activities champion the new socialist family morality and values, emphasizing love for the country and family, mutual care, devotion to progress and kindness, and joint efforts with shared benefits. A total of 1,597 households have been honored as "National Model Families", 6,258 as "National Five-Virtue Families", and 16.48 million as the "Most Beautiful Families". Additionally, more than 500,000 lectures, exhibitions and performances on family values and traditions have been hosted around the country, attracting a combined attendance of 250 million people.
\nPanel 16 Family Points System Contributing to Rural Governance
\nGansu Province has implemented an innovative system, which breaks down key aspects of rural governance into points for households in villages and communities. Clear criteria and scoring standards are established for adding or deducting points. Law-abiding families that demonstrate harmony, mutual support among neighbors, and industriousness can collect points by adopting a green lifestyle, participating in public-interest programs, and discarding outdated customs. These points can then be redeemed locally for a wide range of household goods. The initiative has inspired women and their families to participate more actively in rural governance and efforts to improve their living environment and beautify their villages, driving big impact in grassroots governance with ingenuity.
\nWomen's extensive participation in building a peaceful and harmonious community. Women actively participate in the comprehensive maintenance of public order and contribute to resolving problems and disputes at the grassroots level. Local governments have been exploring a "Women's Federations Plus" mediation model. By the end of 2024, 3,690 mediation commissions above the county level for resolving marriage and family disputes had been established under the leadership of women's federations. Marriage mediation organizations now provide service at comprehensive governance centers, litigation service centers, and community police offices, and marriage mediation offices have been established at the village and community level. Since 2016, nearly 1.36 million cases have been resolved through mediation. In 2023, 295 women mediators were commended by the Ministry of Justice as National Model Mediators, accounting for 29.5 percent of those recognized.
\nWomen also play an active part in patrols for maintaining order and in supervision. The "Jiangdong Aunties" team in Jingkou District, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province has completed 5,000 hours of voluntary patrols and participated in over 1,000 public service activities since its establishment in 2017. The "Xicheng Aunties" in Beijing and women community liaisons in Weinan City, Shaanxi Province, have promptly identified and reported potential risks for social governance, working at the forefront of conflict resolution at the grassroots level. Women acting as community workers, grid managers, and residential building chiefs have made significant contributions to building a peaceful and harmonious community.
\nPanel 17 Mediation Office for Promoting Family Harmony
\nIn 2016, the Women's Federation of Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, established a Marriage and Family Disputes Mediation Office and launched a project to promote marital and family harmony and ensure the legal rights of women and children. A set of operational mechanisms was established, including joint meetings, information sharing, and rotating professionals, and experts in the fields of law, sociology, and psychology were recruited to form a dedicated voluntary service group.
\nBased on practical experience, a mediation method of "four aspects plus three synchronizations" was adopted to mediate disputes, wherein the "four aspects" refer to the psychological, legal, emotional, and rational dimensions, while the "three synchronizations" denote the alignment of answering questions with raising public awareness of the law, providing emotional guidance with teaching life experience, and resolving disputes with protecting rights. At the same time, a four-step method of stabilizing emotions, understanding demands, instilling hope, and establishing support was adopted in solving many family disputes. By the end of July 2025, more than 10,000 cases had been solved through this project, with a success rate of 95 percent, benefiting more than 30,000 individuals.
\nActive engagement in voluntary service and other public-interest programs. China emphasizes the healthy development of voluntary services and social organizations, among which women play an active role. In 2024, there were 24 million women registered as volunteers and 350,000 women volunteer teams. These volunteers play an important role in promoting national strategies, improving the people's wellbeing, and strengthening social governance. They have provided nearly one million voluntary services, covering all 17 goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The number of women in social organizations is on the rise. In 2023, women comprised 42.3 percent of the staff and 26.3 percent of the heads of social organizations respectively, up by 13.3 and 4.9 percentage points from 2012.
\nPanel 18 Wang's Volunteer Group: Inspiring More Women to Serve Their Community
\nIn 2005, Wang Lanhua, a Hui woman, former director on a residents committee in Wuzhong City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region formed a volunteer group with six former colleagues — a group she continues to lead 20 years later. Her voluntary service leaves no stone unturned, reaching every corner of the community to look after left-behind children and elderly people who live alone, while providing conflict resolution services and addressing people's immediate concerns. Wang and her team warm the residents' hearts with their selfless dedication, and their influence in community service has drawn more and more community members to join. These volunteers from different ethnic groups encapsulate the idea of all ethnic groups as one family with their solidarity and mutual help. Now, there are 1,315 registered volunteers in Wang's Volunteer Group, and Wang's dedication has seen her honored as a model for ethnic solidarity.
\n5. Women's Contributions in the Eco-environmental Field
\nChina upholds and acts on the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and promotes modernization based on harmony between humanity and nature by following a path of green development that gives priority to eco-environmental conservation. Women play an important role in building a beautiful China, and are continuing to develop the awareness and skills required to drive forward eco-environmental protection.
\nPanel 19 Princess of the Beavers
\nWomen are emerging as key practitioners in biodiversity protection, and Chu Wenwen represents a new generation of female conservationists committed to protecting local biodiversity. Born in 1994 in Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Chu founded the Altay Nature Conservation Association and launched a series of public-interest projects to protect beavers and other wildlife, including the Beaver Cafeteria, Beaver Guardian, and Beaver Ark initiatives. The Beaver Cafeteria project focuses on restoring shrubs in natural habitats, which provide food for more than 100 species of wild animal. The Beaver Guardian project mobilizes more than 500 herdsmen along the Ulungur River to participate in conservation efforts and serve as voluntary patrols. The Beaver Ark project established a professional wildlife rescue center that has saved over 400 wild animals injured or trapped by human activities. Thanks in part to Chu's efforts, the population of Mongolian-Xinjiang beavers (Castor fiber birulai) has increased by 250 to date, earning her the honorary nickname "Princess of the Beavers".
\nPromoting ecosystem protection and restoration. China pursues the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, grasslands and deserts, with the aim of establishing an overarching framework that extends from the mountaintops to the oceans. Women play a significant role in the nation's ecosystem protection and restoration. Among the 17,000 eco-environmental guardians working at the 190,700 sq km Sanjiangyuan National Park, 33.3 percent are women. The Women Tree-Planting Team in Changjiang Li Autonomous County of Hainan Province has been dedicated to planting more than six million coastal defense trees, establishing a forest spanning over 2,000 hectares in the desert after 30 years of trial and error. The women's militia company for sand control in Shaanxi Province has converted more than 933.33 hectares of barren deserts into oases covered with rows of trees over the past five decades. The women's volunteer team in Helan County of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region conducts regular activities to protect rivers, shoals, and birds, and the Women's Action for the Yangtze River Protection is an ongoing activity in Nanjing City of Jiangsu Province to provide vital protection for China's longest river. Women's perseverance and wisdom are shown in many aspects of eco-environmental protection, from green coverage expansion and desertification prevention and control, to the protection of forests, rivers, and biodiversity.
\nPanel 20 Sci-Tech Courtyard Supporting Green Agriculture
\nThe Sci-Tech Courtyard is a service platform that integrates agricultural scitech innovation, demonstration and promotion, and talent cultivation. In the Dongpo Sci-Tech Courtyard of Agricultural Skill Promotion in Meishan City, Sichuan Province, 33 team members — including 22 women — work on the front line of green agriculture. With women at its core, the team provides comprehensive services in skill training, field production guidance, problem identification and resolution, and industry chain alignment, benefiting more than 50,000 villagers. The Sci-Tech Courtyard also makes targeted efforts in new species selection, cultivation technique research for high-quality and high-yield crops, and the development of green planting and cultivation models. Over the past nine years, comparative trials of more than 400 paddy varieties have been completed, leading to the selection of 40 high-quality and high-yield species that have significantly increased the proportion of such crops in the region. Cultivation of 824,467 hectares of these paddies has generated a net income growth of RMB2.65 billion. In addition, more than 10 new planting techniques have been promoted, and research on green planting and cultivation models has been advanced, increasing crop yield and economic benefits while reducing pesticide use.
\nAccelerating the green transformation of production models. China upholds green and low-carbon development as a fundamental approach to resolving environmental problems, and promotes a sound economic structure that facilitates green, low-carbon, and circular development. Women actively participate in the efforts to promote green development in industry, shift the production model of agriculture, and improve the sustainable level of the service industry. By 2024, the number of companies in the green economy sector invested in by women entrepreneurs had reached 445,000, accounting for 27.4 percent of the total. These companies cover a range of market segments, including clean energy, organic agriculture, and eco-conservation. Scientific management of fertilizer and pesticide use and innovative ecological planting serve to save agricultural resources, improve the eco-environment of agricultural production areas, and supply high-quality green agricultural products, promoting the triple-win of less pesticide use, more income, and better environment. New models of eco-environmental businesses have been established, including urban modern agriculture, leisure agriculture, eco-tourism, high-quality homestays, and rural complexes. By the end of 2024, the number of family farms run by women reached 487,000, and women accounted for 68.6 percent of all holders of vocational skill certificates in rural homestay housekeeping.
\nLiving a green lifestyle. Green development is closely connected to each of our lives. Chinese women advocate the values of eco-civilization and encourage simple, moderate, green, low-carbon, sound and healthy ways of life and consumption by integrating these concepts into everyday routines. They have played a leading role in building green families through saving water and electricity, participating in the "Clear Your Plate" campaign, using green modes of transport, and engaging in waste sorting. Women also actively participate in developing beautiful courtyards and harmonious villages, guided by standards such as tidy rooms, hygienic kitchens and toilets, neat courtyards, abundant greenery, and harmonious families. To date, more than 12 million households have been awarded the title of "Beautiful Courtyard". Women are consistently in the frontline of enhancing public awareness of environmental protection and improving community environment. For example, in Shanghai, a themed campaign was launched to find 10,000 families living a green lifestyle and recruit 100,000 family waste sorting volunteers, creating a good atmosphere for the million families participating in this endeavor.
\nParticipating in disaster prevention and mitigation. China regards people's lives and safety as the primary goal of disaster prevention and mitigation. It boosts public participation and improves the capabilities of the whole society to defend and respond to disasters, and women play a key role in this — particularly in investigation and identification of potential risks and hidden dangers, early warning and treatment, and information reporting. In 2024, women accounted for 23.6 percent of disaster information assistants nationwide, totaling 267,000, and comprised 61.6 percent of national chief meteorological experts. Women actively participate in disaster relief operations and public education on disaster prevention and mitigation, and promote family education in relevant fields. There are 13.71 million registered women fire volunteers nationwide, representing 52.4 percent of the total. The National Natural Disaster Emergency Relief Plan put forward requirements for safeguarding the rights and interests of special groups. Through the collaborative efforts of the government and society, material guarantee for special needs, such as women's hygiene products and supplies for pregnant and postpartum women, has been strengthened.
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nChina upholds the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, aligns with the prevailing global trends towards peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, and actively advances the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. Through close cooperation with other countries, China is helping accelerate the creation of an international environment conducive to women's development and a better world for all.
\n1. Participating in Global Governance on Women's Issues
\nChina plays a leading role in implementing the spirit of the UN Fourth World Conference on Women and advances global governance on women's issues through concrete actions.
\nSupporting the central role of the United Nations. China has co-hosted the Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment with UN Women to encourage countries to fulfill their commitments and inject new momentum into the global advancement of women. At the UN Human Rights Council, China has repeatedly delivered joint statements on promoting and protecting women's rights, pushed for the adoption of relevant resolutions, and called on countries to work together to implement the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action. China consistently sends high-level delegations to the sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and collaborates with UN organizations and agencies to conduct seminars on women's poverty reduction, the digital economy, inclusive finance, technology empowerment, and gender equality amid demographic changes, sharing China's experience in promoting women's development. Since 2015, China has donated US $20 million to UN Women and carried out practical cooperation with multiple UN specialized agencies on women's issues. In partnership with UNESCO, it has established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education and implemented projects in Africa focusing on digital and health education for girls. Chinese women hold important positions and serve as experts in the UN system, contributing their expertise to global governance on women's issues.
\nPanel 21 China and UNESCO Jointly Established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education
\nIn 2015, China partnered with UNESCO to establish the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education, which recognizes institutions and individuals that have made outstanding contributions to advancing education for girls and women. This is the first prize of its kind established by UNESCO. Proposed and funded by the Chinese government, it is awarded annually to two laureates, who each receive US $50,000 to further their work in girls' and women's education. As of 2024, 18 organizations and projects from 18 countries had received the award, including the Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education. This prize has provided an increasing number of girls and women with opportunities to change their lives and pursue their dreams. It has also raised greater awareness of and support for girls' and women's education among more people, thereby galvanizing concerted efforts to advance global gender equality in education.
\nFirmly fulfilling international obligations. China fulfills its obligations under international conventions such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, regularly submits national implementation reports, and actively participates in review processes to promote gender equality and women's development. It actively implements the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, continuously improves women's living conditions and expands their development prospects, and has achieved the poverty reduction and health-related targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule. Through these efforts, China has not only improved the lives of Chinese women, but has also offered the international community its approach to safeguarding women's human rights.
\nLeading and advancing multilateral and regional agendas for women's development. At the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, China proposed the Global AI Governance Initiative, emphasizing the need to avoid gender bias in AI development. The country also facilitated the adoption of the Resolution on Enhancing International Cooperation in Capacity-Building of Artificial Intelligence at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, which underscores ensuring universal benefits from AI, enhancing digital inclusion and achieving gender equality while empowering women and girls. Since 2012, China has hosted 29 women's conferences under frameworks including APEC, G20, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), China-ASEAN, China-Africa, China-Arab States, China-Central Asia, and Lancang-Mekong Cooperation. Through these mechanisms, China has deeply engaged in cooperation on women's issues, focusing on topics including poverty reduction, development, employment, business startup, education empowerment, and pandemic response. These efforts have facilitated targeted experience-sharing, dialogues, and collaborative actions, enabling China to advocate actionable propositions for advancing women's comprehensive development, inclusivity, and sustainable development.
\n2. Deepening Cooperation and Exchanges to Advance Women's Development
\nChina integrates the deepening of women's development cooperation into the frameworks of high-quality Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and South-South cooperation, to jointly promote women's sustainable development.
\nAdvancing women's development in BRI participating countries. China actively promotes high-quality BRI cooperation. Initiatives such as the Silk Road E-commerce have created employment opportunities and pathways for women in these countries, and digital technology enablement program for women in ASEAN countries — alongside other related programs — have supported women in the region in seeking employment and starting businesses. For 10 consecutive years, China and partner countries have jointly hosted a series of events under the theme "Pool Women's Strength for Belt and Road Cooperation", encouraging women in these countries to become supporters, participants, contributors, and beneficiaries of the BRI.
\nSupporting women's poverty reduction and development in South-South cooperation. China supports developing countries in improving women's living conditions and development environment. It has implemented 100 maternal and child health projects and 100 happy campus projects, along with a series of small but effective public wellbeing programs focusing on housing, rural roads, and technology training to empower women and girls. Through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has carried out women-related projects worth nearly US $40 million across over 20 countries. Additionally, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund has allocated RMB12 million to support women's development programs. Through foreign aid training and technical assistance, Juncao technology has helped women in 106 countries gain meaningful employment.
\nPanel 22 Juncao Technology Assistance: Empowering Women in Developing Countries to Realize Their Dreams
\nJuncao technology is a unique Chinese method for cultivating edible and medicinal fungi that uses grass as a substitute for wood. First included in China's foreign aid programs in 1994, it has since been introduced to 106 countries. In Lesotho, a compact 10-square-meter Juncao mushroom cultivation model has enabled impoverished farmers with limited land to produce 1.2 tonnes of fresh Juncao mushrooms annually from a single 10-square-meter plot. In African and Pacific Island nations, women use Juncao as livestock feed to mitigate shortages caused by climate change. Seruwaia Kabukabu from Fiji has led local women in growing Juncao mushrooms, significantly improving the living conditions of families in her community. In recognition of her work, she has been elected as chairperson of the Fiji Mushroom Farmers Association. Juncao has thus become a "grass of happiness" for people in developing countries.
\nDeepening international cooperation in women's capacity building. China continues to strengthen and expand support training programs focused on women and children in developing countries. Since 2018, it has implemented over 100 programs in this domain, including the Seminar on Promoting Maternal and Child Health Under Global Development Initiative, and the Seminar on Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries — Women and Children. Additionally, China has launched degree programs in women's leadership and social development, training nearly 4,000 outstanding professionals in the field of women's development. An exchange and training base for global women's development cooperation has been established in Beijing to design tailored empowerment programs for women in developing countries. Training and exchange centers for Chinese and foreign women have been set up in collaboration with 15 countries, and through international cooperation in vocational education, the Luban Workshops have trained 5,944 female students, who account for 23.25 percent of all participants in the project.
\nSolid progress in people-to-people exchanges in the field of women's affairs. China has actively developed global partnerships and engaged in comprehensive, multi-channel friendly exchanges with women's organizations and institutions from over 140 countries. It has conducted dialogues with foreign female political leaders, spouses of heads of state, and female government ministers, organized high-level delegations for overseas visits, and pioneered new approaches to high-level women's foreign exchanges. China has deepened women's exchanges under its cultural and people-to-people exchange mechanisms with other countries, holding thematic seminars on women's entrepreneurship, economic empowerment, education, anti-domestic violence, and family culture, while strengthening cooperation in areas such as women's rights and interests, bridging the digital gender divide, and promoting women's participation in sci-tech innovation and sustainable development. The Female Diplomats' China Adventures series has been launched to share the practical experiences of Chinese women in economic development and grassroots governance, and exchange insights on promoting gender equality. China supports women's participation in cross-cultural exchanges, with women accounting for 80 percent of dispatched Chinese-language teachers and 90 percent of volunteers in international Chinese language education.
\n3. Actively Addressing Global Challenges
\nChina supports women in playing an active role in maintaining peace and security, and in addressing challenges including climate change, public health crises, and humanitarian disasters.
\nSupporting women's participation in maintaining peace and security. China has taken concrete actions to implement UN Security Council resolutions on "Women, Peace and Security", supporting women's important roles in conflict prevention, peace negotiations, and post-conflict reconstruction. In 2022, the China-UN Peace and Development Trust Fund initiated a training program for senior female talent to promote gender equality in high-level positions within UN peacekeeping operations. China has deployed over 1,200 female peacekeepers and more than 100 female police officers to UN missions, who have participated in medical support, liaison and coordination, mine clearance, patrols and observation, and efforts to advance gender equality and protect women.
\nPanel 23 Chinese Female Peacekeeping Officer Received an Honorary Certificate for UN Military Gender Advocate Award
\nThe UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award was established in 2016 to recognize peacekeepers who have made outstanding contributions to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. On May 29, 2020, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Chinese officer Xin Yuan, a senior mine clearance staff officer at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), received an award in this category in recognition of her exceptional service, becoming the first Chinese service member to win this honor. Xin was the only female staff officer responsible for mine clearance operations in UNIFIL. She assumed significant risks by conducting surveys in minefields alongside clearance teams, developed meticulous clearance plans, and completed mine clearance tasks 34 days ahead of schedule, clearing over 1,500 square meters of minefields. Her efforts earned her special commendation from the UNIFIL headquarters.
\nEmpowering women to address climate change. China has consistently organized training programs on South-South cooperation for climate change response, implementing a gender-balanced enrollment policy. Since 2022, nearly 300 female officials, experts and scholars from developing countries engaged in climate change projects have participated in training programs in China. From 2012 to 2024, China conducted nearly 100 foreign aid training projects in meteorological monitoring, forecasting, and services, with women accounting for 36.72 percent of the trainees. It has donated 5,000 household solar photovoltaic power generation systems and 10,000 clean cooking stoves to Myanmar, reducing indoor air pollution and its associated health risks while supporting the country's low-carbon transition. The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund supported Cambodia in implementing a project on gender mainstreaming in climate action, enhancing rural women's climate adaptability and resilience.
\nAddressing women's needs in international humanitarian assistance. In efforts to alleviate migrant and refugee crises, China has placed high priority on women and children, encouraging women to register as recipients of household assistance supplies and providing special care for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Projects in the Republic of Congo specifically target pregnant and breastfeeding women as beneficiaries, effectively reducing malnutrition rates among women and children. In 2023, China provided over 120,000 hygiene kits, valued at US $1.5 million, to Rohingya women and girls seeking refuge in Bangladesh, benefiting more than 60,000 women and girls.
\nConclusion
\nThe pursuit of gender equality is a great cause. In the new era, the spirit of self-esteem, confidence, independence and self-reliance among Chinese women is demonstrated as the Chinese people forge ahead with resolve under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The glorious journey of women's development in China is deeply integrated into the process of achieving the Two Centenary Goals under the Party's leadership. Never before have Chinese women enjoyed such tremendous opportunities to realize their full potential and achieve their dreams, and never before has the cause of Chinese women borne witness to such broad prospects for development.
\nToday, China is working to build a great country and achieve national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. This requires pooling the strength of hundreds of millions of women and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development at a higher level. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China will unswervingly follow the path of women's development under socialism with Chinese characteristics, adhere to the fundamental national policy of gender equality, and thoroughly implement the Outline of Women's Development in China to enhance women's overall capabilities. Through these efforts, the country will create conditions and platforms for women to participate in economic and social development, protect their legitimate rights and interests, and encourage them to stand at the forefront of the times.
\nIn today's world, promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development presents both opportunities and significant challenges. All countries must strive to create safe and secure environments for women's survival and development, eliminate violence, discrimination and poverty, and effectively address the impact of climate change. It is essential to continuously empower women, ensuring they enjoy more and better opportunities and play more significant roles in the new revolution in science, technology and industry. We must adhere to true multilateralism, honor international obligations, and promote mutual learning and people-to-people exchanges among women worldwide. China is ready to work with countries around the world to expedite actions to create a brighter future for women's development and write a new chapter in the global progress of women.
\n", + "content": "\n\n\n\nContents
\nPreface
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nConclusion
\nPreface
\nThroughout history, women have played an essential role in shaping human civilization and have made immense contributions to social progress. But the paths towards gender equality and women's well-rounded development across the world have been long and arduous.
\nSince its founding in 1921, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has remained committed to women's liberation and development and gender equality. The CPC regards women as a major force for advancing all endeavors of the Party and the nation, always places the work concerning women high on its agenda, and leads women in their pursuit of liberation, progress and development. In doing so, the Party has opened a socialist path for women's development with Chinese characteristics.
\nThe 18th CPC National Congress in 2012 marked the beginning of a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In this new era, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has emphasized safeguarding women's lawful rights and interests and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development as integral components of Chinese modernization. Accordingly, it has made a series of major decisions and plans that are pioneering in vision, overarching in scope, and enduring in significance. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, initiated, planned for, supported and chaired the Party's first ever Central Conference on the Party's Work with People's Organizations in 2015, attended the 11th, 12th and 13th national women's congresses in 2013, 2018 and 2023 respectively, and held talks with each newly elected leadership team of the All-China Women's Federation. He has also delivered important speeches on work related to women and children, the role of women's federations, and the significance of family ties, values and traditions, thereby identifying the direction, objectives and guidelines of China's endeavors for women in the new era.
\nUpholding gender equality, among other basic national policies, has been incorporated into the CPC's political program, and promoting women's well-rounded development has been included in the national development plan. The legal system for safeguarding women's rights and interests also continues to improve. China has developed a sound approach to its endeavors concerning women. Chinese women actively participate in government initiatives, serve as advocates of civic virtues, fight for their dreams, and excel across all professions. In the new era, China has delivered numerous historic achievements in its endeavors concerning women. The Chinese socialist path for women's development continues to expand, opening ever-broader opportunities for advancement.
\nWomen around the world have a shared future. China's endeavors concerning women are an integral part of the global cause. In 1995, China hosted the Fourth World Conference on Women, organized by the United Nations. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the conference has since become a milestone for global gender equality. At important occasions such as the 2015 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment and the 2020 high-level meeting on the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, Xi Jinping, in his role as president of China, elaborated on China's propositions on gender equality and women's well-rounded development, and proposed holding another global leaders' meeting on women in 2025.
\nOn the occasion of the 2025 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, the Chinese government is publishing this white paper to present China's philosophy, principles, and innovative practices in promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development in the new era, highlight Chinese women's outstanding achievements and contribution, and affirm China's commitment to join global endeavors for women's advancement.
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nIn the process of Chinese modernization, based on China's realities and the trend of the times, the CPC leads Chinese women in exercising their lawful democratic rights, participating in social and economic development, and sharing the fruits of reform and development, all on the foundation of gender equality.
\n1. Upholding the CPC's Overall Leadership
\nThe CPC's leadership is the fundamental guarantee of China's work related to women. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has approached this work as an integral part of its broader strategic goal of achieving national rejuvenation, incorporating gender equality and women's well-rounded development into the overall architecture of Chinese socialism.
\nUpholding the fundamental national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children have been included into the reports to the 18th, 19th and 20th CPC national congresses, held in 2012, 2017 and 2022 respectively.
\nAt the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2019, the Party called for upholding and improving the systems and mechanisms for promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development and proposed leveraging the important role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance.
\nAt the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2020, upholding the national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children were written into the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, along with the promotion of family ties, values and traditions.
\nAt the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2021, the promotion of family ties, values and traditions and the protection of the rights and interests of women and children were incorporated into the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century.
\nAt the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in 2024, the Party incorporated improving the system for protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children and refining the mechanisms for leveraging the role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance into the overall plan for deeper comprehensive reform.
\nThis evolution in policy-making has ensured that China's endeavors concerning women have progressed smoothly under the CPC's overall leadership.
\n2. Implementing the Fundamental National Policy of Gender Equality
\nHighlighting gender equality as a basic national policy is an innovative practice of the Chinese socialist system and a momentous decision for advancing this cause and women's well-rounded development.
\nChina has improved top-level design and systematic planning accordingly. In formulating laws and policies and making plans and arrangements, the country has taken into full consideration the differences between women and men and the distinctive interests of women. It has promoted gender equality in rights, opportunities and outcomes, safeguarding women's rights and interests in accordance with the law.
\nChina is committed to cultivating a social ethos of respect and care for women, eliminating all forms of discrimination against them, and discarding obsolete ideas and practices that hinder their development. This more inclusive and dynamic social environment has allowed gender equality to truly become a shared social norm and part of the value system.
\n3. Synergizing Women's Development with Social and Economic Progress
\nDevelopment cannot be achieved without women, and its fruits should be shared by all. In this spirit, China has integrated the advancement of gender equality into its broader development process.
\nWomen's development has been incorporated into the Five-sphere Integrated Plan, which promotes coordinated progress in the economic, political, cultural, social and eco-environmental fields. Goals and tasks for women's development have also been embedded in the five-year plans for national economic and social development. The level of women's development is regarded as an essential measurement for social and economic development. With these efforts, China has synergized its endeavors for women with its social and economic progress in terms of planning and implementation, ensuring that modernization brings greater benefits to women in a fairer way, enabling them to enjoy a growing, guaranteed and sustained sense of gain, fulfillment and security.
\n4. Fully Leveraging Women's Proactive Role in National Development
\nWomen constitute a powerful force driving human progress, while at the same time shaping and determining their own futures. Upholding a people-centered philosophy of development, China respects the agency of women and has strengthened relevant institutional safeguards, policy support, and public service supply for their development.
\nChina has carried out programs encouraging women to strive for achievements, which seek to enhance women's overall capabilities, broaden channels for their participation in national development, and fully stimulate their enthusiasm, initiative and creativity, with an ultimate goal of realizing, safeguarding and improving women's vital and immediate interests to the maximum extent.
\nThe country encourages women to integrate their personal aspirations with the undertakings of the Party and the country, and to leverage their individual strengths in implementing the new development philosophy, fostering a new development dynamic, promoting high-quality development, achieving greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology, and advancing rural revitalization across the board. Utilizing their distinctive role in society and family, women are called upon to contribute considerably to the building of China into a great country and the realization of national rejuvenation.
\n5. Joining Global Women in Building a Bright Shared Future
\nHumanity lives in one homeland, and women around the world have a shared future. China upholds the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity, and facilitates the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. It advocates putting the people first, stays committed to results-oriented actions, and contributes Chinese initiatives, solutions and actions to global endeavors for women.
\nChina supports the United Nations in prioritizing women's development, promotes cooperation with the rest of the world in relevant fields, and builds international consensus on gender equality through extensive exchanges and mutual learning. Together with all other countries, China works to shape a global environment conducive to women's development, to safeguard international fairness and justice, and to make its due contribution to moving the world to a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress.
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nWomen's cause is an integral part of state governance. To advance this cause, China has continued to strengthen institutional support and safeguards, fostering the necessary conditions and environment for the comprehensive development of women.
\n1. Improving the Framework for Advancing Women's Cause
\nChina has established a mechanism for the work related to women, under which Party committees exercise leadership, governments assume primary responsibility, working committees on children and women play a coordinating role, women's federations work in collaboration, relevant departments provide support, and the whole of society participates. These concerted efforts have ensured that gender equality is upheld in all areas of economic and social development and all aspects of social life.
\nThe people's congresses have strengthened legislation and supervision. The National People's Congress (NPC) has established the Social Development Affairs Committee to undertake legislation, conduct supervision, and handle proposals and suggestions from NPC deputies concerning the protection of women's rights and interests. It attaches importance to incorporating legal initiatives for promoting women's development and safeguarding women's rights and interests into the legislative plans of its Standing Committee, and to soliciting opinions and accepting feasible proposals from women's federations and women themselves during legislative review and legal supervision.
\nAdditionally, the NPC hears and reviews the State Council's report on combating domestic violence, identifies the protection of female employees' lawful and special rights and interests as an important component of enforcement inspections of the Trade Union Law, and urges relevant departments to perform their statutory duties in protecting women's rights and interests. The people's congresses of 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government have also set up social development affairs committees to formulate local regulations to supplement national laws, thereby strengthening legal safeguards for women's rights and interests.
\nThe Chinese People's Government has effectively fulfilled its primary responsibility. The government has formulated and organized the implementation of outlines for women's development, and convened meetings on work related to children and women. The working committees on children and women have played their role as deliberative and coordinating bodies, and Party institutions, government departments, judicial authorities, and people's organizations have fulfilled their responsibilities in work related to women. The government has strengthened the statistics monitoring mechanism for the outlines for the development of women in China and established a gender statistics monitoring system covering over 2,400 indicators. Furthermore, gender has been incorporated as a key metric into national censuses and time-use surveys, and the fourth Survey on Social Status of Women in China has been conducted to assess women's development across multiple dimensions.
\nThe Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) has strengthened its role in conducting consultations and offering suggestions. CPPCC committees at all levels perform their duties in political consultation, democratic supervision, and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs. They conduct consultations on women's issues through a variety of channels and platforms, including subject-specific, sector-specific and proposal handling consultations, as well as consultative meetings with relevant departments. As one of the 34 sectors defined by the CPPCC, women's federations conduct research and consultations on key issues and major challenges in women's development, such as the protection of women's reproductive and health rights and interests. The National Committee of the CPPCC has conducted consultations and made suggestions to support women's development, addressing issues including fair employment and career development, the strengthening of family ties, values, and traditions, and universal access to childcare services.
\nWomen's federations have served as bridges for connection and communication. The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) is a people's organization of women of all ethnic groups and from all sectors of society in China. It unites women for further emancipation and development under the leadership of the CPC. The ACWF has established an organizational system of women's federations at the national, provincial, prefectural, county, township and village levels, covering government departments, public institutions, new types of economic entities and social organizations, and groups in new forms of employment.
\nWomen's federations at all levels have served as bridges linking the Party and the government with women, and as assistants to the Party. While supporting major national development strategies, they have performed their functions of guiding, serving, and engaging with women, and launched five key initiatives: providing women with political guidance; encouraging them to excel in the workplace; providing guidance and support in family education, family services, and the cultivation of family virtues; offering support for women's rights protection; and improving the problem-solving capability of women's federations and their staff's professional competence.
\nIn addition, women's federations have mobilized resources to support women's development through six practical measures: supporting female volunteers who provide care for children in need; growing the scale and quality of female-dominated family services; improving vocational training for women; developing a system of childcare services that is accessible to all; advancing the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project to help underprivileged schoolgirls; and telling engaging stories about the development of Chinese women. Through these initiatives, they have delivered accessible services and tangible benefits to women, children and families.
\n2. Setting Objectives and Tasks for Women's Development with Overall Planning
\nChina's national development plans have clarified the strategic tasks for women's development. Five-year plans are blueprints and guides of action for China's economic and social development during their designated time frames. The government has incorporated objectives for women's development into these plans for meeting its strategic goal of modernization.
\nThe 12th Five-year Plan (2011-2015) for the first time included a section dedicated specifically to advancing women's all-round development. It also set requirements for developing human resources with a focus on women, strengthening labor protection for women, and resolutely combating violence and crimes against women. The 13th Five-year Plan (2016-2020) further strengthened the protection of women's rights and interests and for the first time devoted a separate chapter to ensuring women's rights and equal access to education, employment, and participation in social affairs, and eliminating discrimination and prejudice against women. It also set the targets for poverty alleviation and reduction among women. The 14th Five-year Plan (2021-2025) outlines further measures to safeguard women's rights and interests in areas including health, education, employment, participation in state governance, and social security. For the first time, it contains a section specifically dedicated to the strengthening of family development which focuses on improving the supporting policies and services for this goal.
\nSpecial plans in related fields have been made to address women's practical development needs. Plans for improving people's wellbeing — including the Outline of Healthy China 2030, the Outline of the Development Plan for Education (2024-2035), and the special plans for boosting employment and the development of civil affairs undertakings during the 14th Five-year Plan period — have put forward policies and measures to improve the health of women and children, safeguard women's equal rights to education, support women's employment, entrepreneurship, and career development, and improve care and services for rural women who stay behind to care for families while their husbands work in cities.
\nThe National Medium — and Long-term Talent Development Plan (2010-2020) has outlined arrangements to promote gender balance in the talent pool and strengthen the training and selection of female talent. The National Action Plan for Scientific Literacy (2021-2035) has made specific arrangements to improve the scientific literacy of rural women. The National Human Rights Action Plan, in all four phases, includes a section on the measures for safeguarding women's rights and interests, covering personal, property, education, employment and health rights.
\nOutlines for women's development have laid out phased targets. Since 1995, China has formulated and implemented four outlines for women's development, each outlining the primary objectives, strategies, and measures for women's development in its corresponding phase.
\nThe Outline of Women's Development in China (2021-2030) contains 75 primary objectives and 93 strategic measures across eight fields: health, education, economy, participation in decision-making and administration, social security, family development, environment, and the legal sector. The document also outlines the 41 Party and government departments and institutions responsible for implementing these strategic measures.
\nNationwide, 31 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, along with over 300 prefectures and cities and more than 2,000 counties and districts, have formulated plans for local women's development based on their actual conditions. The objectives and tasks set in the Outline dovetail with national development plans, align with sector-specific plans, and are integrated across the national, provincial, city and county levels. A comprehensive planning system for advancing women's development is now firmly in place.
\n3. Strengthening Legal Guarantee for Women's Rights and Interests
\nContinuing to improve the legal system. Legal protection of women's rights and interests is an integral part of advancing law-based governance. China has established a legal system anchored in the Constitution and centered on the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, covering over 100 laws and regulations.
\nThe Civil Code was compiled, which includes a Personality Rights section that clarifies the definition of sexual harassment and the responsibilities of employers. Its Marriage and Family section improves mechanisms for the identification and settlement of marital debts, and economic compensation for unpaid domestic work in divorce proceedings.
\nThe Criminal Law has been revised to abolish the crime of "prostitution involving underage girls" and punish such acts as rape, raise the statutory minimum penalty for the crime of child molestation, and introduce harsher punishments for the crime of purchasing abducted and trafficked women. Additionally, the crime of sexual assault by a person with a duty of care has been added to the Criminal Law.
\nThe amended Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests has made more comprehensive and systematic provisions on the system and mechanism for protecting women's rights and interests. China has also formulated the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and created systems of compulsory reporting, admonition, personal safety protection order, and emergent protection.
\nThe revised Law on Land Contract in Rural Areas has improved the legal guarantees for rural women's land rights and interests, ensuring their rightful entitlement to land and corresponding rights. The Law on Rural Collective Economic Organizations has been formulated to provide institutional safeguards ensuring that women do not lose their membership, rights and interests in such organizations due to changes in marital status.
\nIn addition, the Legal Aid Law, the Law on Basic Medical and Health Care and the Promotion of Health, and the Population and Family Planning Law all have provisions for safeguarding women's rights and interests.
\nA gender equality review mechanism has been established at the national level and across all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government. This mechanism conducts assessments of laws and regulations related to women's rights and interests, ensuring that the fundamental national policy of gender equality is implemented in laws and regulations at the source.
\nPanel 1 Revisions to the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests
\nThe Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests was promulgated in 1992, amended in 2005 and 2018, and thoroughly revised in 2022, expanding from 61 articles in nine chapters to 86 articles in ten chapters with the revision.
\nThe Law fully embodies the fundamental national policy of gender equality and has strengthened the comprehensive protection of women's political rights, personal and personality rights and interests, and their rights and interests in culture, education, employment, social security, property, marriage, and family. It has added new provisions on the mechanism for safeguarding women's rights and interests, the mechanism for gender equality assessment of laws and regulations, the system for collecting and publishing gender statistics, and education on gender equality as a basic national policy. It has established legal aid channels, including a public-interest litigation system for safeguarding women's rights and interests, a mechanism for admonishing violators of women's rights and interests in employment and social security, and a nationwide service hotline for protecting women's rights.
\nOverall, the Law has strengthened legal liabilities and reinforced its rigidity.
\nStrengthening law enforcement and judicial protection. China has taken resolute actions to combat criminal and illegal acts that infringe upon women's and girls' personal rights. Since 2013, public security agencies have continued to carry out special operations targeting the abduction and trafficking of women and children. By 2024, the number of such cases had decreased by 95 percent compared with 2013.
\nChina has established an inter-departmental cooperation and consultation mechanism against domestic violence, issued guidelines on the implementation of admonitions against domestic violence and personal protection orders, and promulgated judicial interpretations clarifying specific interventions and prevention measures, and forms of evidence for identifying domestic violence.
\nThe systems and measures for preventing and addressing workplace sexual harassment have been improved, with the addition of "dispute over liability for damages caused by sexual harassment" as an independent cause of action. To strengthen the protection of the personal rights and interests of girls, China has established a compulsory reporting system for cases of offenses against minors, as well as mechanisms for urging parental care and supervision over minors, for preventing violators from engaging in certain occupations, and for providing one-stop judicial support.
\nProcuratorates at all levels have registered and handled 3,810 public-interest cases concerning women's rights and interests. Since 2012, legal aid institutions across China have provided legal assistance for women involved in over 4.2 million cases, and free legal consultations for over 20 million women.
\nRaising public awareness of the rule of law. China continued to formulate and implement the seventh and eighth five-year plans for popularizing legal knowledge, both of which include laws and regulations on protecting women's lawful rights and interests. The country has strengthened law promotion and interpretation efforts, and the NPC Standing Committee has organized press conferences to expound on the principles in formulating and revising the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law, and share their highlights.
\nEfforts have been made to raise public legal awareness through multiple channels and approaches. Since 2012, articles on protecting women's rights and interests published through the official WeChat account for law popularization have been viewed 91.36 million times, and the annual legal knowledge competition has attracted tens of millions of participants. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions has organized legal awareness activities for female employees for 11 consecutive years, and women's federations at all levels across China have held more than 3.76 million events to raise legal awareness and provide legal services since 2016, with the participation of over 400 million women.
\nIn 2024, courts and procuratorates across the country, in conjunction with women's federations, organized more than 4,200 open day events on safeguarding the rights and interests of women and children and released over 3,800 typical cases. A legal education program for rural women reached more than 86 percent of China's rural areas.
\n4. Creating an Equal and Harmonious Social Environment
\nVigorously promoting the fundamental national policy of gender equality. China has carried out targeted public education on gender equality across multiple dimensions and through multiple channels, promoting this basic national policy in government departments, schools, enterprises, urban and rural communities, and families.
\nFor Party and government leaders, the Implementation of Gender Equality as a Basic National Policy has been compiled as a coursebook and incorporated into the curriculum and teaching plans of Party schools. For students, education on gender equality has been promoted in elementary and high schools, as well as in universities, and integrated into textbook planning and regulatory standards, and guides for related courses. Gender balance is emphasized in textbook illustrations, and excellent female writers have seen greater representation in textbooks, to eliminate gender stereotypes in teaching materials.
\nFor the general public, gender equality has been incorporated into cultural and ethical development in both urban and rural communities, into self-regulations and rules for their residents, and into efforts to cultivate good family ties, values, and traditions. Party members and officials, experts, scholars, and those who work in women's affairs have given talks and lectures, and engaged in public communication on gender equality in approachable and popular forms, enabling the public to understand this basic national policy and apply it in their daily lives.
\nPanel 2 Guangdong Promoting Gender Equality Education in Elementary and High Schools
\nSince 2012, Guangdong Province has promoted gender equality education in schools. Targeting students in urban elementary and high schools, three types of courses have been developed, with a focus on cognitive understanding, behavioral norms and attitudinal guidance. These are themed courses on gender equality, integrated courses that incorporate ideas of gender equality into related subjects, and practical courses that engage students in all types of activities. Targeting students in rural elementary and high schools, courses have been developed for students in different grades with a focus on care for left-behind children, physical development during puberty, and prevention of sexual assault among adolescents.
\nBy the first half of 2025, Guangdong had established 661 demonstration elementary and high schools for gender equality education, with a professional teaching staff of over 1,500 members. Assessment results indicate that education on gender equality has generated a positive effect on both male and female students, raising their gender equality awareness, promoting physical and mental health, improving academic performance, and reducing bullying and disciplinary violations.
\nStrengthening the awareness of gender equality in the media. The Advertising Law and other relevant laws, as well as the Outline of Women's Development in China, all stipulate regulations regarding gender equality assessment and supervision in the media, prohibiting reports or advertisements with contents that disparage, undermine, or infringe upon women's dignity.
\nGender equality reviews have been conducted throughout the script development, production, screening, and distribution of films and TV programs. News outlets have issued lists of prohibited and offensive terms to eliminate discriminatory expressions in news reports. Media organizations have implemented a social responsibility reporting system and upheld the professional ethic of safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of women, children, the elderly, and the disabled and protecting their physical and mental health.
\nThe stories of women role models have been told through media coverage, special releases and events in recognition of their contribution, showcasing patriotism, devotion to the people, perseverance and progress in the face of challenges, and commitment to virtue and good deeds. Gender equality has now become a widely accepted social norm.
\nCreating a clean cyberspace. China has issued judicial interpretations, released exemplary cases, and carried out special operations to combat fraud, abduction, trafficking, rape, and other crimes against women and children committed or facilitated through online channels. Offenses that infringe upon women's personality rights, such as the illegal disclosure of personal information, defamation, and malicious online abuse, are strictly punished. Online platforms have taken on greater responsibility by addressing illegal and inappropriate content, including removing articles and short videos that advocate a preference for sons over daughters or exaggerate family disputes.
\nChina has increased the supply of high-quality online content. Special campaigns have been launched to introduce new media products showcasing women in the new era and their commitment to the country, such as the theme song Blooms of China, the women's federation promotional video Together, and the family values promotional video I Love My Family. These products have reached hundreds of millions of women and families, and facilitated new progress in providing theoretical and political guidance to women.
\nEfforts have also been made to improve the digital literacy of the general public, foster responsible internet usage among women, tell engaging stories of China and Chinese women, spread mainstream values, and promote positive energy online.
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nEradicating poverty, improving living standards, and achieving common prosperity are essential tasks of socialism. China has made continuous efforts to ensure people's access to childcare, education, employment, medical services, eldercare, housing, and social assistance, meeting women's expectation for a better life.
\n1. Elimination of Absolute Poverty
\nChina has organized the largest and most intensive poverty alleviation campaign in human history, benefiting the greatest number of people. By the end of 2020, it had successfully eliminated absolute poverty throughout the country, meeting the poverty reduction target of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. On this epic journey of poverty reduction, China has honored its solemn commitment that no one should be left behind, specifically targeting women as a key group to widen their path towards prosperity.
\nTaking targeted measures to guarantee basic living needs. China has adopted a targeted strategy in poverty alleviation. Under this framework, it maintains detailed records on the distribution of impoverished populations, the underlying causes of poverty, the specific categories of poverty, and the expectations of the poor. This approach guarantees the implementation of targeted efforts in six areas: identification of those in need, project arrangement, capital utilization, the introduction of household-specific measures, the dispatch of officials to villages based on local conditions, and the achievement of set goals. As a result, women, who comprise approximately half of the impoverished population, have benefited from targeted resource allocation.
\nThe Health Program for Poverty Alleviation and its health promotion campaigns have guaranteed access to basic medical and health services for impoverished rural women.
\nThrough education initiatives for poverty alleviation, compulsory education in impoverished areas has been steadily improved, ensuring that no school-age girls from poor families drop out of school due to poverty.
\nSocial security systems have been strengthened to ensure eligible women on the list of the registered poor receive subsistence allowances or assistance and support for the extremely poor.
\nRenovation of dilapidated houses in rural areas, particularly in severely impoverished areas, has been subsidized by the government. Relocation projects have helped over 9.6 million people, who originally lived in inhospitable areas, to emerge from poverty and seek development.
\nThe basic food and clothing needs of impoverished women have been guaranteed, and their access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing has been ensured.
\nAfter winning the battle against absolute poverty, the country initiated a five-year transition period during which poverty alleviation support policies remained in effect to buttress areas and populations that had recently emerged from poverty. Based on the stable operation of such policies, a robust dynamic monitoring and assistance mechanism has been established to prevent any relapse into or occurrence of poverty, and support remains in place for women lifted out of poverty and those in low-income areas to participate in the local economy, seek more employment opportunities, and increase incomes.
\nBoosting the economy to create job opportunities for women and raise their income. China is committed to the policy of development-driven poverty alleviation to empower impoverished women.
\nIt has strengthened industrial support by facilitating the gradient transfer of labor-intensive industries such as food processing and clothing manufacturing, benefitting 98.9 percent of poor households. By advancing east-west cooperation in labor services, setting up poverty alleviation workshops, and creating public-interest rural jobs, the country has provided job opportunities for poor women with the will and ability to work. In its efforts to alleviate poverty, China has leveraged new forms of business and industries such as e-commerce programs, photovoltaic technology, and tourism to help impoverished women find good jobs within their local communities. In ethnic minority areas, the transition of the hand-knitting business from a purely traditional craft to a driver of the local economy has transformed the lives of the women embroidery artisans in the Miao and Yi communities.
\nChina has increased fiscal and financial support. In the critical battle against poverty, special supportive polices such as offering subsidized loans requiring no collateral or guarantee and tax reductions or exemptions were introduced. Cumulatively, over RMB450 billion in guaranteed microloans and poverty alleviation microcredit were disbursed to women in need, and 8.7 million impoverished women saw their income increased through entrepreneurship. From 2021 to 2024, the country sustained a flow of microcredit designated for people recently lifted out of poverty, of which RMB76.83 billion were offered to nearly 1.93 million women.
\nEfforts in skills training have been strengthened, with training courses on vocational skills, entrepreneurship, and practical agricultural technology being held through multiple channels, at multiple levels, and in multiple forms. As of 2020, training programs had been organized for a total of 10.21 million impoverished women and female technicians. From 2023 to 2024, the Rain and Dew Program sponsored 632,000 women to receive vocational education, allowing them to continue their march out of poverty.
\nPanel 3 Poverty Alleviation Workshops for Women Help Women Find Jobs and Emerge from Poverty
\nPoverty Alleviation Workshops for Women constitute a targeted model that helps boost employment and incomes among impoverished women. The Guidelines on the Three-Year Action Plan for Winning the Battle Against Poverty issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council required the establishment of poverty alleviation workshops to employ people from poor households near their homes. In line with this document, governments in poor regions adopted measures such as employment subsidies, workspace rental subsidies, and credit assistance to encourage enterprises to establish poverty alleviation workshops for women in poor rural communities, helping them find work in fields such as agricultural products processing and handicrafts weaving. By providing employment opportunities close to home, local governments and enterprises have enabled women to balance earning an additional income with their farming and family duties. During the critical battle against poverty, more than 10,000 such workshops for women have been established nationwide, helping women in need find secure employment in their local areas.
\nIncreasing input to break the bottlenecks constraining women's development. China has advanced infrastructure development, fundamentally solving many of the issues impeding women's development in impoverished areas, such as insufficient access to transport, electricity, water and communications. Where conditions permit, all towns, townships, and administrative villages have been connected to paved roads and provided with bus and postal services. Full coverage of reliable power supply has been largely realized in rural areas. All counties have access to gigabit internet, all townships to 5G services, and all villages to broadband connections. By the end of 2024, 94 percent of the rural population had enjoyed access to tap water.
\nPanel 4 Female National Models for Poverty Alleviation
\nWomen fully performed their role as "half the sky" in the critical battle against poverty. Among the 10 individuals honored as national models for poverty alleviation by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council in 2021, five were women. They include Bai Jingying, who led 26,000 women in shaking off poverty through a new trail — working in the Mongolian broidery industry; Zhang Guimei, who leveraged her expertise in education to found China's first free senior high school for girls, helping more than 2,000 girls from impoverished mountainous areas reach university; Huang Wenxiu, a poverty alleviation official and a resident first Party secretary, and Zhang Xiaojuan, a vice director of a county-level poverty alleviation office, both of whom sacrificed their young lives for poverty elimination while working at the grassroots level to help residents solve difficulties; and Xia Sen, who donated her savings of RMB2,032,000 accumulated through a lifetime of work and frugality to improve schools in poverty-stricken rural areas, including through the provision of grants that have gone on to help 182 students from poor households enroll in university.
\n2. Notable Improvement in Health
\nPrioritizing people's health in its development strategy, China makes all-out efforts to build a healthy China, with women's and children's health the cornerstone of this work. By consolidating and improving institutional arrangements and optimizing resource allocation, the country provides women with full life-circle health services.
\nContinuous improvement of the maternal and child healthcare system. China has integrated its maternal and child healthcare network into its national medical and healthcare framework that covers its 1.4 billion people. A service system for maternal and child healthcare has been built, with maternal and child healthcare institutions as the core, community-level medical and healthcare institutions as the foundation, and medium and large hospitals and research institutes as the pillars.
\nFrom 2012 to 2023, the number of health professionals at maternal and child healthcare institutions increased from 277,000 to 537,000, with an annual growth rate of over 6 percent; the actual number of beds rose from 187,000 to 295,000, up by nearly 60 percent. At present, China has 3,081 maternal and child healthcare institutions, 3,491 treatment centers for high-risk and critically ill pregnant and postpartum women, and 3,221 treatment centers for critically ill neonates. More than 2,600 traditional Chinese medicine hospitals at Grade II and above have gynecological departments.
\nThe "internet plus maternal and child healthcare" service model has been developed, and training sessions and guidance for treating pregnant and postpartum women in severe and critical conditions have been provided through 31 provincial-level "cloud-based maternal and child healthcare" telemedicine platforms, making maternal and child healthcare services much more equitable.
\nPanel 5 Five Mechanisms for Maternal and Neonatal Safety Safeguarding the Health of Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Newborns
\nThe five mechanisms for maternal and neonatal safety covers pregnancy risk screening and evaluation, targeted management of high-risk pregnant and postpartum women, emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, maternal mortality case reporting, and admonition of underperforming healthcare providers. Based on the severity of pregnancy risks, pregnant and postpartum women are classified into one of five categories and each is assigned a label: green for low risk, yellow for common risk, orange for relatively high risk, red for high risk, or purple for carrying an infectious disease. Their treatment is then managed according to their category. This general system is supported by a nationwide, tiered network for treating pregnant and postpartum women and neonates in severe and critical conditions, which features coordination between different levels, highly efficient response, and orderly operation. It closely monitors key high-risk groups and strengthens the emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, thereby ensuring the safety of mothers and newborns.
\nBreakthroughs in solving key issues in women's health. China has strengthened its resource coordination to integrate the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B into major public health service programs. In 2024, the rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission in China fell to 1.2 percent, meeting the targets for eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission.
\nChina has promoted the comprehensive prevention and treatment of cervical cancer and breast cancer. Between 2009 and 2024, 342 million free screenings for cervical cancer and 245 million free screenings for breast cancer were carried out nationwide, and between 2012 and 2024, the central government allocated RMB3.01 billion for treatment and support for women with these forms of cancer. HPV vaccination has been incorporated into the government's public welfare initiatives in 18 provinces as of June 2025, benefiting 5 million girls of eligible age annually through free vaccination programs.
\nA group of specialty branches and outpatient departments focusing on women's healthcare have been established, covering the entire process of childbearing and women's full life cycle.
\nA reproductive health promotion campaign has been carried out. By the end of 2024, youth health education services had been provided in more than 10,000 elementary and high schools and more than 1,000 higher education institutions across the country.
\nThe campaign to raise national health awareness, the initiative to build healthy families, the Healthy China: Mother's Action, and other initiatives have been rolled out to guide women to lead their family members and the wider society in raising health awareness and health management capacity.
\nRemarkable improvement in women's health. In 2020, the average life expectancy of women in China rose to 80.9 years.
\nSince 2012, the national hospital delivery rate has remained above 99 percent, and in 2024, the systematic maternal management rate reached 94.9 percent. The maternal mortality rate has dropped by 76.9 percent, from 61.9 per 100,000 in 1995 to 14.3 per 100,000 in 2024 — far below the global average.
\nIn terms of core maternal and child health indicators, namely maternal, infant, and under-five mortality rates, China ranks among the top in global upper-middle-income countries. It has met the relevant targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule and has been recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the 10 high performing countries in maternal and child health outcomes.
\n3. Substantial Increase in Women's Education Level
\nIn building up its strength in education and coordinating integrated reforms of educational, sci-tech and talent systems and mechanisms, China has made tremendous efforts to ensure women's equitable access to education of all categories and levels, raise women's scientific literacy and promote life-long education for them. As a result, women's right to education has been effectively guaranteed.
\nGender divide in basic education has been largely eliminated. China has implemented four consecutive preschool education action plans. In 2024, girls accounted for 47.3 percent of children in kindergartens, totaling 16.94 million.
\nPanel 6 The Spring Bud Project Helps Girls from Impoverished Families Realize Their Dreams Through Schooling
\nThe Spring Bud Project is a public welfare project launched by the China Children and Teenagers' Fund in 1989 to help out-of-school girls from poverty-stricken areas return to school and improve their access to education. In 2019, Prof. Peng Liyuan, special envoy for girls' education under the Spring Bud Project, launched the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project. By carrying out education in health, digital technology, science and technology, music, and other areas, this initiative helps girls from poor households pursue well-rounded development. By the end of 2024, the project had raised RMB3.44 billion of non-governmental funds, providing 4.36 million instances of education assistance and more than 200,000 cases of one-to-one growth support and tailored psychological counseling for girls. This enabled girls to enjoy a more equitable and inclusive education of higher quality. In 2023, the Spring Bud Project won the UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education. In 2024, it was designated as one of the best cases in the Fifth Call of Global Solicitation on Best Poverty Reduction Practices.
\nChina promotes the high-quality and balanced development of compulsory education, and has accelerated efforts to narrow the educational gaps between regions, schools, groups, and between urban and rural areas. The net elementary education enrollment rate of school-age girls stays above 99.9 percent, and in 2024, girls made up 46.98 percent of students of nine-year compulsory education.
\nThe Plan to Popularize Senior High School Education (2017-2020) and the Action Plan to Develop County-level Senior High Schools During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) Period have been implemented nationwide, and the proportion of girls among the senior high school population is continuing to rise, standing at 49.3 percent in 2024.
\nA rough balance between male and female students in higher education has been achieved. China has made sustained efforts to develop the world's largest higher education system, cement and advance accessibility in higher education, and ensure gender equality in the enrollment of regular institutions of higher learning. In 2024, female students in these institutions made up 50.76 percent of the total, 14.15 percentage points higher than in 1995. Among them, female graduate students accounted for 50.01 percent, an increase of 22.43 percentage points from 1995.
\nWomen enjoy higher-quality vocational education and life-long education. China has speeded up its efforts to build a modern vocational education system and offers assistance to eligible students in the form of tuition exemptions, scholarships, grants, and student loans. As a result, women are enjoying more and better access to high-quality vocational education. In 2024, female students accounted for 47.9 percent of higher vocational school students at the undergraduate and junior college levels, and 45.2 percent of secondary vocational school students.
\nThe women's life-long learning system has become more open and flexible, with the establishment of the national smart education platform for life-long education offering a more convenient and accessible channel that meets women's diverse learning needs. The number of women receiving adult education continues to rise steadily year on year, and in 2024, female students at adult education institutions at the undergraduate and junior college levels numbered 5.13 million, 54 percent of the total, representing an increase of 1.96 million compared to 2012. In 2020, the average length of schooling for female citizens at or above the age of 15 reached 9.59 years.
\nWomen's scientific literacy is on the rise. The Chinese government has promulgated the Outline of the Action Plan for Improving Scientific Literacy for All (2021-2035), which covers raising women's scientific literacy.
\nIt has issued the Guidelines for Science Education in Elementary and High Schools, improved the curriculum, textbooks, experimental teaching, teachers' training, and extra-curricular activity programs of these schools, and enhanced the coordination and transformation of science education resources.
\nTo inspire and cultivate female students' interests in science, public-interest programs aimed at female students have been rolled out, including the Science Lovers Program for Female College Students, Science Empowering Girls, Spring Bud InnoGirls Program, STEM Girls, and Her Science.
\nA program for raising the capabilities of female employees has also been implemented, and, in particular, efforts have been made to help them improve digital skills.
\nThanks to these initiatives and more, the gender gap in scientific literacy is continuing to narrow. The female sci-tech talent pool continues to expand in scale, improve in structure, and grow in capability, with female scientists now regularly making outstanding contributions in various fields, including basic theory, applied technology, and engineering. In 2024, female R&D professionals numbered 2.85 million, representing an increase of 1.69 million from that in 2012.
\nPanel 7 STEM Girls Program Kindles Girls' Science Dream
\nIn 2018, the China Women's Development Foundation established the public-interest program of STEM Girls for female high school students aged 12-16 to inspire their enthusiasm and interest in STEM subjects. Through open recruitment and online courses, the program selects outstanding female high school students and sends them to universities and research institutions, including Tsinghua University, Tongji University, the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In the study camps at these institutions, girls can engage in exploration and learning in mechanical engineering, energy sources in architecture, eco-environment, biophysics, and other STEM subjects. They conduct visits, research, and hands-on experiments, form innovative plans, and work for their application. In the seven years since its launch, the program has covered more than 100 high schools in 24 provincial-level administrative units, training more than 8,200 students and helping them embark on a journey of scientific exploration and move forward in steady steps.
\n4. Continuous Improvement in Social Security
\nChina has established the world's largest social security system. Built on the principle of ensuring universal coverage for all eligible individuals, the system aims to narrow urban-rural disparities, improve social security policies for key groups, strengthen support for women in difficulty, and steadily raise benefit levels. As a result of this system, women now enjoy more comprehensive, reliable and equitable social security.
\nMedical and old-age insurance systems achieved full coverage. China's healthcare security system has been continuously improved, supported by increased government subsidies for individual contributions to basic medical insurance among rural and non-working urban residents.
\nIn 2024, 651 million women were covered by basic medical insurance, accounting for 49.1 percent of all participants. Additionally, 260 million women were covered by basic pension insurance for rural and non-working urban residents, representing 48 percent of all enrollees, while 260 million women participated in the basic pension scheme for urban employees, constituting 48.2 percent of the total.
\nMore women are protected against unemployment and work-related injuries. Efforts have been made to safeguard employees' employment security, occupational safety, and health protections. By the end of 2024, approximately 105 million women were enrolled in unemployment insurance, accounting for 42.7 percent of all participants and reflecting a 70 percent increase since 2012. Additionally, about 117 million women were covered by work-related injury insurance, comprising 38.6 percent of all enrollees, and reflecting a 60 percent increase since 2012.
\nSpecific measures have been introduced to ensure that workers in new forms of employment receive effective assistance and compensation in case of occupational injuries. Real-time settlement of medical expenses for work-related injuries incurred outside the provincial-level unit where the patient is insured has been fully implemented, protecting the rights and interests of female workers and better meeting their healthcare needs.
\nMaternity protection for women has improved significantly. The integrated implementation of maternity insurance and basic medical insurance for employees has been fully advanced, and continuous efforts have been made to expand employer participation in maternity insurance and to gradually extend its coverage. Regions with the necessary conditions have been guided to include flexibly employed people in maternity insurance. For unemployed women, the unemployment insurance fund pay their maternity insurance contributions on their behalf during their period of unemployment benefit eligibility, while non-working women are covered for maternity medical benefits through their participation in the basic medical insurance scheme for rural and non-working urban residents. By the end of 2024, 111 million women were covered by maternity insurance. All 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, have included eligible assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in their medical insurance schemes.
\nSocial security for women in need is further strengthened. Subsistence allowance standards have continued to rise, with the national average urban and rural subsistence allowance standards in 2024 140 percent and 240 percent higher than those of 2012, respectively.
\nFinancial assistance or premium payments are provided for women from eligible disadvantaged groups, such as those receiving subsistence allowances or classified as extremely impoverished individuals, to participate in basic medical and pension insurance schemes for rural and non-working urban residents.
\nA comprehensive system of living subsidies for persons with disabilities facing financial difficulties and nursing subsidies for those with severe disabilities has been established. In 2024, about 9.40 million women received these subsidies, accounting for 46 percent of all recipients.
\nTargeted assistance and support initiatives have been implemented for rural stay-behind women in difficult circumstances, including efforts to establish records, ensure basic living standards, promote employment and income generation, and enrich cultural lives.
\n5. Improved Family Lives
\nChina places emphasis on fostering family culture, values, and traditions, recognizing the unique role of women in both social and family life. Efforts continue to be made to leverage women's distinctive contributions in promoting traditional Chinese family virtues and establishing positive family traditions. Policies supporting family development are continuously improved, enhancing families' capacity for development and creating favorable conditions for women to enjoy better family lives.
\nMore equal and harmonious family relations in the new era. Laws and regulations including the Civil Code, the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law have been promulgated to protect women's rights within marriage and the family.
\nA new marital and childbearing culture is widely promoted. Marriage and family counseling services are widely available at marriage registration authorities at or above the county level nationwide. Over 2,000 pilot units are advancing marriage customs reform, and activities such as "bringing new marriage and childbearing norms into households" are continuously carried out to promote values including gender equality, mutual respect, and shared parenting responsibilities between couples.
\nThe Fourth Survey on the Social Status of Women in China shows that 90 percent of married women participate in decision-making on major family matters, an increase of approximately 15 percentage points compared to 2010. The gender gap in time spent on household chores has narrowed, and there is a growing emphasis on marital relationships based on mutual respect and trust.
\nA family-friendly society gradually in shape. To meet the demands of high-quality population development and family wellbeing, measures have been introduced to improve childbirth support policies and develop a childbirth-friendly society.
\nThe childbirth leave system has been enhanced, with local regulations extending maternity leave and paternity leave and introducing parental childcare leave. Special additional deductions for individual income tax have been implemented, covering expenses for under-three children nursing, eldercare, and children's education. A childcare subsidy system has been established and implemented, while free pre-school education has been promoted in a phased way.
\nEmployers are encouraged to create "family-friendly workplaces" by adopting flexible working hours or remote work options after negotiating with employees to support them in both career development and childcare.
\nNursing facilities have been provided. By the end of 2024, 403,000 enterprises and public institutions with trade unions had set up nursing rooms for female employees. The provision of baby care rooms in public places has also been expanded, and design standards such as the Uniform Standard for the Design of Civil Buildings, the Standard for the Design of Office Buildings, and the Code for the Design of Railway Passenger Station Buildings now include requirements for such facilities. By the end of 2024, 1,449 baby care rooms had been established in railway stations; 5,371 in highway service areas (including parking areas); 286 on passenger ships and in port passenger terminals; 2,308 in secondary and above-grade bus stations; 2,599 in urban rail transit stations; and nursing rooms in all civilian airports with an annual passenger throughput of 5,000 or more.
\nPanel 8 The 15-Minute Community Life Circles Benefit Hundreds of Millions of Residents
\nThe 15-minute community life circle is a government initiative to improve people's lives by creating community business districts with diverse services. Residents in such communities should be able to meet their basic daily consumption needs and access quality services within a 15-minute walk.
\nTo address childcare needs, Shanghai has established more than 340 community-based childcare rooms in over 90 percent of its subdistricts and towns, providing temporary childcare services. For eldercare needs, Tianjin has set up 1,852 community canteens for seniors and built daytime care centers for the elderly, offering personalized eldercare services. To meet residents' daily needs, the Kangqiao Garden Community in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, has introduced affordable vegetable stalls, convenient barbershops, and small repair service points, enabling one-stop solutions for various household needs.
\nSince 2021, 4 batches of 210 pilot areas across the country have joined the initiative, building 5,510 community life circles that benefit approximately 125 million residents.
\nMore diverse services to reduce family care burden. A variety of childcare services are provided to families, including full-day, half-day, and temporary care options, and employers are also supported in establishing childcare facilities. By the end of 2024, there were 5.74 million childcare slots nationwide, with 4.08 slots per 1,000 people for children under three.
\nA family education guidance service system covering both urban and rural areas has been established. Relying on over 400,000 parent schools in urban and rural communities and more than 20,000 online new media platforms, family education guidance service teams have worked to organize rich and diverse parent-child activities, bringing scientific family education guidance services directly to households and communities.
\nThe eldercare framework has been optimized, where home care is supported by communities and professional institutions, featuring a combination of medical care and eldercare services. Services such as meal assistance, bathing aid, home modifications for the elderly, and barrier-free renovations for financially difficult families with members with severe disabilities have become more accessible.
\nPanel 9 Family Education in the New Era Strengthens the Foundation of Early Nurturing
\nChina places great importance on family education. The Law on Family Education Promotion has been enacted to strengthen parents' primary responsibility in guardianship, establish a collaborative mechanism for family education work, clarify state support measures for family education, and define the role of social forces in supporting family education. The All-China Women's Federation, the Ministry of Education, and other relevant departments have successively issued six five-year plans for family education, setting periodic targets and measures. The National Family Education Guidance Outline and Basic Behavioral Norms for Parents in Family Education have been formulated and revised to define the content of family education guidance.
\nExploratory efforts are made to establish an undergraduate program on family education in colleges and universities to train professionals for this sector. A life-cycle family guidance curriculum system has been developed, and the "Happy Family" online platform for family education services has been established. Family education instructors have been included as an occupation in the General Code of Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China. All these endeavors will promote the digital and professional development of family education and support families in scientific parenting.
\nThe domestic service sector continues to improve in quality and expand in scale. By the end of 2023, there were approximately 600,000 domestic service entities and 16,000 women-led domestic service community stations. National domestic service vocational skills competitions have been held to encourage skill enhancement among people working in this sector, provide a growth platform for more of them, and deliver high-quality services to families.
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nOn the new journey of Chinese modernization, every individual plays a key role. Connecting their own future with that of the country and the nation, Chinese women have devoted themselves to the building of a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful. They have attained major achievements in the new era, creating a better life through action and hard work.
\n1. Achievements in Promoting High-Quality Economic Development
\nIn promoting high-quality economic development, China is committed to expanding channels for women's participation, improving their capabilities, and stimulating their creativity. Women are "holding up half the sky" and playing an increasingly prominent role.
\nRealizing potential in employment and entrepreneurship. Upholding employment as a priority, China has increased fiscal investment, and implemented initiatives such as the Women's Action for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Action for Promoting Women's Employment and Entrepreneurship. Special recruitment sections and events for women have been held, sponsored by the National Employment Promotion Action and Spring Breeze Action, aiming to help more women find better jobs.
\nGender discrimination in employment has been placed under the scrutiny of labor protection supervision. The System of Special Labor Protection for Female Employees in the Workplace (Reference Text) and the System for Eliminating Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (Reference Text) have been formulated as guidelines for employers to improve their corresponding systems for protecting female employees' lawful rights and interests.
\nBy the end of 2024, RMB640 billion in loans had been provided to support 8.49 million women in realizing their entrepreneurial dreams. Since 2012, women have accounted for about 43 percent of the total employed population. According to the fifth national economic census in 2024, 42.6 percent of the employees in government agencies, public institutions, and state-owned enterprises were women, an increase of 3.6 percentage points compared to the fourth census.
\nPanel 10 Beautiful Crafts Workshops Providing Employment and Income Growth for Women with Disabilities
\nThe Beautiful Crafts Workshops program was jointly launched by China Disabled Persons' Federation and All-China Women's Federation in 2022 to help women with disabilities find employment and increase income. Through collaboration between the government, enterprises, and public service organizations, a full-chain service model integrating training, employment, entrepreneurship and protection has been formulated to ensure that women participating in this program have access to employment opportunities and secure stable incomes through the acquisition of important skills.
\nA total of 125 national-level Beautiful Crafts Workshops now provide disabled women with free training courses in hand knitting, embroidery, and pottery, and support some of them in setting up studios and engaging in live-streaming sales. This program has facilitated flexible home-based employment for 190,000 women with disabilities, doubling their average annual income compared to 2022. The outcomes have been displayed at major events including the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the UN Human Rights Council meetings, and the 10th International Abilympics.
\nThe scale of women's accomplishments is reflected in their significant representation among national honorees: They constitute 34 percent of the National Moral Models and 30.9 percent of the Most Beautiful Souls and National Exemplary Educators. Since 2012, a total of 1,821 women have been awarded the titles of National Model Workers and Advanced Workers, 1,957 have received the National May 1st Labor Medal, 5,001 have been honored as National March 8th Red-Banner Pacesetters, and 6,489 recognized as National Role Models for Women's Achievements.
\nPioneering innovation in science and technology. As part of the efforts to implement the Women's Action for Scientific and Technological Innovation, China has formulated the Measures on Supporting Female Talent to Play a Greater Role in Sci-Tech Innovation, which outline 16 concrete measures, including supporting female scientists to undertake national sci-tech projects and participate in decision-making on sci-tech development, as well as improving evaluation and incentive mechanisms for them.
\nThe National Natural Science Foundation has appropriately relaxed the age limits for female applicants in Categories A, B and C of the Young Scientists Fund, raising the maximum age thresholds by three years, two years, and five years respectively, compared to their male counterparts. Leveraging platforms such as the Zhongguancun Forum, Pujiang Innovation Forum, and World AI Conference, China has launched summits and forums for women working in science and technology, and hosted the Women Technicians Forum and a range of training programs for high-caliber female sci-tech professionals. These actions have created platforms for women in STEM fields to conduct professional exchange and learning, apply their research outcomes, and serve the public.
\nToday, women account for 45.8 percent of all sci-tech researchers in China. They are tackling tough problems and achieving breakthroughs in pioneering fields, overcoming daunting obstacles, and scaling new heights at the forefront of innovation, and making significant contributions to building China into a sci-tech powerhouse with greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology.
\nPanel 11 Glorious Achievements of Female Sci-Tech Workers in China
\nThrough their unwavering dedication and exceptional wisdom, Chinese women have made groundbreaking contributions across diverse fields of science and technology, writing glorious chapters in the nation's rich history of sci-tech innovation.
\nTu Youyou, chief scientist at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and a recipient of the Medal of the Republic, was the first person to discover artemisinin. This class of drugs has significantly reduced the mortality rate of malaria patients and saved millions of lives globally. Tu's pioneering research led to her becoming the first home-grown Chinese scientist to receive a Nobel Prize.
\nLiu Yang, China's first female astronaut, Wang Yaping, the first female taikonaut to walk in space, and Wang Haoze, the first female aerospace flight engineer to board China's space station, each courageously challenged the unknown, demonstrating the strength of Chinese women in aerospace.
\nLiao Hong, professor at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, integrated applied basic research with agricultural production to build up about 20,000 hectares of eco-friendly tea gardens, providing a comprehensive solution to the eco-friendly planting and management of Wuyi rock tea.
\nFor over two decades, Shan Xinghua, recipient of the title Role Model of the Era, has led her team in developing the 12306 China Railway ticketing system into a super-large real-time platform with a world-leading transaction volume, boosting China's strength in transportation.
\nTaking the lead in rural revitalization. Through the Women's Action for Rural Revitalization, China has strengthened quality training to empower women farmers. Since 2017, the High-quality Farmer Training Program has trained over 2.24 million women farmers, and between 2022 and 2024, the project for cultivating leaders for rural industry revitalization trained 12,000 female individuals.
\nThe achievements of women in rural revitalization have been recognized through initiatives like the Double Hundred and Double Thousand Initiative, which recognizes outstanding rural craftspeople, 100 of whom in the first batch were women, accounting for 36.6 percent of the total. In the final round of the first National Farmers' Skills Competition, female participants comprised 69.5 percent of all winners. Furthermore, by the end of 2024, 134,000 female workers responsible for extending agricultural technologies and services had obtained professional titles, representing 35.4 percent of the total.
\nPanel 12 A Small Industrial Incubation Platform Galvanizing Women's Power for Rural Revitalization
\nAs a successful example of the Green Rural Revival Program in Zhejiang, Lizu Village in Yiwu has developed from a backward hamlet to a National Model Village, and women have played a vital role in this transformation.
\nThe village is home to a Shared Prosperity Workshop — an incubation platform for industrial projects that attracts numerous aspiring makers and entrepreneurs. This workshop operates as a women's alliance for shared prosperity, and follows a work mechanism under which community-level service centers introduce promising projects under the leadership of the local executive committee of women's federations. The project has helped local women start their own businesses, increasing their incomes and fostering integration between urban and rural areas.
\nAfter five years, the number of makers and entrepreneurs has increased from over 30 to 272, among which 75 percent are women. The "Homemade by Mom" food street and the Women's Fair have increased women's incomes by over RMB13.7 million, while live-streaming activities to promote agricultural products have generated sales of RMB27 million. This small incubator has created big opportunities for women to embrace prosperity.
\nPursuing excellence in the digital economy. China has issued the Action Plan for Strengthening the Digital Literacy and Skills of the General Public and the Action Plan for Digital Rural Development, which include measures such as carrying out digital literacy education and skills training for women and developing women-led e-commerce brands. Chinese women have answered the call of the digital age, and are committed to developing the digital economy, with 14,147 women obtaining the vocational skills certificates for AI trainers in 2024 alone — comprising 42.3 percent of the yearly total. Women represent over half of the entrepreneurs in the internet sector and about one third of the workforce engaging in new business forms such as digital trade, e-commerce, and live streaming. As the digital economy advances, it is providing more opportunities for women.
\nPanel 13 The \"AI Dou\" Project: Helping Women Excel in the Digital Economy
\nThrough digital empowerment, the China Women's Development Foundation is pioneering innovative pathways for women's development. In 2019, the organization launched the "AI Dou" Project for AI industrial incubation in conjunction with relevant businesses. This project aims to help stay-behind women and returning youth to secure data annotation and similar jobs near home, by introducing digital employment opportunities to underdeveloped counties, carrying out vocational training, and incubating locally operated social enterprises. By the end of 2024, the project had established 16 digital employment centers in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Gansu, Guizhou and Ningxia, providing employment opportunities for over 7,500 women. Among those provided with stable jobs by the project, 70 percent were women.
\n2. Equal Participation in Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nAs China advances whole-process people's democracy, it remains committed to increasing women's participation in the management of state, economic, cultural and social affairs. Women enjoy equal political rights and actively participate in democratic practices, contributing their strengths with great enthusiasm.
\nExercising state power through the people's congresses. The proportion of women in people's congresses at all levels continues to rise. In the 14th NPC convened in 2023, there were 790 women deputies, accounting for 26.5 percent of the total. This represents an increase of 3.1 percentage points from the 12th NPC and 1.6 percentage points from the 13th NPC. At the county and township levels, women constitute 31.64 percent and 32.36 percent of deputies, respectively. These women deputies fulfill their duties in accordance with the law, soliciting and reflecting public opinion from all sectors of society. Between 2018 and 2025, NPC women deputies put forward 29,328 suggestions, criticisms and opinions, accounting for 42.3 percent of the total.
\nPanel 14 Women Deputies to the People's Congresses Practicing Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nZhu Guoping, an outstanding representative of the "neighborhood chiefs" in Shanghai, has been a key figure in her local community for over three decades. She served as a deputy to three consecutive NPCs — the 11th, 12th, and 13th — where she had a particular focus on eldercare, childcare and healthcare. Among her suggestions in these fields, two proposals calling for increased fiscal investment in general practitioners and pediatricians were both adopted by the Ministry of Finance, earning her praise as someone who "bridges national policy decisions with public concerns".
\nHongqiao Subdistrict, where Zhu works, functions as a community-level legislative outreach office, set up by the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee. It has solicited opinions for 97 draft laws, including the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and the Law on the Protection of Minors. The subdistrict has proposed over 3,200 suggestions, with 280 being adopted after review, channeling grassroots legislative input to the Great Hall of the People.
\nDiscussing state affairs and making suggestions at consultative meetings of the CPPCC. The proportion of female members in the CPPCC National Committee and local committees has seen a consistent increase. In 2023, 487 female members served on the National Committee of the 14th CPPCC, accounting for 22.4 percent of the total — an increase of 4.6 percentage points and 2 percentage points from the 12th CPPCC and 13th CPPCC, respectively. In the same year, there were 5,401 female members on the provincial-level committees of the CPPCC, accounting for 27.36 percent of the membership at this level. The female members fulfill their duties in full and play a major role in political consultation, democratic supervision, and the deliberation and administration of state affairs. Since the 14th CPPCC National Committee, female members have submitted 4,282 proposals, representing 26.6 percent of the total.
\nActively engaging in decision-making and administration. China attaches importance to the cultivation and selection of female officials and the recruitment of women into the CPC. It has formulated and implemented outlines for strengthening Party and government leadership teams and on women's development, which set specific quantitative and proportional requirements for the appointment of female officials and female heads of leadership bodies. These goals are expected to be met while strict quality standards are upheld.
\nThe proportions of women among the CPC membership and delegates to the Party congresses are increasing. In 2024, 30.9 percent of CPC members were female, an increase of 7.1 percentage points compared to the 2012 level. Female Party members accounted for 27 percent of the delegates to the 20th CPC National Congress, an increase of 4 percentage points from the Party's 18th National Congress in 2012. Women represent 42.3 percent, 43.78 percent, and 51.5 percent of all the judges, prosecutors and jurors nationwide.
\nExtensively participating in grassroots democracy. Effective measures have been taken in the villagers committee elections to expand women's membership. In 2022, women constituted 26.1 percent of villagers committee members and 54.3 percent of urban residents committee members, an increase of 4 percentage points and 5.5 percentage points, respectively, from 2012 levels.
\nFemale workers play an active role in democratic management in enterprises. In 2023, women employees made up 37.7 percent, 41.9 percent, and 34.2 percent of the boards of directors, boards of supervisors, and workers' congress representatives, increasing by 11.4 percentage points, 14.9 percentage points, and 4.4 percentage points, respectively, compared to 2012. A total of 431,000 councils of women have been established in urban and rural communities, facilitating extensive consultations on public affairs concerning women's immediate interests.
\n3. Excellence in a Flourishing Culture
\nIn developing a thriving socialist culture, China has given full play to women's role in creating cultural wealth and cultivated female talent in the cultural sector. Through innovation and with creativity, women have made a significant contribution to preserving cultural heritage and promoting the best of traditional Chinese culture.
\nDemonstrating vitality at the forefront of culture and communication. Women have become a pillar of cultural prosperity and development and are playing an increasingly important role in cultural creation, communication and studies. Female writers and artists have produced masterpieces that have shaped the image of women in the new era, as varied as the Peking Opera Mother, ballet Yimeng, prose works My Altay, TV series She and Her Girls, movie Huang Wenxiu, documentary Aunt Haiyun, variety shows The Daughters of Chinese Villages and Sisters Who Make Waves 2024, and short drama Got Old Recently.
\nBy the end of 2023, about 456,900 women across the country were employed in the radio, television, and online audio-visual sectors, comprising 43.14 percent of the total employees. In the senior professional title evaluations for the journalism section organized by the National Press and Publication Administration in 2024, women accounted for 44.1 percent of those receiving senior professional titles and 50.6 percent of those gaining associate senior ones.
\nWomen constitute 27.5 percent of participants in key talent initiatives in the field of public communication and culture, including 45.2 percent of successful candidates in the cultural talent program and 42.5 percent in the youth cultural talent program under the National Cultural Talent of Excellence Initiative. Through their work in culture and communication, women have vigorously committed themselves in the promotion and practice of the core socialist values.
\nShowing strengths in preserving and vitalizing ethnic cultures. By passing down traditional crafts and facilitating cultural innovation and dissemination, women are injecting new vitality into ethnic cultures. Among the 3,997 recognized representative bearers of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) items on the national list, 25 percent are women. The research and training program for ICH bearers has provided training for 51,000 people, with women accounting for 57 percent. Under the plan on revitalizing traditional Chinese craftsmanship and the specialized initiatives to revitalize rural areas by promoting ICH, many women have played a leading role in transforming local natural resources and rural cultural assets into cultural products and industries. Handicraft brands such as "Dove Flower: Songtao's Miao Embroidery" in Guizhou and "Weiyuan Tu Ethnic Coiling Embroidery" in Qinghai are shining examples of this transformation.
\nNew business models — often fronted by women — such as "ICH plus guesthouses", "ICH plus cultural products", and "ICH plus study trips" have also been launched in recent years, breathing new life into traditional ethnic cultures. The rise of digital technology has allowed traditional culture to flourish again, and an increasing number of young women now play a central role in promoting the "China-Chic" trend and preserving and vitalizing ICH, facilitating ICH's integration in modern life and helping it reach a global audience.
\nExcelling in both competitive and mass leisure sports. The Outline for Building a Strong Sporting Nation has explicitly set the goal of achieving balanced development between men's and women's events. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games issued a Gender Equality Commitment covering 14 specific areas, including equal participation, gender-equal and fair portrayal, and gender equality in leadership and workforce.
\nPanel 15 Creating Masterpieces and Promoting Civilization with Stitches and Threads
\nFemale embroiders, with needles as brushes and silk threads as ink, create delicate works that embody the resilience, patience, and determination of the Chinese people through every stitch and thread. These artisans are committed to revitalizing ancient techniques in a modern society.
\nSuzhou embroidery is one of the four most celebrated forms of Chinese embroidery. The art form originated in Zhenhu Township, where local women are now encouraged to set up their own embroidery businesses. As a result of this push, over 90 percent of Suzhou embroidery entrepreneurs are women.
\nMiao embroidery is another highly praised technique, celebrated as a "wordless epic created with colorful threads and a living totem worn on the body". Under the Brocade and Embroidery Initiative, Guizhou Province has empowered over 500,000 women working in handicraft industries such as Miao embroidery and batik to create a splendid life through splendid products.
\nWith a history of over 3,000 years, Li brocade is renowned as a "living monument of Chinese textile history". Currently, 18,000 female weavers work to preserve and develop this art. Tibetan carpet making is a skill that boasts thousands of years of history. Tibetan women begin learning the weaving techniques from a young age and pass down this precious craftsmanship through generations. Women in the Chaoshan area in southeastern Guangdong, based on traditional stitching techniques, have pioneered innovations to create 3D double-sided padded embroidery, carrying forward this traditional art in a modern world.
\nThe number of female elite athletes in China has witnessed rapid growth, and the proportion of international-level female athletes has remained above 50 percent. Since 2012, across the four consecutive Summer Olympic Games, female athletes have accounted for over 55 percent of competitors and won over 60 percent of the medals. During the same period across the four Paralympic Games, women have made up 50.22 percent of participants and secured 55.62 percent of the medals. Female athletes fight for their nations, collaborate in unity, and challenge their limits, playing an equal role as their male counterparts in competitive sports. The fighting spirit of the Chinese women's volleyball team has inspired the Chinese people to this day.
\nExtensive fitness-for-all programs are carried out nationwide, and a program of cultivating female community sports instructors in rural areas has provided training for over 65,000 women in 10,000 villages. By the end of 2024, there were about 3.71 million community sports instructors across the country, among which 56.1 percent were women, demonstrating women's leadership and responsibility in advancing China's fitness-for-all initiative in the new era.
\n4. Women's Undertakings in Grassroots Social Governance
\nIn building a grassroots social governance model based on collaboration, participation, and common interests, China has attached great importance to the role of women and women's organizations, expanded the channels for their orderly participation in grassroots governance, and ensured their involvement in managing grassroots-level public affairs and public-interest undertakings in accordance with the law. Chinese women have excelled in these roles, becoming a major force in grassroots governance.
\nThe positive role of family ties, values, and traditions in grassroots governance. China has improved mechanisms that help to foster family virtues, facilitate education cooperation between families, schools and society, deliver more accessible family services, and resolve marital and family disputes, supporting women in nurturing harmony within households, and thus contributing to a more peaceful and harmonious society for all.
\nFamily virtue cultivation activities such as the selection of the "Most Beautiful Families", "Model Families", and "Five-Virtue Families", and initiatives like "Share Your Family Rules, Mottoes, and Values", "Family Virtues in Letters", and "Family Education Cultivates Values and Virtues" have been organized. These activities champion the new socialist family morality and values, emphasizing love for the country and family, mutual care, devotion to progress and kindness, and joint efforts with shared benefits. A total of 1,597 households have been honored as "National Model Families", 6,258 as "National Five-Virtue Families", and 16.48 million as the "Most Beautiful Families". Additionally, more than 500,000 lectures, exhibitions and performances on family values and traditions have been hosted around the country, attracting a combined attendance of 250 million people.
\nPanel 16 Family Points System Contributing to Rural Governance
\nGansu Province has implemented an innovative system, which breaks down key aspects of rural governance into points for households in villages and communities. Clear criteria and scoring standards are established for adding or deducting points. Law-abiding families that demonstrate harmony, mutual support among neighbors, and industriousness can collect points by adopting a green lifestyle, participating in public-interest programs, and discarding outdated customs. These points can then be redeemed locally for a wide range of household goods. The initiative has inspired women and their families to participate more actively in rural governance and efforts to improve their living environment and beautify their villages, driving big impact in grassroots governance with ingenuity.
\nWomen's extensive participation in building a peaceful and harmonious community. Women actively participate in the comprehensive maintenance of public order and contribute to resolving problems and disputes at the grassroots level. Local governments have been exploring a "Women's Federations Plus" mediation model. By the end of 2024, 3,690 mediation commissions above the county level for resolving marriage and family disputes had been established under the leadership of women's federations. Marriage mediation organizations now provide service at comprehensive governance centers, litigation service centers, and community police offices, and marriage mediation offices have been established at the village and community level. Since 2016, nearly 1.36 million cases have been resolved through mediation. In 2023, 295 women mediators were commended by the Ministry of Justice as National Model Mediators, accounting for 29.5 percent of those recognized.
\nWomen also play an active part in patrols for maintaining order and in supervision. The "Jiangdong Aunties" team in Jingkou District, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province has completed 5,000 hours of voluntary patrols and participated in over 1,000 public service activities since its establishment in 2017. The "Xicheng Aunties" in Beijing and women community liaisons in Weinan City, Shaanxi Province, have promptly identified and reported potential risks for social governance, working at the forefront of conflict resolution at the grassroots level. Women acting as community workers, grid managers, and residential building chiefs have made significant contributions to building a peaceful and harmonious community.
\nPanel 17 Mediation Office for Promoting Family Harmony
\nIn 2016, the Women's Federation of Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, established a Marriage and Family Disputes Mediation Office and launched a project to promote marital and family harmony and ensure the legal rights of women and children. A set of operational mechanisms was established, including joint meetings, information sharing, and rotating professionals, and experts in the fields of law, sociology, and psychology were recruited to form a dedicated voluntary service group.
\nBased on practical experience, a mediation method of "four aspects plus three synchronizations" was adopted to mediate disputes, wherein the "four aspects" refer to the psychological, legal, emotional, and rational dimensions, while the "three synchronizations" denote the alignment of answering questions with raising public awareness of the law, providing emotional guidance with teaching life experience, and resolving disputes with protecting rights. At the same time, a four-step method of stabilizing emotions, understanding demands, instilling hope, and establishing support was adopted in solving many family disputes. By the end of July 2025, more than 10,000 cases had been solved through this project, with a success rate of 95 percent, benefiting more than 30,000 individuals.
\nActive engagement in voluntary service and other public-interest programs. China emphasizes the healthy development of voluntary services and social organizations, among which women play an active role. In 2024, there were 24 million women registered as volunteers and 350,000 women volunteer teams. These volunteers play an important role in promoting national strategies, improving the people's wellbeing, and strengthening social governance. They have provided nearly one million voluntary services, covering all 17 goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The number of women in social organizations is on the rise. In 2023, women comprised 42.3 percent of the staff and 26.3 percent of the heads of social organizations respectively, up by 13.3 and 4.9 percentage points from 2012.
\nPanel 18 Wang's Volunteer Group: Inspiring More Women to Serve Their Community
\nIn 2005, Wang Lanhua, a Hui woman, former director on a residents committee in Wuzhong City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region formed a volunteer group with six former colleagues — a group she continues to lead 20 years later. Her voluntary service leaves no stone unturned, reaching every corner of the community to look after left-behind children and elderly people who live alone, while providing conflict resolution services and addressing people's immediate concerns. Wang and her team warm the residents' hearts with their selfless dedication, and their influence in community service has drawn more and more community members to join. These volunteers from different ethnic groups encapsulate the idea of all ethnic groups as one family with their solidarity and mutual help. Now, there are 1,315 registered volunteers in Wang's Volunteer Group, and Wang's dedication has seen her honored as a model for ethnic solidarity.
\n5. Women's Contributions in the Eco-environmental Field
\nChina upholds and acts on the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and promotes modernization based on harmony between humanity and nature by following a path of green development that gives priority to eco-environmental conservation. Women play an important role in building a beautiful China, and are continuing to develop the awareness and skills required to drive forward eco-environmental protection.
\nPanel 19 Princess of the Beavers
\nWomen are emerging as key practitioners in biodiversity protection, and Chu Wenwen represents a new generation of female conservationists committed to protecting local biodiversity. Born in 1994 in Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Chu founded the Altay Nature Conservation Association and launched a series of public-interest projects to protect beavers and other wildlife, including the Beaver Cafeteria, Beaver Guardian, and Beaver Ark initiatives. The Beaver Cafeteria project focuses on restoring shrubs in natural habitats, which provide food for more than 100 species of wild animal. The Beaver Guardian project mobilizes more than 500 herdsmen along the Ulungur River to participate in conservation efforts and serve as voluntary patrols. The Beaver Ark project established a professional wildlife rescue center that has saved over 400 wild animals injured or trapped by human activities. Thanks in part to Chu's efforts, the population of Mongolian-Xinjiang beavers (Castor fiber birulai) has increased by 250 to date, earning her the honorary nickname "Princess of the Beavers".
\nPromoting ecosystem protection and restoration. China pursues the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, grasslands and deserts, with the aim of establishing an overarching framework that extends from the mountaintops to the oceans. Women play a significant role in the nation's ecosystem protection and restoration. Among the 17,000 eco-environmental guardians working at the 190,700 sq km Sanjiangyuan National Park, 33.3 percent are women. The Women Tree-Planting Team in Changjiang Li Autonomous County of Hainan Province has been dedicated to planting more than six million coastal defense trees, establishing a forest spanning over 2,000 hectares in the desert after 30 years of trial and error. The women's militia company for sand control in Shaanxi Province has converted more than 933.33 hectares of barren deserts into oases covered with rows of trees over the past five decades. The women's volunteer team in Helan County of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region conducts regular activities to protect rivers, shoals, and birds, and the Women's Action for the Yangtze River Protection is an ongoing activity in Nanjing City of Jiangsu Province to provide vital protection for China's longest river. Women's perseverance and wisdom are shown in many aspects of eco-environmental protection, from green coverage expansion and desertification prevention and control, to the protection of forests, rivers, and biodiversity.
\nPanel 20 Sci-Tech Courtyard Supporting Green Agriculture
\nThe Sci-Tech Courtyard is a service platform that integrates agricultural scitech innovation, demonstration and promotion, and talent cultivation. In the Dongpo Sci-Tech Courtyard of Agricultural Skill Promotion in Meishan City, Sichuan Province, 33 team members — including 22 women — work on the front line of green agriculture. With women at its core, the team provides comprehensive services in skill training, field production guidance, problem identification and resolution, and industry chain alignment, benefiting more than 50,000 villagers. The Sci-Tech Courtyard also makes targeted efforts in new species selection, cultivation technique research for high-quality and high-yield crops, and the development of green planting and cultivation models. Over the past nine years, comparative trials of more than 400 paddy varieties have been completed, leading to the selection of 40 high-quality and high-yield species that have significantly increased the proportion of such crops in the region. Cultivation of 824,467 hectares of these paddies has generated a net income growth of RMB2.65 billion. In addition, more than 10 new planting techniques have been promoted, and research on green planting and cultivation models has been advanced, increasing crop yield and economic benefits while reducing pesticide use.
\nAccelerating the green transformation of production models. China upholds green and low-carbon development as a fundamental approach to resolving environmental problems, and promotes a sound economic structure that facilitates green, low-carbon, and circular development. Women actively participate in the efforts to promote green development in industry, shift the production model of agriculture, and improve the sustainable level of the service industry. By 2024, the number of companies in the green economy sector invested in by women entrepreneurs had reached 445,000, accounting for 27.4 percent of the total. These companies cover a range of market segments, including clean energy, organic agriculture, and eco-conservation. Scientific management of fertilizer and pesticide use and innovative ecological planting serve to save agricultural resources, improve the eco-environment of agricultural production areas, and supply high-quality green agricultural products, promoting the triple-win of less pesticide use, more income, and better environment. New models of eco-environmental businesses have been established, including urban modern agriculture, leisure agriculture, eco-tourism, high-quality homestays, and rural complexes. By the end of 2024, the number of family farms run by women reached 487,000, and women accounted for 68.6 percent of all holders of vocational skill certificates in rural homestay housekeeping.
\nLiving a green lifestyle. Green development is closely connected to each of our lives. Chinese women advocate the values of eco-civilization and encourage simple, moderate, green, low-carbon, sound and healthy ways of life and consumption by integrating these concepts into everyday routines. They have played a leading role in building green families through saving water and electricity, participating in the "Clear Your Plate" campaign, using green modes of transport, and engaging in waste sorting. Women also actively participate in developing beautiful courtyards and harmonious villages, guided by standards such as tidy rooms, hygienic kitchens and toilets, neat courtyards, abundant greenery, and harmonious families. To date, more than 12 million households have been awarded the title of "Beautiful Courtyard". Women are consistently in the frontline of enhancing public awareness of environmental protection and improving community environment. For example, in Shanghai, a themed campaign was launched to find 10,000 families living a green lifestyle and recruit 100,000 family waste sorting volunteers, creating a good atmosphere for the million families participating in this endeavor.
\nParticipating in disaster prevention and mitigation. China regards people's lives and safety as the primary goal of disaster prevention and mitigation. It boosts public participation and improves the capabilities of the whole society to defend and respond to disasters, and women play a key role in this — particularly in investigation and identification of potential risks and hidden dangers, early warning and treatment, and information reporting. In 2024, women accounted for 23.6 percent of disaster information assistants nationwide, totaling 267,000, and comprised 61.6 percent of national chief meteorological experts. Women actively participate in disaster relief operations and public education on disaster prevention and mitigation, and promote family education in relevant fields. There are 13.71 million registered women fire volunteers nationwide, representing 52.4 percent of the total. The National Natural Disaster Emergency Relief Plan put forward requirements for safeguarding the rights and interests of special groups. Through the collaborative efforts of the government and society, material guarantee for special needs, such as women's hygiene products and supplies for pregnant and postpartum women, has been strengthened.
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nChina upholds the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, aligns with the prevailing global trends towards peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, and actively advances the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. Through close cooperation with other countries, China is helping accelerate the creation of an international environment conducive to women's development and a better world for all.
\n1. Participating in Global Governance on Women's Issues
\nChina plays a leading role in implementing the spirit of the UN Fourth World Conference on Women and advances global governance on women's issues through concrete actions.
\nSupporting the central role of the United Nations. China has co-hosted the Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment with UN Women to encourage countries to fulfill their commitments and inject new momentum into the global advancement of women. At the UN Human Rights Council, China has repeatedly delivered joint statements on promoting and protecting women's rights, pushed for the adoption of relevant resolutions, and called on countries to work together to implement the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action. China consistently sends high-level delegations to the sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and collaborates with UN organizations and agencies to conduct seminars on women's poverty reduction, the digital economy, inclusive finance, technology empowerment, and gender equality amid demographic changes, sharing China's experience in promoting women's development. Since 2015, China has donated US $20 million to UN Women and carried out practical cooperation with multiple UN specialized agencies on women's issues. In partnership with UNESCO, it has established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education and implemented projects in Africa focusing on digital and health education for girls. Chinese women hold important positions and serve as experts in the UN system, contributing their expertise to global governance on women's issues.
\nPanel 21 China and UNESCO Jointly Established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education
\nIn 2015, China partnered with UNESCO to establish the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education, which recognizes institutions and individuals that have made outstanding contributions to advancing education for girls and women. This is the first prize of its kind established by UNESCO. Proposed and funded by the Chinese government, it is awarded annually to two laureates, who each receive US $50,000 to further their work in girls' and women's education. As of 2024, 18 organizations and projects from 18 countries had received the award, including the Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education. This prize has provided an increasing number of girls and women with opportunities to change their lives and pursue their dreams. It has also raised greater awareness of and support for girls' and women's education among more people, thereby galvanizing concerted efforts to advance global gender equality in education.
\nFirmly fulfilling international obligations. China fulfills its obligations under international conventions such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, regularly submits national implementation reports, and actively participates in review processes to promote gender equality and women's development. It actively implements the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, continuously improves women's living conditions and expands their development prospects, and has achieved the poverty reduction and health-related targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule. Through these efforts, China has not only improved the lives of Chinese women, but has also offered the international community its approach to safeguarding women's human rights.
\nLeading and advancing multilateral and regional agendas for women's development. At the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, China proposed the Global AI Governance Initiative, emphasizing the need to avoid gender bias in AI development. The country also facilitated the adoption of the Resolution on Enhancing International Cooperation in Capacity-Building of Artificial Intelligence at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, which underscores ensuring universal benefits from AI, enhancing digital inclusion and achieving gender equality while empowering women and girls. Since 2012, China has hosted 29 women's conferences under frameworks including APEC, G20, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), China-ASEAN, China-Africa, China-Arab States, China-Central Asia, and Lancang-Mekong Cooperation. Through these mechanisms, China has deeply engaged in cooperation on women's issues, focusing on topics including poverty reduction, development, employment, business startup, education empowerment, and pandemic response. These efforts have facilitated targeted experience-sharing, dialogues, and collaborative actions, enabling China to advocate actionable propositions for advancing women's comprehensive development, inclusivity, and sustainable development.
\n2. Deepening Cooperation and Exchanges to Advance Women's Development
\nChina integrates the deepening of women's development cooperation into the frameworks of high-quality Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and South-South cooperation, to jointly promote women's sustainable development.
\nAdvancing women's development in BRI participating countries. China actively promotes high-quality BRI cooperation. Initiatives such as the Silk Road E-commerce have created employment opportunities and pathways for women in these countries, and digital technology enablement program for women in ASEAN countries — alongside other related programs — have supported women in the region in seeking employment and starting businesses. For 10 consecutive years, China and partner countries have jointly hosted a series of events under the theme "Pool Women's Strength for Belt and Road Cooperation", encouraging women in these countries to become supporters, participants, contributors, and beneficiaries of the BRI.
\nSupporting women's poverty reduction and development in South-South cooperation. China supports developing countries in improving women's living conditions and development environment. It has implemented 100 maternal and child health projects and 100 happy campus projects, along with a series of small but effective public wellbeing programs focusing on housing, rural roads, and technology training to empower women and girls. Through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has carried out women-related projects worth nearly US $40 million across over 20 countries. Additionally, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund has allocated RMB12 million to support women's development programs. Through foreign aid training and technical assistance, Juncao technology has helped women in 106 countries gain meaningful employment.
\nPanel 22 Juncao Technology Assistance: Empowering Women in Developing Countries to Realize Their Dreams
\nJuncao technology is a unique Chinese method for cultivating edible and medicinal fungi that uses grass as a substitute for wood. First included in China's foreign aid programs in 1994, it has since been introduced to 106 countries. In Lesotho, a compact 10-square-meter Juncao mushroom cultivation model has enabled impoverished farmers with limited land to produce 1.2 tonnes of fresh Juncao mushrooms annually from a single 10-square-meter plot. In African and Pacific Island nations, women use Juncao as livestock feed to mitigate shortages caused by climate change. Seruwaia Kabukabu from Fiji has led local women in growing Juncao mushrooms, significantly improving the living conditions of families in her community. In recognition of her work, she has been elected as chairperson of the Fiji Mushroom Farmers Association. Juncao has thus become a "grass of happiness" for people in developing countries.
\nDeepening international cooperation in women's capacity building. China continues to strengthen and expand support training programs focused on women and children in developing countries. Since 2018, it has implemented over 100 programs in this domain, including the Seminar on Promoting Maternal and Child Health Under Global Development Initiative, and the Seminar on Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries — Women and Children. Additionally, China has launched degree programs in women's leadership and social development, training nearly 4,000 outstanding professionals in the field of women's development. An exchange and training base for global women's development cooperation has been established in Beijing to design tailored empowerment programs for women in developing countries. Training and exchange centers for Chinese and foreign women have been set up in collaboration with 15 countries, and through international cooperation in vocational education, the Luban Workshops have trained 5,944 female students, who account for 23.25 percent of all participants in the project.
\nSolid progress in people-to-people exchanges in the field of women's affairs. China has actively developed global partnerships and engaged in comprehensive, multi-channel friendly exchanges with women's organizations and institutions from over 140 countries. It has conducted dialogues with foreign female political leaders, spouses of heads of state, and female government ministers, organized high-level delegations for overseas visits, and pioneered new approaches to high-level women's foreign exchanges. China has deepened women's exchanges under its cultural and people-to-people exchange mechanisms with other countries, holding thematic seminars on women's entrepreneurship, economic empowerment, education, anti-domestic violence, and family culture, while strengthening cooperation in areas such as women's rights and interests, bridging the digital gender divide, and promoting women's participation in sci-tech innovation and sustainable development. The Female Diplomats' China Adventures series has been launched to share the practical experiences of Chinese women in economic development and grassroots governance, and exchange insights on promoting gender equality. China supports women's participation in cross-cultural exchanges, with women accounting for 80 percent of dispatched Chinese-language teachers and 90 percent of volunteers in international Chinese language education.
\n3. Actively Addressing Global Challenges
\nChina supports women in playing an active role in maintaining peace and security, and in addressing challenges including climate change, public health crises, and humanitarian disasters.
\nSupporting women's participation in maintaining peace and security. China has taken concrete actions to implement UN Security Council resolutions on "Women, Peace and Security", supporting women's important roles in conflict prevention, peace negotiations, and post-conflict reconstruction. In 2022, the China-UN Peace and Development Trust Fund initiated a training program for senior female talent to promote gender equality in high-level positions within UN peacekeeping operations. China has deployed over 1,200 female peacekeepers and more than 100 female police officers to UN missions, who have participated in medical support, liaison and coordination, mine clearance, patrols and observation, and efforts to advance gender equality and protect women.
\nPanel 23 Chinese Female Peacekeeping Officer Received an Honorary Certificate for UN Military Gender Advocate Award
\nThe UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award was established in 2016 to recognize peacekeepers who have made outstanding contributions to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. On May 29, 2020, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Chinese officer Xin Yuan, a senior mine clearance staff officer at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), received an award in this category in recognition of her exceptional service, becoming the first Chinese service member to win this honor. Xin was the only female staff officer responsible for mine clearance operations in UNIFIL. She assumed significant risks by conducting surveys in minefields alongside clearance teams, developed meticulous clearance plans, and completed mine clearance tasks 34 days ahead of schedule, clearing over 1,500 square meters of minefields. Her efforts earned her special commendation from the UNIFIL headquarters.
\nEmpowering women to address climate change. China has consistently organized training programs on South-South cooperation for climate change response, implementing a gender-balanced enrollment policy. Since 2022, nearly 300 female officials, experts and scholars from developing countries engaged in climate change projects have participated in training programs in China. From 2012 to 2024, China conducted nearly 100 foreign aid training projects in meteorological monitoring, forecasting, and services, with women accounting for 36.72 percent of the trainees. It has donated 5,000 household solar photovoltaic power generation systems and 10,000 clean cooking stoves to Myanmar, reducing indoor air pollution and its associated health risks while supporting the country's low-carbon transition. The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund supported Cambodia in implementing a project on gender mainstreaming in climate action, enhancing rural women's climate adaptability and resilience.
\nAddressing women's needs in international humanitarian assistance. In efforts to alleviate migrant and refugee crises, China has placed high priority on women and children, encouraging women to register as recipients of household assistance supplies and providing special care for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Projects in the Republic of Congo specifically target pregnant and breastfeeding women as beneficiaries, effectively reducing malnutrition rates among women and children. In 2023, China provided over 120,000 hygiene kits, valued at US $1.5 million, to Rohingya women and girls seeking refuge in Bangladesh, benefiting more than 60,000 women and girls.
\nConclusion
\nThe pursuit of gender equality is a great cause. In the new era, the spirit of self-esteem, confidence, independence and self-reliance among Chinese women is demonstrated as the Chinese people forge ahead with resolve under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The glorious journey of women's development in China is deeply integrated into the process of achieving the Two Centenary Goals under the Party's leadership. Never before have Chinese women enjoyed such tremendous opportunities to realize their full potential and achieve their dreams, and never before has the cause of Chinese women borne witness to such broad prospects for development.
\nToday, China is working to build a great country and achieve national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. This requires pooling the strength of hundreds of millions of women and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development at a higher level. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China will unswervingly follow the path of women's development under socialism with Chinese characteristics, adhere to the fundamental national policy of gender equality, and thoroughly implement the Outline of Women's Development in China to enhance women's overall capabilities. Through these efforts, the country will create conditions and platforms for women to participate in economic and social development, protect their legitimate rights and interests, and encourage them to stand at the forefront of the times.
\nIn today's world, promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development presents both opportunities and significant challenges. All countries must strive to create safe and secure environments for women's survival and development, eliminate violence, discrimination and poverty, and effectively address the impact of climate change. It is essential to continuously empower women, ensuring they enjoy more and better opportunities and play more significant roles in the new revolution in science, technology and industry. We must adhere to true multilateralism, honor international obligations, and promote mutual learning and people-to-people exchanges among women worldwide. China is ready to work with countries around the world to expedite actions to create a brighter future for women's development and write a new chapter in the global progress of women.
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\nContents
\nPreface
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nConclusion
\nPreface
\nThroughout history, women have played an essential role in shaping human civilization and have made immense contributions to social progress. But the paths towards gender equality and women's well-rounded development across the world have been long and arduous.
\nSince its founding in 1921, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has remained committed to women's liberation and development and gender equality. The CPC regards women as a major force for advancing all endeavors of the Party and the nation, always places the work concerning women high on its agenda, and leads women in their pursuit of liberation, progress and development. In doing so, the Party has opened a socialist path for women's development with Chinese characteristics.
\nThe 18th CPC National Congress in 2012 marked the beginning of a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In this new era, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has emphasized safeguarding women's lawful rights and interests and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development as integral components of Chinese modernization. Accordingly, it has made a series of major decisions and plans that are pioneering in vision, overarching in scope, and enduring in significance. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, initiated, planned for, supported and chaired the Party's first ever Central Conference on the Party's Work with People's Organizations in 2015, attended the 11th, 12th and 13th national women's congresses in 2013, 2018 and 2023 respectively, and held talks with each newly elected leadership team of the All-China Women's Federation. He has also delivered important speeches on work related to women and children, the role of women's federations, and the significance of family ties, values and traditions, thereby identifying the direction, objectives and guidelines of China's endeavors for women in the new era.
\nUpholding gender equality, among other basic national policies, has been incorporated into the CPC's political program, and promoting women's well-rounded development has been included in the national development plan. The legal system for safeguarding women's rights and interests also continues to improve. China has developed a sound approach to its endeavors concerning women. Chinese women actively participate in government initiatives, serve as advocates of civic virtues, fight for their dreams, and excel across all professions. In the new era, China has delivered numerous historic achievements in its endeavors concerning women. The Chinese socialist path for women's development continues to expand, opening ever-broader opportunities for advancement.
\nWomen around the world have a shared future. China's endeavors concerning women are an integral part of the global cause. In 1995, China hosted the Fourth World Conference on Women, organized by the United Nations. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the conference has since become a milestone for global gender equality. At important occasions such as the 2015 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment and the 2020 high-level meeting on the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, Xi Jinping, in his role as president of China, elaborated on China's propositions on gender equality and women's well-rounded development, and proposed holding another global leaders' meeting on women in 2025.
\nOn the occasion of the 2025 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, the Chinese government is publishing this white paper to present China's philosophy, principles, and innovative practices in promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development in the new era, highlight Chinese women's outstanding achievements and contribution, and affirm China's commitment to join global endeavors for women's advancement.
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nIn the process of Chinese modernization, based on China's realities and the trend of the times, the CPC leads Chinese women in exercising their lawful democratic rights, participating in social and economic development, and sharing the fruits of reform and development, all on the foundation of gender equality.
\n1. Upholding the CPC's Overall Leadership
\nThe CPC's leadership is the fundamental guarantee of China's work related to women. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has approached this work as an integral part of its broader strategic goal of achieving national rejuvenation, incorporating gender equality and women's well-rounded development into the overall architecture of Chinese socialism.
\nUpholding the fundamental national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children have been included into the reports to the 18th, 19th and 20th CPC national congresses, held in 2012, 2017 and 2022 respectively.
\nAt the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2019, the Party called for upholding and improving the systems and mechanisms for promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development and proposed leveraging the important role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance.
\nAt the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2020, upholding the national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children were written into the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, along with the promotion of family ties, values and traditions.
\nAt the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2021, the promotion of family ties, values and traditions and the protection of the rights and interests of women and children were incorporated into the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century.
\nAt the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in 2024, the Party incorporated improving the system for protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children and refining the mechanisms for leveraging the role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance into the overall plan for deeper comprehensive reform.
\nThis evolution in policy-making has ensured that China's endeavors concerning women have progressed smoothly under the CPC's overall leadership.
\n2. Implementing the Fundamental National Policy of Gender Equality
\nHighlighting gender equality as a basic national policy is an innovative practice of the Chinese socialist system and a momentous decision for advancing this cause and women's well-rounded development.
\nChina has improved top-level design and systematic planning accordingly. In formulating laws and policies and making plans and arrangements, the country has taken into full consideration the differences between women and men and the distinctive interests of women. It has promoted gender equality in rights, opportunities and outcomes, safeguarding women's rights and interests in accordance with the law.
\nChina is committed to cultivating a social ethos of respect and care for women, eliminating all forms of discrimination against them, and discarding obsolete ideas and practices that hinder their development. This more inclusive and dynamic social environment has allowed gender equality to truly become a shared social norm and part of the value system.
\n3. Synergizing Women's Development with Social and Economic Progress
\nDevelopment cannot be achieved without women, and its fruits should be shared by all. In this spirit, China has integrated the advancement of gender equality into its broader development process.
\nWomen's development has been incorporated into the Five-sphere Integrated Plan, which promotes coordinated progress in the economic, political, cultural, social and eco-environmental fields. Goals and tasks for women's development have also been embedded in the five-year plans for national economic and social development. The level of women's development is regarded as an essential measurement for social and economic development. With these efforts, China has synergized its endeavors for women with its social and economic progress in terms of planning and implementation, ensuring that modernization brings greater benefits to women in a fairer way, enabling them to enjoy a growing, guaranteed and sustained sense of gain, fulfillment and security.
\n4. Fully Leveraging Women's Proactive Role in National Development
\nWomen constitute a powerful force driving human progress, while at the same time shaping and determining their own futures. Upholding a people-centered philosophy of development, China respects the agency of women and has strengthened relevant institutional safeguards, policy support, and public service supply for their development.
\nChina has carried out programs encouraging women to strive for achievements, which seek to enhance women's overall capabilities, broaden channels for their participation in national development, and fully stimulate their enthusiasm, initiative and creativity, with an ultimate goal of realizing, safeguarding and improving women's vital and immediate interests to the maximum extent.
\nThe country encourages women to integrate their personal aspirations with the undertakings of the Party and the country, and to leverage their individual strengths in implementing the new development philosophy, fostering a new development dynamic, promoting high-quality development, achieving greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology, and advancing rural revitalization across the board. Utilizing their distinctive role in society and family, women are called upon to contribute considerably to the building of China into a great country and the realization of national rejuvenation.
\n5. Joining Global Women in Building a Bright Shared Future
\nHumanity lives in one homeland, and women around the world have a shared future. China upholds the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity, and facilitates the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. It advocates putting the people first, stays committed to results-oriented actions, and contributes Chinese initiatives, solutions and actions to global endeavors for women.
\nChina supports the United Nations in prioritizing women's development, promotes cooperation with the rest of the world in relevant fields, and builds international consensus on gender equality through extensive exchanges and mutual learning. Together with all other countries, China works to shape a global environment conducive to women's development, to safeguard international fairness and justice, and to make its due contribution to moving the world to a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress.
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nWomen's cause is an integral part of state governance. To advance this cause, China has continued to strengthen institutional support and safeguards, fostering the necessary conditions and environment for the comprehensive development of women.
\n1. Improving the Framework for Advancing Women's Cause
\nChina has established a mechanism for the work related to women, under which Party committees exercise leadership, governments assume primary responsibility, working committees on children and women play a coordinating role, women's federations work in collaboration, relevant departments provide support, and the whole of society participates. These concerted efforts have ensured that gender equality is upheld in all areas of economic and social development and all aspects of social life.
\nThe people's congresses have strengthened legislation and supervision. The National People's Congress (NPC) has established the Social Development Affairs Committee to undertake legislation, conduct supervision, and handle proposals and suggestions from NPC deputies concerning the protection of women's rights and interests. It attaches importance to incorporating legal initiatives for promoting women's development and safeguarding women's rights and interests into the legislative plans of its Standing Committee, and to soliciting opinions and accepting feasible proposals from women's federations and women themselves during legislative review and legal supervision.
\nAdditionally, the NPC hears and reviews the State Council's report on combating domestic violence, identifies the protection of female employees' lawful and special rights and interests as an important component of enforcement inspections of the Trade Union Law, and urges relevant departments to perform their statutory duties in protecting women's rights and interests. The people's congresses of 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government have also set up social development affairs committees to formulate local regulations to supplement national laws, thereby strengthening legal safeguards for women's rights and interests.
\nThe Chinese People's Government has effectively fulfilled its primary responsibility. The government has formulated and organized the implementation of outlines for women's development, and convened meetings on work related to children and women. The working committees on children and women have played their role as deliberative and coordinating bodies, and Party institutions, government departments, judicial authorities, and people's organizations have fulfilled their responsibilities in work related to women. The government has strengthened the statistics monitoring mechanism for the outlines for the development of women in China and established a gender statistics monitoring system covering over 2,400 indicators. Furthermore, gender has been incorporated as a key metric into national censuses and time-use surveys, and the fourth Survey on Social Status of Women in China has been conducted to assess women's development across multiple dimensions.
\nThe Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) has strengthened its role in conducting consultations and offering suggestions. CPPCC committees at all levels perform their duties in political consultation, democratic supervision, and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs. They conduct consultations on women's issues through a variety of channels and platforms, including subject-specific, sector-specific and proposal handling consultations, as well as consultative meetings with relevant departments. As one of the 34 sectors defined by the CPPCC, women's federations conduct research and consultations on key issues and major challenges in women's development, such as the protection of women's reproductive and health rights and interests. The National Committee of the CPPCC has conducted consultations and made suggestions to support women's development, addressing issues including fair employment and career development, the strengthening of family ties, values, and traditions, and universal access to childcare services.
\nWomen's federations have served as bridges for connection and communication. The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) is a people's organization of women of all ethnic groups and from all sectors of society in China. It unites women for further emancipation and development under the leadership of the CPC. The ACWF has established an organizational system of women's federations at the national, provincial, prefectural, county, township and village levels, covering government departments, public institutions, new types of economic entities and social organizations, and groups in new forms of employment.
\nWomen's federations at all levels have served as bridges linking the Party and the government with women, and as assistants to the Party. While supporting major national development strategies, they have performed their functions of guiding, serving, and engaging with women, and launched five key initiatives: providing women with political guidance; encouraging them to excel in the workplace; providing guidance and support in family education, family services, and the cultivation of family virtues; offering support for women's rights protection; and improving the problem-solving capability of women's federations and their staff's professional competence.
\nIn addition, women's federations have mobilized resources to support women's development through six practical measures: supporting female volunteers who provide care for children in need; growing the scale and quality of female-dominated family services; improving vocational training for women; developing a system of childcare services that is accessible to all; advancing the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project to help underprivileged schoolgirls; and telling engaging stories about the development of Chinese women. Through these initiatives, they have delivered accessible services and tangible benefits to women, children and families.
\n2. Setting Objectives and Tasks for Women's Development with Overall Planning
\nChina's national development plans have clarified the strategic tasks for women's development. Five-year plans are blueprints and guides of action for China's economic and social development during their designated time frames. The government has incorporated objectives for women's development into these plans for meeting its strategic goal of modernization.
\nThe 12th Five-year Plan (2011-2015) for the first time included a section dedicated specifically to advancing women's all-round development. It also set requirements for developing human resources with a focus on women, strengthening labor protection for women, and resolutely combating violence and crimes against women. The 13th Five-year Plan (2016-2020) further strengthened the protection of women's rights and interests and for the first time devoted a separate chapter to ensuring women's rights and equal access to education, employment, and participation in social affairs, and eliminating discrimination and prejudice against women. It also set the targets for poverty alleviation and reduction among women. The 14th Five-year Plan (2021-2025) outlines further measures to safeguard women's rights and interests in areas including health, education, employment, participation in state governance, and social security. For the first time, it contains a section specifically dedicated to the strengthening of family development which focuses on improving the supporting policies and services for this goal.
\nSpecial plans in related fields have been made to address women's practical development needs. Plans for improving people's wellbeing — including the Outline of Healthy China 2030, the Outline of the Development Plan for Education (2024-2035), and the special plans for boosting employment and the development of civil affairs undertakings during the 14th Five-year Plan period — have put forward policies and measures to improve the health of women and children, safeguard women's equal rights to education, support women's employment, entrepreneurship, and career development, and improve care and services for rural women who stay behind to care for families while their husbands work in cities.
\nThe National Medium — and Long-term Talent Development Plan (2010-2020) has outlined arrangements to promote gender balance in the talent pool and strengthen the training and selection of female talent. The National Action Plan for Scientific Literacy (2021-2035) has made specific arrangements to improve the scientific literacy of rural women. The National Human Rights Action Plan, in all four phases, includes a section on the measures for safeguarding women's rights and interests, covering personal, property, education, employment and health rights.
\nOutlines for women's development have laid out phased targets. Since 1995, China has formulated and implemented four outlines for women's development, each outlining the primary objectives, strategies, and measures for women's development in its corresponding phase.
\nThe Outline of Women's Development in China (2021-2030) contains 75 primary objectives and 93 strategic measures across eight fields: health, education, economy, participation in decision-making and administration, social security, family development, environment, and the legal sector. The document also outlines the 41 Party and government departments and institutions responsible for implementing these strategic measures.
\nNationwide, 31 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, along with over 300 prefectures and cities and more than 2,000 counties and districts, have formulated plans for local women's development based on their actual conditions. The objectives and tasks set in the Outline dovetail with national development plans, align with sector-specific plans, and are integrated across the national, provincial, city and county levels. A comprehensive planning system for advancing women's development is now firmly in place.
\n3. Strengthening Legal Guarantee for Women's Rights and Interests
\nContinuing to improve the legal system. Legal protection of women's rights and interests is an integral part of advancing law-based governance. China has established a legal system anchored in the Constitution and centered on the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, covering over 100 laws and regulations.
\nThe Civil Code was compiled, which includes a Personality Rights section that clarifies the definition of sexual harassment and the responsibilities of employers. Its Marriage and Family section improves mechanisms for the identification and settlement of marital debts, and economic compensation for unpaid domestic work in divorce proceedings.
\nThe Criminal Law has been revised to abolish the crime of "prostitution involving underage girls" and punish such acts as rape, raise the statutory minimum penalty for the crime of child molestation, and introduce harsher punishments for the crime of purchasing abducted and trafficked women. Additionally, the crime of sexual assault by a person with a duty of care has been added to the Criminal Law.
\nThe amended Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests has made more comprehensive and systematic provisions on the system and mechanism for protecting women's rights and interests. China has also formulated the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and created systems of compulsory reporting, admonition, personal safety protection order, and emergent protection.
\nThe revised Law on Land Contract in Rural Areas has improved the legal guarantees for rural women's land rights and interests, ensuring their rightful entitlement to land and corresponding rights. The Law on Rural Collective Economic Organizations has been formulated to provide institutional safeguards ensuring that women do not lose their membership, rights and interests in such organizations due to changes in marital status.
\nIn addition, the Legal Aid Law, the Law on Basic Medical and Health Care and the Promotion of Health, and the Population and Family Planning Law all have provisions for safeguarding women's rights and interests.
\nA gender equality review mechanism has been established at the national level and across all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government. This mechanism conducts assessments of laws and regulations related to women's rights and interests, ensuring that the fundamental national policy of gender equality is implemented in laws and regulations at the source.
\nPanel 1 Revisions to the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests
\nThe Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests was promulgated in 1992, amended in 2005 and 2018, and thoroughly revised in 2022, expanding from 61 articles in nine chapters to 86 articles in ten chapters with the revision.
\nThe Law fully embodies the fundamental national policy of gender equality and has strengthened the comprehensive protection of women's political rights, personal and personality rights and interests, and their rights and interests in culture, education, employment, social security, property, marriage, and family. It has added new provisions on the mechanism for safeguarding women's rights and interests, the mechanism for gender equality assessment of laws and regulations, the system for collecting and publishing gender statistics, and education on gender equality as a basic national policy. It has established legal aid channels, including a public-interest litigation system for safeguarding women's rights and interests, a mechanism for admonishing violators of women's rights and interests in employment and social security, and a nationwide service hotline for protecting women's rights.
\nOverall, the Law has strengthened legal liabilities and reinforced its rigidity.
\nStrengthening law enforcement and judicial protection. China has taken resolute actions to combat criminal and illegal acts that infringe upon women's and girls' personal rights. Since 2013, public security agencies have continued to carry out special operations targeting the abduction and trafficking of women and children. By 2024, the number of such cases had decreased by 95 percent compared with 2013.
\nChina has established an inter-departmental cooperation and consultation mechanism against domestic violence, issued guidelines on the implementation of admonitions against domestic violence and personal protection orders, and promulgated judicial interpretations clarifying specific interventions and prevention measures, and forms of evidence for identifying domestic violence.
\nThe systems and measures for preventing and addressing workplace sexual harassment have been improved, with the addition of "dispute over liability for damages caused by sexual harassment" as an independent cause of action. To strengthen the protection of the personal rights and interests of girls, China has established a compulsory reporting system for cases of offenses against minors, as well as mechanisms for urging parental care and supervision over minors, for preventing violators from engaging in certain occupations, and for providing one-stop judicial support.
\nProcuratorates at all levels have registered and handled 3,810 public-interest cases concerning women's rights and interests. Since 2012, legal aid institutions across China have provided legal assistance for women involved in over 4.2 million cases, and free legal consultations for over 20 million women.
\nRaising public awareness of the rule of law. China continued to formulate and implement the seventh and eighth five-year plans for popularizing legal knowledge, both of which include laws and regulations on protecting women's lawful rights and interests. The country has strengthened law promotion and interpretation efforts, and the NPC Standing Committee has organized press conferences to expound on the principles in formulating and revising the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law, and share their highlights.
\nEfforts have been made to raise public legal awareness through multiple channels and approaches. Since 2012, articles on protecting women's rights and interests published through the official WeChat account for law popularization have been viewed 91.36 million times, and the annual legal knowledge competition has attracted tens of millions of participants. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions has organized legal awareness activities for female employees for 11 consecutive years, and women's federations at all levels across China have held more than 3.76 million events to raise legal awareness and provide legal services since 2016, with the participation of over 400 million women.
\nIn 2024, courts and procuratorates across the country, in conjunction with women's federations, organized more than 4,200 open day events on safeguarding the rights and interests of women and children and released over 3,800 typical cases. A legal education program for rural women reached more than 86 percent of China's rural areas.
\n4. Creating an Equal and Harmonious Social Environment
\nVigorously promoting the fundamental national policy of gender equality. China has carried out targeted public education on gender equality across multiple dimensions and through multiple channels, promoting this basic national policy in government departments, schools, enterprises, urban and rural communities, and families.
\nFor Party and government leaders, the Implementation of Gender Equality as a Basic National Policy has been compiled as a coursebook and incorporated into the curriculum and teaching plans of Party schools. For students, education on gender equality has been promoted in elementary and high schools, as well as in universities, and integrated into textbook planning and regulatory standards, and guides for related courses. Gender balance is emphasized in textbook illustrations, and excellent female writers have seen greater representation in textbooks, to eliminate gender stereotypes in teaching materials.
\nFor the general public, gender equality has been incorporated into cultural and ethical development in both urban and rural communities, into self-regulations and rules for their residents, and into efforts to cultivate good family ties, values, and traditions. Party members and officials, experts, scholars, and those who work in women's affairs have given talks and lectures, and engaged in public communication on gender equality in approachable and popular forms, enabling the public to understand this basic national policy and apply it in their daily lives.
\nPanel 2 Guangdong Promoting Gender Equality Education in Elementary and High Schools
\nSince 2012, Guangdong Province has promoted gender equality education in schools. Targeting students in urban elementary and high schools, three types of courses have been developed, with a focus on cognitive understanding, behavioral norms and attitudinal guidance. These are themed courses on gender equality, integrated courses that incorporate ideas of gender equality into related subjects, and practical courses that engage students in all types of activities. Targeting students in rural elementary and high schools, courses have been developed for students in different grades with a focus on care for left-behind children, physical development during puberty, and prevention of sexual assault among adolescents.
\nBy the first half of 2025, Guangdong had established 661 demonstration elementary and high schools for gender equality education, with a professional teaching staff of over 1,500 members. Assessment results indicate that education on gender equality has generated a positive effect on both male and female students, raising their gender equality awareness, promoting physical and mental health, improving academic performance, and reducing bullying and disciplinary violations.
\nStrengthening the awareness of gender equality in the media. The Advertising Law and other relevant laws, as well as the Outline of Women's Development in China, all stipulate regulations regarding gender equality assessment and supervision in the media, prohibiting reports or advertisements with contents that disparage, undermine, or infringe upon women's dignity.
\nGender equality reviews have been conducted throughout the script development, production, screening, and distribution of films and TV programs. News outlets have issued lists of prohibited and offensive terms to eliminate discriminatory expressions in news reports. Media organizations have implemented a social responsibility reporting system and upheld the professional ethic of safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of women, children, the elderly, and the disabled and protecting their physical and mental health.
\nThe stories of women role models have been told through media coverage, special releases and events in recognition of their contribution, showcasing patriotism, devotion to the people, perseverance and progress in the face of challenges, and commitment to virtue and good deeds. Gender equality has now become a widely accepted social norm.
\nCreating a clean cyberspace. China has issued judicial interpretations, released exemplary cases, and carried out special operations to combat fraud, abduction, trafficking, rape, and other crimes against women and children committed or facilitated through online channels. Offenses that infringe upon women's personality rights, such as the illegal disclosure of personal information, defamation, and malicious online abuse, are strictly punished. Online platforms have taken on greater responsibility by addressing illegal and inappropriate content, including removing articles and short videos that advocate a preference for sons over daughters or exaggerate family disputes.
\nChina has increased the supply of high-quality online content. Special campaigns have been launched to introduce new media products showcasing women in the new era and their commitment to the country, such as the theme song Blooms of China, the women's federation promotional video Together, and the family values promotional video I Love My Family. These products have reached hundreds of millions of women and families, and facilitated new progress in providing theoretical and political guidance to women.
\nEfforts have also been made to improve the digital literacy of the general public, foster responsible internet usage among women, tell engaging stories of China and Chinese women, spread mainstream values, and promote positive energy online.
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nEradicating poverty, improving living standards, and achieving common prosperity are essential tasks of socialism. China has made continuous efforts to ensure people's access to childcare, education, employment, medical services, eldercare, housing, and social assistance, meeting women's expectation for a better life.
\n1. Elimination of Absolute Poverty
\nChina has organized the largest and most intensive poverty alleviation campaign in human history, benefiting the greatest number of people. By the end of 2020, it had successfully eliminated absolute poverty throughout the country, meeting the poverty reduction target of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. On this epic journey of poverty reduction, China has honored its solemn commitment that no one should be left behind, specifically targeting women as a key group to widen their path towards prosperity.
\nTaking targeted measures to guarantee basic living needs. China has adopted a targeted strategy in poverty alleviation. Under this framework, it maintains detailed records on the distribution of impoverished populations, the underlying causes of poverty, the specific categories of poverty, and the expectations of the poor. This approach guarantees the implementation of targeted efforts in six areas: identification of those in need, project arrangement, capital utilization, the introduction of household-specific measures, the dispatch of officials to villages based on local conditions, and the achievement of set goals. As a result, women, who comprise approximately half of the impoverished population, have benefited from targeted resource allocation.
\nThe Health Program for Poverty Alleviation and its health promotion campaigns have guaranteed access to basic medical and health services for impoverished rural women.
\nThrough education initiatives for poverty alleviation, compulsory education in impoverished areas has been steadily improved, ensuring that no school-age girls from poor families drop out of school due to poverty.
\nSocial security systems have been strengthened to ensure eligible women on the list of the registered poor receive subsistence allowances or assistance and support for the extremely poor.
\nRenovation of dilapidated houses in rural areas, particularly in severely impoverished areas, has been subsidized by the government. Relocation projects have helped over 9.6 million people, who originally lived in inhospitable areas, to emerge from poverty and seek development.
\nThe basic food and clothing needs of impoverished women have been guaranteed, and their access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing has been ensured.
\nAfter winning the battle against absolute poverty, the country initiated a five-year transition period during which poverty alleviation support policies remained in effect to buttress areas and populations that had recently emerged from poverty. Based on the stable operation of such policies, a robust dynamic monitoring and assistance mechanism has been established to prevent any relapse into or occurrence of poverty, and support remains in place for women lifted out of poverty and those in low-income areas to participate in the local economy, seek more employment opportunities, and increase incomes.
\nBoosting the economy to create job opportunities for women and raise their income. China is committed to the policy of development-driven poverty alleviation to empower impoverished women.
\nIt has strengthened industrial support by facilitating the gradient transfer of labor-intensive industries such as food processing and clothing manufacturing, benefitting 98.9 percent of poor households. By advancing east-west cooperation in labor services, setting up poverty alleviation workshops, and creating public-interest rural jobs, the country has provided job opportunities for poor women with the will and ability to work. In its efforts to alleviate poverty, China has leveraged new forms of business and industries such as e-commerce programs, photovoltaic technology, and tourism to help impoverished women find good jobs within their local communities. In ethnic minority areas, the transition of the hand-knitting business from a purely traditional craft to a driver of the local economy has transformed the lives of the women embroidery artisans in the Miao and Yi communities.
\nChina has increased fiscal and financial support. In the critical battle against poverty, special supportive polices such as offering subsidized loans requiring no collateral or guarantee and tax reductions or exemptions were introduced. Cumulatively, over RMB450 billion in guaranteed microloans and poverty alleviation microcredit were disbursed to women in need, and 8.7 million impoverished women saw their income increased through entrepreneurship. From 2021 to 2024, the country sustained a flow of microcredit designated for people recently lifted out of poverty, of which RMB76.83 billion were offered to nearly 1.93 million women.
\nEfforts in skills training have been strengthened, with training courses on vocational skills, entrepreneurship, and practical agricultural technology being held through multiple channels, at multiple levels, and in multiple forms. As of 2020, training programs had been organized for a total of 10.21 million impoverished women and female technicians. From 2023 to 2024, the Rain and Dew Program sponsored 632,000 women to receive vocational education, allowing them to continue their march out of poverty.
\nPanel 3 Poverty Alleviation Workshops for Women Help Women Find Jobs and Emerge from Poverty
\nPoverty Alleviation Workshops for Women constitute a targeted model that helps boost employment and incomes among impoverished women. The Guidelines on the Three-Year Action Plan for Winning the Battle Against Poverty issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council required the establishment of poverty alleviation workshops to employ people from poor households near their homes. In line with this document, governments in poor regions adopted measures such as employment subsidies, workspace rental subsidies, and credit assistance to encourage enterprises to establish poverty alleviation workshops for women in poor rural communities, helping them find work in fields such as agricultural products processing and handicrafts weaving. By providing employment opportunities close to home, local governments and enterprises have enabled women to balance earning an additional income with their farming and family duties. During the critical battle against poverty, more than 10,000 such workshops for women have been established nationwide, helping women in need find secure employment in their local areas.
\nIncreasing input to break the bottlenecks constraining women's development. China has advanced infrastructure development, fundamentally solving many of the issues impeding women's development in impoverished areas, such as insufficient access to transport, electricity, water and communications. Where conditions permit, all towns, townships, and administrative villages have been connected to paved roads and provided with bus and postal services. Full coverage of reliable power supply has been largely realized in rural areas. All counties have access to gigabit internet, all townships to 5G services, and all villages to broadband connections. By the end of 2024, 94 percent of the rural population had enjoyed access to tap water.
\nPanel 4 Female National Models for Poverty Alleviation
\nWomen fully performed their role as "half the sky" in the critical battle against poverty. Among the 10 individuals honored as national models for poverty alleviation by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council in 2021, five were women. They include Bai Jingying, who led 26,000 women in shaking off poverty through a new trail — working in the Mongolian broidery industry; Zhang Guimei, who leveraged her expertise in education to found China's first free senior high school for girls, helping more than 2,000 girls from impoverished mountainous areas reach university; Huang Wenxiu, a poverty alleviation official and a resident first Party secretary, and Zhang Xiaojuan, a vice director of a county-level poverty alleviation office, both of whom sacrificed their young lives for poverty elimination while working at the grassroots level to help residents solve difficulties; and Xia Sen, who donated her savings of RMB2,032,000 accumulated through a lifetime of work and frugality to improve schools in poverty-stricken rural areas, including through the provision of grants that have gone on to help 182 students from poor households enroll in university.
\n2. Notable Improvement in Health
\nPrioritizing people's health in its development strategy, China makes all-out efforts to build a healthy China, with women's and children's health the cornerstone of this work. By consolidating and improving institutional arrangements and optimizing resource allocation, the country provides women with full life-circle health services.
\nContinuous improvement of the maternal and child healthcare system. China has integrated its maternal and child healthcare network into its national medical and healthcare framework that covers its 1.4 billion people. A service system for maternal and child healthcare has been built, with maternal and child healthcare institutions as the core, community-level medical and healthcare institutions as the foundation, and medium and large hospitals and research institutes as the pillars.
\nFrom 2012 to 2023, the number of health professionals at maternal and child healthcare institutions increased from 277,000 to 537,000, with an annual growth rate of over 6 percent; the actual number of beds rose from 187,000 to 295,000, up by nearly 60 percent. At present, China has 3,081 maternal and child healthcare institutions, 3,491 treatment centers for high-risk and critically ill pregnant and postpartum women, and 3,221 treatment centers for critically ill neonates. More than 2,600 traditional Chinese medicine hospitals at Grade II and above have gynecological departments.
\nThe "internet plus maternal and child healthcare" service model has been developed, and training sessions and guidance for treating pregnant and postpartum women in severe and critical conditions have been provided through 31 provincial-level "cloud-based maternal and child healthcare" telemedicine platforms, making maternal and child healthcare services much more equitable.
\nPanel 5 Five Mechanisms for Maternal and Neonatal Safety Safeguarding the Health of Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Newborns
\nThe five mechanisms for maternal and neonatal safety covers pregnancy risk screening and evaluation, targeted management of high-risk pregnant and postpartum women, emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, maternal mortality case reporting, and admonition of underperforming healthcare providers. Based on the severity of pregnancy risks, pregnant and postpartum women are classified into one of five categories and each is assigned a label: green for low risk, yellow for common risk, orange for relatively high risk, red for high risk, or purple for carrying an infectious disease. Their treatment is then managed according to their category. This general system is supported by a nationwide, tiered network for treating pregnant and postpartum women and neonates in severe and critical conditions, which features coordination between different levels, highly efficient response, and orderly operation. It closely monitors key high-risk groups and strengthens the emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, thereby ensuring the safety of mothers and newborns.
\nBreakthroughs in solving key issues in women's health. China has strengthened its resource coordination to integrate the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B into major public health service programs. In 2024, the rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission in China fell to 1.2 percent, meeting the targets for eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission.
\nChina has promoted the comprehensive prevention and treatment of cervical cancer and breast cancer. Between 2009 and 2024, 342 million free screenings for cervical cancer and 245 million free screenings for breast cancer were carried out nationwide, and between 2012 and 2024, the central government allocated RMB3.01 billion for treatment and support for women with these forms of cancer. HPV vaccination has been incorporated into the government's public welfare initiatives in 18 provinces as of June 2025, benefiting 5 million girls of eligible age annually through free vaccination programs.
\nA group of specialty branches and outpatient departments focusing on women's healthcare have been established, covering the entire process of childbearing and women's full life cycle.
\nA reproductive health promotion campaign has been carried out. By the end of 2024, youth health education services had been provided in more than 10,000 elementary and high schools and more than 1,000 higher education institutions across the country.
\nThe campaign to raise national health awareness, the initiative to build healthy families, the Healthy China: Mother's Action, and other initiatives have been rolled out to guide women to lead their family members and the wider society in raising health awareness and health management capacity.
\nRemarkable improvement in women's health. In 2020, the average life expectancy of women in China rose to 80.9 years.
\nSince 2012, the national hospital delivery rate has remained above 99 percent, and in 2024, the systematic maternal management rate reached 94.9 percent. The maternal mortality rate has dropped by 76.9 percent, from 61.9 per 100,000 in 1995 to 14.3 per 100,000 in 2024 — far below the global average.
\nIn terms of core maternal and child health indicators, namely maternal, infant, and under-five mortality rates, China ranks among the top in global upper-middle-income countries. It has met the relevant targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule and has been recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the 10 high performing countries in maternal and child health outcomes.
\n3. Substantial Increase in Women's Education Level
\nIn building up its strength in education and coordinating integrated reforms of educational, sci-tech and talent systems and mechanisms, China has made tremendous efforts to ensure women's equitable access to education of all categories and levels, raise women's scientific literacy and promote life-long education for them. As a result, women's right to education has been effectively guaranteed.
\nGender divide in basic education has been largely eliminated. China has implemented four consecutive preschool education action plans. In 2024, girls accounted for 47.3 percent of children in kindergartens, totaling 16.94 million.
\nPanel 6 The Spring Bud Project Helps Girls from Impoverished Families Realize Their Dreams Through Schooling
\nThe Spring Bud Project is a public welfare project launched by the China Children and Teenagers' Fund in 1989 to help out-of-school girls from poverty-stricken areas return to school and improve their access to education. In 2019, Prof. Peng Liyuan, special envoy for girls' education under the Spring Bud Project, launched the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project. By carrying out education in health, digital technology, science and technology, music, and other areas, this initiative helps girls from poor households pursue well-rounded development. By the end of 2024, the project had raised RMB3.44 billion of non-governmental funds, providing 4.36 million instances of education assistance and more than 200,000 cases of one-to-one growth support and tailored psychological counseling for girls. This enabled girls to enjoy a more equitable and inclusive education of higher quality. In 2023, the Spring Bud Project won the UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education. In 2024, it was designated as one of the best cases in the Fifth Call of Global Solicitation on Best Poverty Reduction Practices.
\nChina promotes the high-quality and balanced development of compulsory education, and has accelerated efforts to narrow the educational gaps between regions, schools, groups, and between urban and rural areas. The net elementary education enrollment rate of school-age girls stays above 99.9 percent, and in 2024, girls made up 46.98 percent of students of nine-year compulsory education.
\nThe Plan to Popularize Senior High School Education (2017-2020) and the Action Plan to Develop County-level Senior High Schools During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) Period have been implemented nationwide, and the proportion of girls among the senior high school population is continuing to rise, standing at 49.3 percent in 2024.
\nA rough balance between male and female students in higher education has been achieved. China has made sustained efforts to develop the world's largest higher education system, cement and advance accessibility in higher education, and ensure gender equality in the enrollment of regular institutions of higher learning. In 2024, female students in these institutions made up 50.76 percent of the total, 14.15 percentage points higher than in 1995. Among them, female graduate students accounted for 50.01 percent, an increase of 22.43 percentage points from 1995.
\nWomen enjoy higher-quality vocational education and life-long education. China has speeded up its efforts to build a modern vocational education system and offers assistance to eligible students in the form of tuition exemptions, scholarships, grants, and student loans. As a result, women are enjoying more and better access to high-quality vocational education. In 2024, female students accounted for 47.9 percent of higher vocational school students at the undergraduate and junior college levels, and 45.2 percent of secondary vocational school students.
\nThe women's life-long learning system has become more open and flexible, with the establishment of the national smart education platform for life-long education offering a more convenient and accessible channel that meets women's diverse learning needs. The number of women receiving adult education continues to rise steadily year on year, and in 2024, female students at adult education institutions at the undergraduate and junior college levels numbered 5.13 million, 54 percent of the total, representing an increase of 1.96 million compared to 2012. In 2020, the average length of schooling for female citizens at or above the age of 15 reached 9.59 years.
\nWomen's scientific literacy is on the rise. The Chinese government has promulgated the Outline of the Action Plan for Improving Scientific Literacy for All (2021-2035), which covers raising women's scientific literacy.
\nIt has issued the Guidelines for Science Education in Elementary and High Schools, improved the curriculum, textbooks, experimental teaching, teachers' training, and extra-curricular activity programs of these schools, and enhanced the coordination and transformation of science education resources.
\nTo inspire and cultivate female students' interests in science, public-interest programs aimed at female students have been rolled out, including the Science Lovers Program for Female College Students, Science Empowering Girls, Spring Bud InnoGirls Program, STEM Girls, and Her Science.
\nA program for raising the capabilities of female employees has also been implemented, and, in particular, efforts have been made to help them improve digital skills.
\nThanks to these initiatives and more, the gender gap in scientific literacy is continuing to narrow. The female sci-tech talent pool continues to expand in scale, improve in structure, and grow in capability, with female scientists now regularly making outstanding contributions in various fields, including basic theory, applied technology, and engineering. In 2024, female R&D professionals numbered 2.85 million, representing an increase of 1.69 million from that in 2012.
\nPanel 7 STEM Girls Program Kindles Girls' Science Dream
\nIn 2018, the China Women's Development Foundation established the public-interest program of STEM Girls for female high school students aged 12-16 to inspire their enthusiasm and interest in STEM subjects. Through open recruitment and online courses, the program selects outstanding female high school students and sends them to universities and research institutions, including Tsinghua University, Tongji University, the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In the study camps at these institutions, girls can engage in exploration and learning in mechanical engineering, energy sources in architecture, eco-environment, biophysics, and other STEM subjects. They conduct visits, research, and hands-on experiments, form innovative plans, and work for their application. In the seven years since its launch, the program has covered more than 100 high schools in 24 provincial-level administrative units, training more than 8,200 students and helping them embark on a journey of scientific exploration and move forward in steady steps.
\n4. Continuous Improvement in Social Security
\nChina has established the world's largest social security system. Built on the principle of ensuring universal coverage for all eligible individuals, the system aims to narrow urban-rural disparities, improve social security policies for key groups, strengthen support for women in difficulty, and steadily raise benefit levels. As a result of this system, women now enjoy more comprehensive, reliable and equitable social security.
\nMedical and old-age insurance systems achieved full coverage. China's healthcare security system has been continuously improved, supported by increased government subsidies for individual contributions to basic medical insurance among rural and non-working urban residents.
\nIn 2024, 651 million women were covered by basic medical insurance, accounting for 49.1 percent of all participants. Additionally, 260 million women were covered by basic pension insurance for rural and non-working urban residents, representing 48 percent of all enrollees, while 260 million women participated in the basic pension scheme for urban employees, constituting 48.2 percent of the total.
\nMore women are protected against unemployment and work-related injuries. Efforts have been made to safeguard employees' employment security, occupational safety, and health protections. By the end of 2024, approximately 105 million women were enrolled in unemployment insurance, accounting for 42.7 percent of all participants and reflecting a 70 percent increase since 2012. Additionally, about 117 million women were covered by work-related injury insurance, comprising 38.6 percent of all enrollees, and reflecting a 60 percent increase since 2012.
\nSpecific measures have been introduced to ensure that workers in new forms of employment receive effective assistance and compensation in case of occupational injuries. Real-time settlement of medical expenses for work-related injuries incurred outside the provincial-level unit where the patient is insured has been fully implemented, protecting the rights and interests of female workers and better meeting their healthcare needs.
\nMaternity protection for women has improved significantly. The integrated implementation of maternity insurance and basic medical insurance for employees has been fully advanced, and continuous efforts have been made to expand employer participation in maternity insurance and to gradually extend its coverage. Regions with the necessary conditions have been guided to include flexibly employed people in maternity insurance. For unemployed women, the unemployment insurance fund pay their maternity insurance contributions on their behalf during their period of unemployment benefit eligibility, while non-working women are covered for maternity medical benefits through their participation in the basic medical insurance scheme for rural and non-working urban residents. By the end of 2024, 111 million women were covered by maternity insurance. All 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, have included eligible assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in their medical insurance schemes.
\nSocial security for women in need is further strengthened. Subsistence allowance standards have continued to rise, with the national average urban and rural subsistence allowance standards in 2024 140 percent and 240 percent higher than those of 2012, respectively.
\nFinancial assistance or premium payments are provided for women from eligible disadvantaged groups, such as those receiving subsistence allowances or classified as extremely impoverished individuals, to participate in basic medical and pension insurance schemes for rural and non-working urban residents.
\nA comprehensive system of living subsidies for persons with disabilities facing financial difficulties and nursing subsidies for those with severe disabilities has been established. In 2024, about 9.40 million women received these subsidies, accounting for 46 percent of all recipients.
\nTargeted assistance and support initiatives have been implemented for rural stay-behind women in difficult circumstances, including efforts to establish records, ensure basic living standards, promote employment and income generation, and enrich cultural lives.
\n5. Improved Family Lives
\nChina places emphasis on fostering family culture, values, and traditions, recognizing the unique role of women in both social and family life. Efforts continue to be made to leverage women's distinctive contributions in promoting traditional Chinese family virtues and establishing positive family traditions. Policies supporting family development are continuously improved, enhancing families' capacity for development and creating favorable conditions for women to enjoy better family lives.
\nMore equal and harmonious family relations in the new era. Laws and regulations including the Civil Code, the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law have been promulgated to protect women's rights within marriage and the family.
\nA new marital and childbearing culture is widely promoted. Marriage and family counseling services are widely available at marriage registration authorities at or above the county level nationwide. Over 2,000 pilot units are advancing marriage customs reform, and activities such as "bringing new marriage and childbearing norms into households" are continuously carried out to promote values including gender equality, mutual respect, and shared parenting responsibilities between couples.
\nThe Fourth Survey on the Social Status of Women in China shows that 90 percent of married women participate in decision-making on major family matters, an increase of approximately 15 percentage points compared to 2010. The gender gap in time spent on household chores has narrowed, and there is a growing emphasis on marital relationships based on mutual respect and trust.
\nA family-friendly society gradually in shape. To meet the demands of high-quality population development and family wellbeing, measures have been introduced to improve childbirth support policies and develop a childbirth-friendly society.
\nThe childbirth leave system has been enhanced, with local regulations extending maternity leave and paternity leave and introducing parental childcare leave. Special additional deductions for individual income tax have been implemented, covering expenses for under-three children nursing, eldercare, and children's education. A childcare subsidy system has been established and implemented, while free pre-school education has been promoted in a phased way.
\nEmployers are encouraged to create "family-friendly workplaces" by adopting flexible working hours or remote work options after negotiating with employees to support them in both career development and childcare.
\nNursing facilities have been provided. By the end of 2024, 403,000 enterprises and public institutions with trade unions had set up nursing rooms for female employees. The provision of baby care rooms in public places has also been expanded, and design standards such as the Uniform Standard for the Design of Civil Buildings, the Standard for the Design of Office Buildings, and the Code for the Design of Railway Passenger Station Buildings now include requirements for such facilities. By the end of 2024, 1,449 baby care rooms had been established in railway stations; 5,371 in highway service areas (including parking areas); 286 on passenger ships and in port passenger terminals; 2,308 in secondary and above-grade bus stations; 2,599 in urban rail transit stations; and nursing rooms in all civilian airports with an annual passenger throughput of 5,000 or more.
\nPanel 8 The 15-Minute Community Life Circles Benefit Hundreds of Millions of Residents
\nThe 15-minute community life circle is a government initiative to improve people's lives by creating community business districts with diverse services. Residents in such communities should be able to meet their basic daily consumption needs and access quality services within a 15-minute walk.
\nTo address childcare needs, Shanghai has established more than 340 community-based childcare rooms in over 90 percent of its subdistricts and towns, providing temporary childcare services. For eldercare needs, Tianjin has set up 1,852 community canteens for seniors and built daytime care centers for the elderly, offering personalized eldercare services. To meet residents' daily needs, the Kangqiao Garden Community in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, has introduced affordable vegetable stalls, convenient barbershops, and small repair service points, enabling one-stop solutions for various household needs.
\nSince 2021, 4 batches of 210 pilot areas across the country have joined the initiative, building 5,510 community life circles that benefit approximately 125 million residents.
\nMore diverse services to reduce family care burden. A variety of childcare services are provided to families, including full-day, half-day, and temporary care options, and employers are also supported in establishing childcare facilities. By the end of 2024, there were 5.74 million childcare slots nationwide, with 4.08 slots per 1,000 people for children under three.
\nA family education guidance service system covering both urban and rural areas has been established. Relying on over 400,000 parent schools in urban and rural communities and more than 20,000 online new media platforms, family education guidance service teams have worked to organize rich and diverse parent-child activities, bringing scientific family education guidance services directly to households and communities.
\nThe eldercare framework has been optimized, where home care is supported by communities and professional institutions, featuring a combination of medical care and eldercare services. Services such as meal assistance, bathing aid, home modifications for the elderly, and barrier-free renovations for financially difficult families with members with severe disabilities have become more accessible.
\nPanel 9 Family Education in the New Era Strengthens the Foundation of Early Nurturing
\nChina places great importance on family education. The Law on Family Education Promotion has been enacted to strengthen parents' primary responsibility in guardianship, establish a collaborative mechanism for family education work, clarify state support measures for family education, and define the role of social forces in supporting family education. The All-China Women's Federation, the Ministry of Education, and other relevant departments have successively issued six five-year plans for family education, setting periodic targets and measures. The National Family Education Guidance Outline and Basic Behavioral Norms for Parents in Family Education have been formulated and revised to define the content of family education guidance.
\nExploratory efforts are made to establish an undergraduate program on family education in colleges and universities to train professionals for this sector. A life-cycle family guidance curriculum system has been developed, and the "Happy Family" online platform for family education services has been established. Family education instructors have been included as an occupation in the General Code of Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China. All these endeavors will promote the digital and professional development of family education and support families in scientific parenting.
\nThe domestic service sector continues to improve in quality and expand in scale. By the end of 2023, there were approximately 600,000 domestic service entities and 16,000 women-led domestic service community stations. National domestic service vocational skills competitions have been held to encourage skill enhancement among people working in this sector, provide a growth platform for more of them, and deliver high-quality services to families.
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nOn the new journey of Chinese modernization, every individual plays a key role. Connecting their own future with that of the country and the nation, Chinese women have devoted themselves to the building of a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful. They have attained major achievements in the new era, creating a better life through action and hard work.
\n1. Achievements in Promoting High-Quality Economic Development
\nIn promoting high-quality economic development, China is committed to expanding channels for women's participation, improving their capabilities, and stimulating their creativity. Women are "holding up half the sky" and playing an increasingly prominent role.
\nRealizing potential in employment and entrepreneurship. Upholding employment as a priority, China has increased fiscal investment, and implemented initiatives such as the Women's Action for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Action for Promoting Women's Employment and Entrepreneurship. Special recruitment sections and events for women have been held, sponsored by the National Employment Promotion Action and Spring Breeze Action, aiming to help more women find better jobs.
\nGender discrimination in employment has been placed under the scrutiny of labor protection supervision. The System of Special Labor Protection for Female Employees in the Workplace (Reference Text) and the System for Eliminating Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (Reference Text) have been formulated as guidelines for employers to improve their corresponding systems for protecting female employees' lawful rights and interests.
\nBy the end of 2024, RMB640 billion in loans had been provided to support 8.49 million women in realizing their entrepreneurial dreams. Since 2012, women have accounted for about 43 percent of the total employed population. According to the fifth national economic census in 2024, 42.6 percent of the employees in government agencies, public institutions, and state-owned enterprises were women, an increase of 3.6 percentage points compared to the fourth census.
\nPanel 10 Beautiful Crafts Workshops Providing Employment and Income Growth for Women with Disabilities
\nThe Beautiful Crafts Workshops program was jointly launched by China Disabled Persons' Federation and All-China Women's Federation in 2022 to help women with disabilities find employment and increase income. Through collaboration between the government, enterprises, and public service organizations, a full-chain service model integrating training, employment, entrepreneurship and protection has been formulated to ensure that women participating in this program have access to employment opportunities and secure stable incomes through the acquisition of important skills.
\nA total of 125 national-level Beautiful Crafts Workshops now provide disabled women with free training courses in hand knitting, embroidery, and pottery, and support some of them in setting up studios and engaging in live-streaming sales. This program has facilitated flexible home-based employment for 190,000 women with disabilities, doubling their average annual income compared to 2022. The outcomes have been displayed at major events including the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the UN Human Rights Council meetings, and the 10th International Abilympics.
\nThe scale of women's accomplishments is reflected in their significant representation among national honorees: They constitute 34 percent of the National Moral Models and 30.9 percent of the Most Beautiful Souls and National Exemplary Educators. Since 2012, a total of 1,821 women have been awarded the titles of National Model Workers and Advanced Workers, 1,957 have received the National May 1st Labor Medal, 5,001 have been honored as National March 8th Red-Banner Pacesetters, and 6,489 recognized as National Role Models for Women's Achievements.
\nPioneering innovation in science and technology. As part of the efforts to implement the Women's Action for Scientific and Technological Innovation, China has formulated the Measures on Supporting Female Talent to Play a Greater Role in Sci-Tech Innovation, which outline 16 concrete measures, including supporting female scientists to undertake national sci-tech projects and participate in decision-making on sci-tech development, as well as improving evaluation and incentive mechanisms for them.
\nThe National Natural Science Foundation has appropriately relaxed the age limits for female applicants in Categories A, B and C of the Young Scientists Fund, raising the maximum age thresholds by three years, two years, and five years respectively, compared to their male counterparts. Leveraging platforms such as the Zhongguancun Forum, Pujiang Innovation Forum, and World AI Conference, China has launched summits and forums for women working in science and technology, and hosted the Women Technicians Forum and a range of training programs for high-caliber female sci-tech professionals. These actions have created platforms for women in STEM fields to conduct professional exchange and learning, apply their research outcomes, and serve the public.
\nToday, women account for 45.8 percent of all sci-tech researchers in China. They are tackling tough problems and achieving breakthroughs in pioneering fields, overcoming daunting obstacles, and scaling new heights at the forefront of innovation, and making significant contributions to building China into a sci-tech powerhouse with greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology.
\nPanel 11 Glorious Achievements of Female Sci-Tech Workers in China
\nThrough their unwavering dedication and exceptional wisdom, Chinese women have made groundbreaking contributions across diverse fields of science and technology, writing glorious chapters in the nation's rich history of sci-tech innovation.
\nTu Youyou, chief scientist at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and a recipient of the Medal of the Republic, was the first person to discover artemisinin. This class of drugs has significantly reduced the mortality rate of malaria patients and saved millions of lives globally. Tu's pioneering research led to her becoming the first home-grown Chinese scientist to receive a Nobel Prize.
\nLiu Yang, China's first female astronaut, Wang Yaping, the first female taikonaut to walk in space, and Wang Haoze, the first female aerospace flight engineer to board China's space station, each courageously challenged the unknown, demonstrating the strength of Chinese women in aerospace.
\nLiao Hong, professor at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, integrated applied basic research with agricultural production to build up about 20,000 hectares of eco-friendly tea gardens, providing a comprehensive solution to the eco-friendly planting and management of Wuyi rock tea.
\nFor over two decades, Shan Xinghua, recipient of the title Role Model of the Era, has led her team in developing the 12306 China Railway ticketing system into a super-large real-time platform with a world-leading transaction volume, boosting China's strength in transportation.
\nTaking the lead in rural revitalization. Through the Women's Action for Rural Revitalization, China has strengthened quality training to empower women farmers. Since 2017, the High-quality Farmer Training Program has trained over 2.24 million women farmers, and between 2022 and 2024, the project for cultivating leaders for rural industry revitalization trained 12,000 female individuals.
\nThe achievements of women in rural revitalization have been recognized through initiatives like the Double Hundred and Double Thousand Initiative, which recognizes outstanding rural craftspeople, 100 of whom in the first batch were women, accounting for 36.6 percent of the total. In the final round of the first National Farmers' Skills Competition, female participants comprised 69.5 percent of all winners. Furthermore, by the end of 2024, 134,000 female workers responsible for extending agricultural technologies and services had obtained professional titles, representing 35.4 percent of the total.
\nPanel 12 A Small Industrial Incubation Platform Galvanizing Women's Power for Rural Revitalization
\nAs a successful example of the Green Rural Revival Program in Zhejiang, Lizu Village in Yiwu has developed from a backward hamlet to a National Model Village, and women have played a vital role in this transformation.
\nThe village is home to a Shared Prosperity Workshop — an incubation platform for industrial projects that attracts numerous aspiring makers and entrepreneurs. This workshop operates as a women's alliance for shared prosperity, and follows a work mechanism under which community-level service centers introduce promising projects under the leadership of the local executive committee of women's federations. The project has helped local women start their own businesses, increasing their incomes and fostering integration between urban and rural areas.
\nAfter five years, the number of makers and entrepreneurs has increased from over 30 to 272, among which 75 percent are women. The "Homemade by Mom" food street and the Women's Fair have increased women's incomes by over RMB13.7 million, while live-streaming activities to promote agricultural products have generated sales of RMB27 million. This small incubator has created big opportunities for women to embrace prosperity.
\nPursuing excellence in the digital economy. China has issued the Action Plan for Strengthening the Digital Literacy and Skills of the General Public and the Action Plan for Digital Rural Development, which include measures such as carrying out digital literacy education and skills training for women and developing women-led e-commerce brands. Chinese women have answered the call of the digital age, and are committed to developing the digital economy, with 14,147 women obtaining the vocational skills certificates for AI trainers in 2024 alone — comprising 42.3 percent of the yearly total. Women represent over half of the entrepreneurs in the internet sector and about one third of the workforce engaging in new business forms such as digital trade, e-commerce, and live streaming. As the digital economy advances, it is providing more opportunities for women.
\nPanel 13 The \"AI Dou\" Project: Helping Women Excel in the Digital Economy
\nThrough digital empowerment, the China Women's Development Foundation is pioneering innovative pathways for women's development. In 2019, the organization launched the "AI Dou" Project for AI industrial incubation in conjunction with relevant businesses. This project aims to help stay-behind women and returning youth to secure data annotation and similar jobs near home, by introducing digital employment opportunities to underdeveloped counties, carrying out vocational training, and incubating locally operated social enterprises. By the end of 2024, the project had established 16 digital employment centers in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Gansu, Guizhou and Ningxia, providing employment opportunities for over 7,500 women. Among those provided with stable jobs by the project, 70 percent were women.
\n2. Equal Participation in Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nAs China advances whole-process people's democracy, it remains committed to increasing women's participation in the management of state, economic, cultural and social affairs. Women enjoy equal political rights and actively participate in democratic practices, contributing their strengths with great enthusiasm.
\nExercising state power through the people's congresses. The proportion of women in people's congresses at all levels continues to rise. In the 14th NPC convened in 2023, there were 790 women deputies, accounting for 26.5 percent of the total. This represents an increase of 3.1 percentage points from the 12th NPC and 1.6 percentage points from the 13th NPC. At the county and township levels, women constitute 31.64 percent and 32.36 percent of deputies, respectively. These women deputies fulfill their duties in accordance with the law, soliciting and reflecting public opinion from all sectors of society. Between 2018 and 2025, NPC women deputies put forward 29,328 suggestions, criticisms and opinions, accounting for 42.3 percent of the total.
\nPanel 14 Women Deputies to the People's Congresses Practicing Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nZhu Guoping, an outstanding representative of the "neighborhood chiefs" in Shanghai, has been a key figure in her local community for over three decades. She served as a deputy to three consecutive NPCs — the 11th, 12th, and 13th — where she had a particular focus on eldercare, childcare and healthcare. Among her suggestions in these fields, two proposals calling for increased fiscal investment in general practitioners and pediatricians were both adopted by the Ministry of Finance, earning her praise as someone who "bridges national policy decisions with public concerns".
\nHongqiao Subdistrict, where Zhu works, functions as a community-level legislative outreach office, set up by the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee. It has solicited opinions for 97 draft laws, including the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and the Law on the Protection of Minors. The subdistrict has proposed over 3,200 suggestions, with 280 being adopted after review, channeling grassroots legislative input to the Great Hall of the People.
\nDiscussing state affairs and making suggestions at consultative meetings of the CPPCC. The proportion of female members in the CPPCC National Committee and local committees has seen a consistent increase. In 2023, 487 female members served on the National Committee of the 14th CPPCC, accounting for 22.4 percent of the total — an increase of 4.6 percentage points and 2 percentage points from the 12th CPPCC and 13th CPPCC, respectively. In the same year, there were 5,401 female members on the provincial-level committees of the CPPCC, accounting for 27.36 percent of the membership at this level. The female members fulfill their duties in full and play a major role in political consultation, democratic supervision, and the deliberation and administration of state affairs. Since the 14th CPPCC National Committee, female members have submitted 4,282 proposals, representing 26.6 percent of the total.
\nActively engaging in decision-making and administration. China attaches importance to the cultivation and selection of female officials and the recruitment of women into the CPC. It has formulated and implemented outlines for strengthening Party and government leadership teams and on women's development, which set specific quantitative and proportional requirements for the appointment of female officials and female heads of leadership bodies. These goals are expected to be met while strict quality standards are upheld.
\nThe proportions of women among the CPC membership and delegates to the Party congresses are increasing. In 2024, 30.9 percent of CPC members were female, an increase of 7.1 percentage points compared to the 2012 level. Female Party members accounted for 27 percent of the delegates to the 20th CPC National Congress, an increase of 4 percentage points from the Party's 18th National Congress in 2012. Women represent 42.3 percent, 43.78 percent, and 51.5 percent of all the judges, prosecutors and jurors nationwide.
\nExtensively participating in grassroots democracy. Effective measures have been taken in the villagers committee elections to expand women's membership. In 2022, women constituted 26.1 percent of villagers committee members and 54.3 percent of urban residents committee members, an increase of 4 percentage points and 5.5 percentage points, respectively, from 2012 levels.
\nFemale workers play an active role in democratic management in enterprises. In 2023, women employees made up 37.7 percent, 41.9 percent, and 34.2 percent of the boards of directors, boards of supervisors, and workers' congress representatives, increasing by 11.4 percentage points, 14.9 percentage points, and 4.4 percentage points, respectively, compared to 2012. A total of 431,000 councils of women have been established in urban and rural communities, facilitating extensive consultations on public affairs concerning women's immediate interests.
\n3. Excellence in a Flourishing Culture
\nIn developing a thriving socialist culture, China has given full play to women's role in creating cultural wealth and cultivated female talent in the cultural sector. Through innovation and with creativity, women have made a significant contribution to preserving cultural heritage and promoting the best of traditional Chinese culture.
\nDemonstrating vitality at the forefront of culture and communication. Women have become a pillar of cultural prosperity and development and are playing an increasingly important role in cultural creation, communication and studies. Female writers and artists have produced masterpieces that have shaped the image of women in the new era, as varied as the Peking Opera Mother, ballet Yimeng, prose works My Altay, TV series She and Her Girls, movie Huang Wenxiu, documentary Aunt Haiyun, variety shows The Daughters of Chinese Villages and Sisters Who Make Waves 2024, and short drama Got Old Recently.
\nBy the end of 2023, about 456,900 women across the country were employed in the radio, television, and online audio-visual sectors, comprising 43.14 percent of the total employees. In the senior professional title evaluations for the journalism section organized by the National Press and Publication Administration in 2024, women accounted for 44.1 percent of those receiving senior professional titles and 50.6 percent of those gaining associate senior ones.
\nWomen constitute 27.5 percent of participants in key talent initiatives in the field of public communication and culture, including 45.2 percent of successful candidates in the cultural talent program and 42.5 percent in the youth cultural talent program under the National Cultural Talent of Excellence Initiative. Through their work in culture and communication, women have vigorously committed themselves in the promotion and practice of the core socialist values.
\nShowing strengths in preserving and vitalizing ethnic cultures. By passing down traditional crafts and facilitating cultural innovation and dissemination, women are injecting new vitality into ethnic cultures. Among the 3,997 recognized representative bearers of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) items on the national list, 25 percent are women. The research and training program for ICH bearers has provided training for 51,000 people, with women accounting for 57 percent. Under the plan on revitalizing traditional Chinese craftsmanship and the specialized initiatives to revitalize rural areas by promoting ICH, many women have played a leading role in transforming local natural resources and rural cultural assets into cultural products and industries. Handicraft brands such as "Dove Flower: Songtao's Miao Embroidery" in Guizhou and "Weiyuan Tu Ethnic Coiling Embroidery" in Qinghai are shining examples of this transformation.
\nNew business models — often fronted by women — such as "ICH plus guesthouses", "ICH plus cultural products", and "ICH plus study trips" have also been launched in recent years, breathing new life into traditional ethnic cultures. The rise of digital technology has allowed traditional culture to flourish again, and an increasing number of young women now play a central role in promoting the "China-Chic" trend and preserving and vitalizing ICH, facilitating ICH's integration in modern life and helping it reach a global audience.
\nExcelling in both competitive and mass leisure sports. The Outline for Building a Strong Sporting Nation has explicitly set the goal of achieving balanced development between men's and women's events. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games issued a Gender Equality Commitment covering 14 specific areas, including equal participation, gender-equal and fair portrayal, and gender equality in leadership and workforce.
\nPanel 15 Creating Masterpieces and Promoting Civilization with Stitches and Threads
\nFemale embroiders, with needles as brushes and silk threads as ink, create delicate works that embody the resilience, patience, and determination of the Chinese people through every stitch and thread. These artisans are committed to revitalizing ancient techniques in a modern society.
\nSuzhou embroidery is one of the four most celebrated forms of Chinese embroidery. The art form originated in Zhenhu Township, where local women are now encouraged to set up their own embroidery businesses. As a result of this push, over 90 percent of Suzhou embroidery entrepreneurs are women.
\nMiao embroidery is another highly praised technique, celebrated as a "wordless epic created with colorful threads and a living totem worn on the body". Under the Brocade and Embroidery Initiative, Guizhou Province has empowered over 500,000 women working in handicraft industries such as Miao embroidery and batik to create a splendid life through splendid products.
\nWith a history of over 3,000 years, Li brocade is renowned as a "living monument of Chinese textile history". Currently, 18,000 female weavers work to preserve and develop this art. Tibetan carpet making is a skill that boasts thousands of years of history. Tibetan women begin learning the weaving techniques from a young age and pass down this precious craftsmanship through generations. Women in the Chaoshan area in southeastern Guangdong, based on traditional stitching techniques, have pioneered innovations to create 3D double-sided padded embroidery, carrying forward this traditional art in a modern world.
\nThe number of female elite athletes in China has witnessed rapid growth, and the proportion of international-level female athletes has remained above 50 percent. Since 2012, across the four consecutive Summer Olympic Games, female athletes have accounted for over 55 percent of competitors and won over 60 percent of the medals. During the same period across the four Paralympic Games, women have made up 50.22 percent of participants and secured 55.62 percent of the medals. Female athletes fight for their nations, collaborate in unity, and challenge their limits, playing an equal role as their male counterparts in competitive sports. The fighting spirit of the Chinese women's volleyball team has inspired the Chinese people to this day.
\nExtensive fitness-for-all programs are carried out nationwide, and a program of cultivating female community sports instructors in rural areas has provided training for over 65,000 women in 10,000 villages. By the end of 2024, there were about 3.71 million community sports instructors across the country, among which 56.1 percent were women, demonstrating women's leadership and responsibility in advancing China's fitness-for-all initiative in the new era.
\n4. Women's Undertakings in Grassroots Social Governance
\nIn building a grassroots social governance model based on collaboration, participation, and common interests, China has attached great importance to the role of women and women's organizations, expanded the channels for their orderly participation in grassroots governance, and ensured their involvement in managing grassroots-level public affairs and public-interest undertakings in accordance with the law. Chinese women have excelled in these roles, becoming a major force in grassroots governance.
\nThe positive role of family ties, values, and traditions in grassroots governance. China has improved mechanisms that help to foster family virtues, facilitate education cooperation between families, schools and society, deliver more accessible family services, and resolve marital and family disputes, supporting women in nurturing harmony within households, and thus contributing to a more peaceful and harmonious society for all.
\nFamily virtue cultivation activities such as the selection of the "Most Beautiful Families", "Model Families", and "Five-Virtue Families", and initiatives like "Share Your Family Rules, Mottoes, and Values", "Family Virtues in Letters", and "Family Education Cultivates Values and Virtues" have been organized. These activities champion the new socialist family morality and values, emphasizing love for the country and family, mutual care, devotion to progress and kindness, and joint efforts with shared benefits. A total of 1,597 households have been honored as "National Model Families", 6,258 as "National Five-Virtue Families", and 16.48 million as the "Most Beautiful Families". Additionally, more than 500,000 lectures, exhibitions and performances on family values and traditions have been hosted around the country, attracting a combined attendance of 250 million people.
\nPanel 16 Family Points System Contributing to Rural Governance
\nGansu Province has implemented an innovative system, which breaks down key aspects of rural governance into points for households in villages and communities. Clear criteria and scoring standards are established for adding or deducting points. Law-abiding families that demonstrate harmony, mutual support among neighbors, and industriousness can collect points by adopting a green lifestyle, participating in public-interest programs, and discarding outdated customs. These points can then be redeemed locally for a wide range of household goods. The initiative has inspired women and their families to participate more actively in rural governance and efforts to improve their living environment and beautify their villages, driving big impact in grassroots governance with ingenuity.
\nWomen's extensive participation in building a peaceful and harmonious community. Women actively participate in the comprehensive maintenance of public order and contribute to resolving problems and disputes at the grassroots level. Local governments have been exploring a "Women's Federations Plus" mediation model. By the end of 2024, 3,690 mediation commissions above the county level for resolving marriage and family disputes had been established under the leadership of women's federations. Marriage mediation organizations now provide service at comprehensive governance centers, litigation service centers, and community police offices, and marriage mediation offices have been established at the village and community level. Since 2016, nearly 1.36 million cases have been resolved through mediation. In 2023, 295 women mediators were commended by the Ministry of Justice as National Model Mediators, accounting for 29.5 percent of those recognized.
\nWomen also play an active part in patrols for maintaining order and in supervision. The "Jiangdong Aunties" team in Jingkou District, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province has completed 5,000 hours of voluntary patrols and participated in over 1,000 public service activities since its establishment in 2017. The "Xicheng Aunties" in Beijing and women community liaisons in Weinan City, Shaanxi Province, have promptly identified and reported potential risks for social governance, working at the forefront of conflict resolution at the grassroots level. Women acting as community workers, grid managers, and residential building chiefs have made significant contributions to building a peaceful and harmonious community.
\nPanel 17 Mediation Office for Promoting Family Harmony
\nIn 2016, the Women's Federation of Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, established a Marriage and Family Disputes Mediation Office and launched a project to promote marital and family harmony and ensure the legal rights of women and children. A set of operational mechanisms was established, including joint meetings, information sharing, and rotating professionals, and experts in the fields of law, sociology, and psychology were recruited to form a dedicated voluntary service group.
\nBased on practical experience, a mediation method of "four aspects plus three synchronizations" was adopted to mediate disputes, wherein the "four aspects" refer to the psychological, legal, emotional, and rational dimensions, while the "three synchronizations" denote the alignment of answering questions with raising public awareness of the law, providing emotional guidance with teaching life experience, and resolving disputes with protecting rights. At the same time, a four-step method of stabilizing emotions, understanding demands, instilling hope, and establishing support was adopted in solving many family disputes. By the end of July 2025, more than 10,000 cases had been solved through this project, with a success rate of 95 percent, benefiting more than 30,000 individuals.
\nActive engagement in voluntary service and other public-interest programs. China emphasizes the healthy development of voluntary services and social organizations, among which women play an active role. In 2024, there were 24 million women registered as volunteers and 350,000 women volunteer teams. These volunteers play an important role in promoting national strategies, improving the people's wellbeing, and strengthening social governance. They have provided nearly one million voluntary services, covering all 17 goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The number of women in social organizations is on the rise. In 2023, women comprised 42.3 percent of the staff and 26.3 percent of the heads of social organizations respectively, up by 13.3 and 4.9 percentage points from 2012.
\nPanel 18 Wang's Volunteer Group: Inspiring More Women to Serve Their Community
\nIn 2005, Wang Lanhua, a Hui woman, former director on a residents committee in Wuzhong City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region formed a volunteer group with six former colleagues — a group she continues to lead 20 years later. Her voluntary service leaves no stone unturned, reaching every corner of the community to look after left-behind children and elderly people who live alone, while providing conflict resolution services and addressing people's immediate concerns. Wang and her team warm the residents' hearts with their selfless dedication, and their influence in community service has drawn more and more community members to join. These volunteers from different ethnic groups encapsulate the idea of all ethnic groups as one family with their solidarity and mutual help. Now, there are 1,315 registered volunteers in Wang's Volunteer Group, and Wang's dedication has seen her honored as a model for ethnic solidarity.
\n5. Women's Contributions in the Eco-environmental Field
\nChina upholds and acts on the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and promotes modernization based on harmony between humanity and nature by following a path of green development that gives priority to eco-environmental conservation. Women play an important role in building a beautiful China, and are continuing to develop the awareness and skills required to drive forward eco-environmental protection.
\nPanel 19 Princess of the Beavers
\nWomen are emerging as key practitioners in biodiversity protection, and Chu Wenwen represents a new generation of female conservationists committed to protecting local biodiversity. Born in 1994 in Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Chu founded the Altay Nature Conservation Association and launched a series of public-interest projects to protect beavers and other wildlife, including the Beaver Cafeteria, Beaver Guardian, and Beaver Ark initiatives. The Beaver Cafeteria project focuses on restoring shrubs in natural habitats, which provide food for more than 100 species of wild animal. The Beaver Guardian project mobilizes more than 500 herdsmen along the Ulungur River to participate in conservation efforts and serve as voluntary patrols. The Beaver Ark project established a professional wildlife rescue center that has saved over 400 wild animals injured or trapped by human activities. Thanks in part to Chu's efforts, the population of Mongolian-Xinjiang beavers (Castor fiber birulai) has increased by 250 to date, earning her the honorary nickname "Princess of the Beavers".
\nPromoting ecosystem protection and restoration. China pursues the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, grasslands and deserts, with the aim of establishing an overarching framework that extends from the mountaintops to the oceans. Women play a significant role in the nation's ecosystem protection and restoration. Among the 17,000 eco-environmental guardians working at the 190,700 sq km Sanjiangyuan National Park, 33.3 percent are women. The Women Tree-Planting Team in Changjiang Li Autonomous County of Hainan Province has been dedicated to planting more than six million coastal defense trees, establishing a forest spanning over 2,000 hectares in the desert after 30 years of trial and error. The women's militia company for sand control in Shaanxi Province has converted more than 933.33 hectares of barren deserts into oases covered with rows of trees over the past five decades. The women's volunteer team in Helan County of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region conducts regular activities to protect rivers, shoals, and birds, and the Women's Action for the Yangtze River Protection is an ongoing activity in Nanjing City of Jiangsu Province to provide vital protection for China's longest river. Women's perseverance and wisdom are shown in many aspects of eco-environmental protection, from green coverage expansion and desertification prevention and control, to the protection of forests, rivers, and biodiversity.
\nPanel 20 Sci-Tech Courtyard Supporting Green Agriculture
\nThe Sci-Tech Courtyard is a service platform that integrates agricultural scitech innovation, demonstration and promotion, and talent cultivation. In the Dongpo Sci-Tech Courtyard of Agricultural Skill Promotion in Meishan City, Sichuan Province, 33 team members — including 22 women — work on the front line of green agriculture. With women at its core, the team provides comprehensive services in skill training, field production guidance, problem identification and resolution, and industry chain alignment, benefiting more than 50,000 villagers. The Sci-Tech Courtyard also makes targeted efforts in new species selection, cultivation technique research for high-quality and high-yield crops, and the development of green planting and cultivation models. Over the past nine years, comparative trials of more than 400 paddy varieties have been completed, leading to the selection of 40 high-quality and high-yield species that have significantly increased the proportion of such crops in the region. Cultivation of 824,467 hectares of these paddies has generated a net income growth of RMB2.65 billion. In addition, more than 10 new planting techniques have been promoted, and research on green planting and cultivation models has been advanced, increasing crop yield and economic benefits while reducing pesticide use.
\nAccelerating the green transformation of production models. China upholds green and low-carbon development as a fundamental approach to resolving environmental problems, and promotes a sound economic structure that facilitates green, low-carbon, and circular development. Women actively participate in the efforts to promote green development in industry, shift the production model of agriculture, and improve the sustainable level of the service industry. By 2024, the number of companies in the green economy sector invested in by women entrepreneurs had reached 445,000, accounting for 27.4 percent of the total. These companies cover a range of market segments, including clean energy, organic agriculture, and eco-conservation. Scientific management of fertilizer and pesticide use and innovative ecological planting serve to save agricultural resources, improve the eco-environment of agricultural production areas, and supply high-quality green agricultural products, promoting the triple-win of less pesticide use, more income, and better environment. New models of eco-environmental businesses have been established, including urban modern agriculture, leisure agriculture, eco-tourism, high-quality homestays, and rural complexes. By the end of 2024, the number of family farms run by women reached 487,000, and women accounted for 68.6 percent of all holders of vocational skill certificates in rural homestay housekeeping.
\nLiving a green lifestyle. Green development is closely connected to each of our lives. Chinese women advocate the values of eco-civilization and encourage simple, moderate, green, low-carbon, sound and healthy ways of life and consumption by integrating these concepts into everyday routines. They have played a leading role in building green families through saving water and electricity, participating in the "Clear Your Plate" campaign, using green modes of transport, and engaging in waste sorting. Women also actively participate in developing beautiful courtyards and harmonious villages, guided by standards such as tidy rooms, hygienic kitchens and toilets, neat courtyards, abundant greenery, and harmonious families. To date, more than 12 million households have been awarded the title of "Beautiful Courtyard". Women are consistently in the frontline of enhancing public awareness of environmental protection and improving community environment. For example, in Shanghai, a themed campaign was launched to find 10,000 families living a green lifestyle and recruit 100,000 family waste sorting volunteers, creating a good atmosphere for the million families participating in this endeavor.
\nParticipating in disaster prevention and mitigation. China regards people's lives and safety as the primary goal of disaster prevention and mitigation. It boosts public participation and improves the capabilities of the whole society to defend and respond to disasters, and women play a key role in this — particularly in investigation and identification of potential risks and hidden dangers, early warning and treatment, and information reporting. In 2024, women accounted for 23.6 percent of disaster information assistants nationwide, totaling 267,000, and comprised 61.6 percent of national chief meteorological experts. Women actively participate in disaster relief operations and public education on disaster prevention and mitigation, and promote family education in relevant fields. There are 13.71 million registered women fire volunteers nationwide, representing 52.4 percent of the total. The National Natural Disaster Emergency Relief Plan put forward requirements for safeguarding the rights and interests of special groups. Through the collaborative efforts of the government and society, material guarantee for special needs, such as women's hygiene products and supplies for pregnant and postpartum women, has been strengthened.
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nChina upholds the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, aligns with the prevailing global trends towards peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, and actively advances the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. Through close cooperation with other countries, China is helping accelerate the creation of an international environment conducive to women's development and a better world for all.
\n1. Participating in Global Governance on Women's Issues
\nChina plays a leading role in implementing the spirit of the UN Fourth World Conference on Women and advances global governance on women's issues through concrete actions.
\nSupporting the central role of the United Nations. China has co-hosted the Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment with UN Women to encourage countries to fulfill their commitments and inject new momentum into the global advancement of women. At the UN Human Rights Council, China has repeatedly delivered joint statements on promoting and protecting women's rights, pushed for the adoption of relevant resolutions, and called on countries to work together to implement the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action. China consistently sends high-level delegations to the sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and collaborates with UN organizations and agencies to conduct seminars on women's poverty reduction, the digital economy, inclusive finance, technology empowerment, and gender equality amid demographic changes, sharing China's experience in promoting women's development. Since 2015, China has donated US $20 million to UN Women and carried out practical cooperation with multiple UN specialized agencies on women's issues. In partnership with UNESCO, it has established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education and implemented projects in Africa focusing on digital and health education for girls. Chinese women hold important positions and serve as experts in the UN system, contributing their expertise to global governance on women's issues.
\nPanel 21 China and UNESCO Jointly Established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education
\nIn 2015, China partnered with UNESCO to establish the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education, which recognizes institutions and individuals that have made outstanding contributions to advancing education for girls and women. This is the first prize of its kind established by UNESCO. Proposed and funded by the Chinese government, it is awarded annually to two laureates, who each receive US $50,000 to further their work in girls' and women's education. As of 2024, 18 organizations and projects from 18 countries had received the award, including the Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education. This prize has provided an increasing number of girls and women with opportunities to change their lives and pursue their dreams. It has also raised greater awareness of and support for girls' and women's education among more people, thereby galvanizing concerted efforts to advance global gender equality in education.
\nFirmly fulfilling international obligations. China fulfills its obligations under international conventions such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, regularly submits national implementation reports, and actively participates in review processes to promote gender equality and women's development. It actively implements the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, continuously improves women's living conditions and expands their development prospects, and has achieved the poverty reduction and health-related targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule. Through these efforts, China has not only improved the lives of Chinese women, but has also offered the international community its approach to safeguarding women's human rights.
\nLeading and advancing multilateral and regional agendas for women's development. At the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, China proposed the Global AI Governance Initiative, emphasizing the need to avoid gender bias in AI development. The country also facilitated the adoption of the Resolution on Enhancing International Cooperation in Capacity-Building of Artificial Intelligence at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, which underscores ensuring universal benefits from AI, enhancing digital inclusion and achieving gender equality while empowering women and girls. Since 2012, China has hosted 29 women's conferences under frameworks including APEC, G20, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), China-ASEAN, China-Africa, China-Arab States, China-Central Asia, and Lancang-Mekong Cooperation. Through these mechanisms, China has deeply engaged in cooperation on women's issues, focusing on topics including poverty reduction, development, employment, business startup, education empowerment, and pandemic response. These efforts have facilitated targeted experience-sharing, dialogues, and collaborative actions, enabling China to advocate actionable propositions for advancing women's comprehensive development, inclusivity, and sustainable development.
\n2. Deepening Cooperation and Exchanges to Advance Women's Development
\nChina integrates the deepening of women's development cooperation into the frameworks of high-quality Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and South-South cooperation, to jointly promote women's sustainable development.
\nAdvancing women's development in BRI participating countries. China actively promotes high-quality BRI cooperation. Initiatives such as the Silk Road E-commerce have created employment opportunities and pathways for women in these countries, and digital technology enablement program for women in ASEAN countries — alongside other related programs — have supported women in the region in seeking employment and starting businesses. For 10 consecutive years, China and partner countries have jointly hosted a series of events under the theme "Pool Women's Strength for Belt and Road Cooperation", encouraging women in these countries to become supporters, participants, contributors, and beneficiaries of the BRI.
\nSupporting women's poverty reduction and development in South-South cooperation. China supports developing countries in improving women's living conditions and development environment. It has implemented 100 maternal and child health projects and 100 happy campus projects, along with a series of small but effective public wellbeing programs focusing on housing, rural roads, and technology training to empower women and girls. Through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has carried out women-related projects worth nearly US $40 million across over 20 countries. Additionally, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund has allocated RMB12 million to support women's development programs. Through foreign aid training and technical assistance, Juncao technology has helped women in 106 countries gain meaningful employment.
\nPanel 22 Juncao Technology Assistance: Empowering Women in Developing Countries to Realize Their Dreams
\nJuncao technology is a unique Chinese method for cultivating edible and medicinal fungi that uses grass as a substitute for wood. First included in China's foreign aid programs in 1994, it has since been introduced to 106 countries. In Lesotho, a compact 10-square-meter Juncao mushroom cultivation model has enabled impoverished farmers with limited land to produce 1.2 tonnes of fresh Juncao mushrooms annually from a single 10-square-meter plot. In African and Pacific Island nations, women use Juncao as livestock feed to mitigate shortages caused by climate change. Seruwaia Kabukabu from Fiji has led local women in growing Juncao mushrooms, significantly improving the living conditions of families in her community. In recognition of her work, she has been elected as chairperson of the Fiji Mushroom Farmers Association. Juncao has thus become a "grass of happiness" for people in developing countries.
\nDeepening international cooperation in women's capacity building. China continues to strengthen and expand support training programs focused on women and children in developing countries. Since 2018, it has implemented over 100 programs in this domain, including the Seminar on Promoting Maternal and Child Health Under Global Development Initiative, and the Seminar on Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries — Women and Children. Additionally, China has launched degree programs in women's leadership and social development, training nearly 4,000 outstanding professionals in the field of women's development. An exchange and training base for global women's development cooperation has been established in Beijing to design tailored empowerment programs for women in developing countries. Training and exchange centers for Chinese and foreign women have been set up in collaboration with 15 countries, and through international cooperation in vocational education, the Luban Workshops have trained 5,944 female students, who account for 23.25 percent of all participants in the project.
\nSolid progress in people-to-people exchanges in the field of women's affairs. China has actively developed global partnerships and engaged in comprehensive, multi-channel friendly exchanges with women's organizations and institutions from over 140 countries. It has conducted dialogues with foreign female political leaders, spouses of heads of state, and female government ministers, organized high-level delegations for overseas visits, and pioneered new approaches to high-level women's foreign exchanges. China has deepened women's exchanges under its cultural and people-to-people exchange mechanisms with other countries, holding thematic seminars on women's entrepreneurship, economic empowerment, education, anti-domestic violence, and family culture, while strengthening cooperation in areas such as women's rights and interests, bridging the digital gender divide, and promoting women's participation in sci-tech innovation and sustainable development. The Female Diplomats' China Adventures series has been launched to share the practical experiences of Chinese women in economic development and grassroots governance, and exchange insights on promoting gender equality. China supports women's participation in cross-cultural exchanges, with women accounting for 80 percent of dispatched Chinese-language teachers and 90 percent of volunteers in international Chinese language education.
\n3. Actively Addressing Global Challenges
\nChina supports women in playing an active role in maintaining peace and security, and in addressing challenges including climate change, public health crises, and humanitarian disasters.
\nSupporting women's participation in maintaining peace and security. China has taken concrete actions to implement UN Security Council resolutions on "Women, Peace and Security", supporting women's important roles in conflict prevention, peace negotiations, and post-conflict reconstruction. In 2022, the China-UN Peace and Development Trust Fund initiated a training program for senior female talent to promote gender equality in high-level positions within UN peacekeeping operations. China has deployed over 1,200 female peacekeepers and more than 100 female police officers to UN missions, who have participated in medical support, liaison and coordination, mine clearance, patrols and observation, and efforts to advance gender equality and protect women.
\nPanel 23 Chinese Female Peacekeeping Officer Received an Honorary Certificate for UN Military Gender Advocate Award
\nThe UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award was established in 2016 to recognize peacekeepers who have made outstanding contributions to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. On May 29, 2020, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Chinese officer Xin Yuan, a senior mine clearance staff officer at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), received an award in this category in recognition of her exceptional service, becoming the first Chinese service member to win this honor. Xin was the only female staff officer responsible for mine clearance operations in UNIFIL. She assumed significant risks by conducting surveys in minefields alongside clearance teams, developed meticulous clearance plans, and completed mine clearance tasks 34 days ahead of schedule, clearing over 1,500 square meters of minefields. Her efforts earned her special commendation from the UNIFIL headquarters.
\nEmpowering women to address climate change. China has consistently organized training programs on South-South cooperation for climate change response, implementing a gender-balanced enrollment policy. Since 2022, nearly 300 female officials, experts and scholars from developing countries engaged in climate change projects have participated in training programs in China. From 2012 to 2024, China conducted nearly 100 foreign aid training projects in meteorological monitoring, forecasting, and services, with women accounting for 36.72 percent of the trainees. It has donated 5,000 household solar photovoltaic power generation systems and 10,000 clean cooking stoves to Myanmar, reducing indoor air pollution and its associated health risks while supporting the country's low-carbon transition. The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund supported Cambodia in implementing a project on gender mainstreaming in climate action, enhancing rural women's climate adaptability and resilience.
\nAddressing women's needs in international humanitarian assistance. In efforts to alleviate migrant and refugee crises, China has placed high priority on women and children, encouraging women to register as recipients of household assistance supplies and providing special care for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Projects in the Republic of Congo specifically target pregnant and breastfeeding women as beneficiaries, effectively reducing malnutrition rates among women and children. In 2023, China provided over 120,000 hygiene kits, valued at US $1.5 million, to Rohingya women and girls seeking refuge in Bangladesh, benefiting more than 60,000 women and girls.
\nConclusion
\nThe pursuit of gender equality is a great cause. In the new era, the spirit of self-esteem, confidence, independence and self-reliance among Chinese women is demonstrated as the Chinese people forge ahead with resolve under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The glorious journey of women's development in China is deeply integrated into the process of achieving the Two Centenary Goals under the Party's leadership. Never before have Chinese women enjoyed such tremendous opportunities to realize their full potential and achieve their dreams, and never before has the cause of Chinese women borne witness to such broad prospects for development.
\nToday, China is working to build a great country and achieve national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. This requires pooling the strength of hundreds of millions of women and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development at a higher level. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China will unswervingly follow the path of women's development under socialism with Chinese characteristics, adhere to the fundamental national policy of gender equality, and thoroughly implement the Outline of Women's Development in China to enhance women's overall capabilities. Through these efforts, the country will create conditions and platforms for women to participate in economic and social development, protect their legitimate rights and interests, and encourage them to stand at the forefront of the times.
\nIn today's world, promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development presents both opportunities and significant challenges. All countries must strive to create safe and secure environments for women's survival and development, eliminate violence, discrimination and poverty, and effectively address the impact of climate change. It is essential to continuously empower women, ensuring they enjoy more and better opportunities and play more significant roles in the new revolution in science, technology and industry. We must adhere to true multilateralism, honor international obligations, and promote mutual learning and people-to-people exchanges among women worldwide. China is ready to work with countries around the world to expedite actions to create a brighter future for women's development and write a new chapter in the global progress of women.
\n", + "content": "\n\n\n\nContents
\nPreface
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nConclusion
\nPreface
\nThroughout history, women have played an essential role in shaping human civilization and have made immense contributions to social progress. But the paths towards gender equality and women's well-rounded development across the world have been long and arduous.
\nSince its founding in 1921, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has remained committed to women's liberation and development and gender equality. The CPC regards women as a major force for advancing all endeavors of the Party and the nation, always places the work concerning women high on its agenda, and leads women in their pursuit of liberation, progress and development. In doing so, the Party has opened a socialist path for women's development with Chinese characteristics.
\nThe 18th CPC National Congress in 2012 marked the beginning of a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In this new era, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has emphasized safeguarding women's lawful rights and interests and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development as integral components of Chinese modernization. Accordingly, it has made a series of major decisions and plans that are pioneering in vision, overarching in scope, and enduring in significance. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, initiated, planned for, supported and chaired the Party's first ever Central Conference on the Party's Work with People's Organizations in 2015, attended the 11th, 12th and 13th national women's congresses in 2013, 2018 and 2023 respectively, and held talks with each newly elected leadership team of the All-China Women's Federation. He has also delivered important speeches on work related to women and children, the role of women's federations, and the significance of family ties, values and traditions, thereby identifying the direction, objectives and guidelines of China's endeavors for women in the new era.
\nUpholding gender equality, among other basic national policies, has been incorporated into the CPC's political program, and promoting women's well-rounded development has been included in the national development plan. The legal system for safeguarding women's rights and interests also continues to improve. China has developed a sound approach to its endeavors concerning women. Chinese women actively participate in government initiatives, serve as advocates of civic virtues, fight for their dreams, and excel across all professions. In the new era, China has delivered numerous historic achievements in its endeavors concerning women. The Chinese socialist path for women's development continues to expand, opening ever-broader opportunities for advancement.
\nWomen around the world have a shared future. China's endeavors concerning women are an integral part of the global cause. In 1995, China hosted the Fourth World Conference on Women, organized by the United Nations. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the conference has since become a milestone for global gender equality. At important occasions such as the 2015 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment and the 2020 high-level meeting on the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, Xi Jinping, in his role as president of China, elaborated on China's propositions on gender equality and women's well-rounded development, and proposed holding another global leaders' meeting on women in 2025.
\nOn the occasion of the 2025 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, the Chinese government is publishing this white paper to present China's philosophy, principles, and innovative practices in promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development in the new era, highlight Chinese women's outstanding achievements and contribution, and affirm China's commitment to join global endeavors for women's advancement.
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nIn the process of Chinese modernization, based on China's realities and the trend of the times, the CPC leads Chinese women in exercising their lawful democratic rights, participating in social and economic development, and sharing the fruits of reform and development, all on the foundation of gender equality.
\n1. Upholding the CPC's Overall Leadership
\nThe CPC's leadership is the fundamental guarantee of China's work related to women. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has approached this work as an integral part of its broader strategic goal of achieving national rejuvenation, incorporating gender equality and women's well-rounded development into the overall architecture of Chinese socialism.
\nUpholding the fundamental national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children have been included into the reports to the 18th, 19th and 20th CPC national congresses, held in 2012, 2017 and 2022 respectively.
\nAt the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2019, the Party called for upholding and improving the systems and mechanisms for promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development and proposed leveraging the important role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance.
\nAt the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2020, upholding the national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children were written into the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, along with the promotion of family ties, values and traditions.
\nAt the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2021, the promotion of family ties, values and traditions and the protection of the rights and interests of women and children were incorporated into the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century.
\nAt the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in 2024, the Party incorporated improving the system for protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children and refining the mechanisms for leveraging the role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance into the overall plan for deeper comprehensive reform.
\nThis evolution in policy-making has ensured that China's endeavors concerning women have progressed smoothly under the CPC's overall leadership.
\n2. Implementing the Fundamental National Policy of Gender Equality
\nHighlighting gender equality as a basic national policy is an innovative practice of the Chinese socialist system and a momentous decision for advancing this cause and women's well-rounded development.
\nChina has improved top-level design and systematic planning accordingly. In formulating laws and policies and making plans and arrangements, the country has taken into full consideration the differences between women and men and the distinctive interests of women. It has promoted gender equality in rights, opportunities and outcomes, safeguarding women's rights and interests in accordance with the law.
\nChina is committed to cultivating a social ethos of respect and care for women, eliminating all forms of discrimination against them, and discarding obsolete ideas and practices that hinder their development. This more inclusive and dynamic social environment has allowed gender equality to truly become a shared social norm and part of the value system.
\n3. Synergizing Women's Development with Social and Economic Progress
\nDevelopment cannot be achieved without women, and its fruits should be shared by all. In this spirit, China has integrated the advancement of gender equality into its broader development process.
\nWomen's development has been incorporated into the Five-sphere Integrated Plan, which promotes coordinated progress in the economic, political, cultural, social and eco-environmental fields. Goals and tasks for women's development have also been embedded in the five-year plans for national economic and social development. The level of women's development is regarded as an essential measurement for social and economic development. With these efforts, China has synergized its endeavors for women with its social and economic progress in terms of planning and implementation, ensuring that modernization brings greater benefits to women in a fairer way, enabling them to enjoy a growing, guaranteed and sustained sense of gain, fulfillment and security.
\n4. Fully Leveraging Women's Proactive Role in National Development
\nWomen constitute a powerful force driving human progress, while at the same time shaping and determining their own futures. Upholding a people-centered philosophy of development, China respects the agency of women and has strengthened relevant institutional safeguards, policy support, and public service supply for their development.
\nChina has carried out programs encouraging women to strive for achievements, which seek to enhance women's overall capabilities, broaden channels for their participation in national development, and fully stimulate their enthusiasm, initiative and creativity, with an ultimate goal of realizing, safeguarding and improving women's vital and immediate interests to the maximum extent.
\nThe country encourages women to integrate their personal aspirations with the undertakings of the Party and the country, and to leverage their individual strengths in implementing the new development philosophy, fostering a new development dynamic, promoting high-quality development, achieving greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology, and advancing rural revitalization across the board. Utilizing their distinctive role in society and family, women are called upon to contribute considerably to the building of China into a great country and the realization of national rejuvenation.
\n5. Joining Global Women in Building a Bright Shared Future
\nHumanity lives in one homeland, and women around the world have a shared future. China upholds the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity, and facilitates the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. It advocates putting the people first, stays committed to results-oriented actions, and contributes Chinese initiatives, solutions and actions to global endeavors for women.
\nChina supports the United Nations in prioritizing women's development, promotes cooperation with the rest of the world in relevant fields, and builds international consensus on gender equality through extensive exchanges and mutual learning. Together with all other countries, China works to shape a global environment conducive to women's development, to safeguard international fairness and justice, and to make its due contribution to moving the world to a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress.
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nWomen's cause is an integral part of state governance. To advance this cause, China has continued to strengthen institutional support and safeguards, fostering the necessary conditions and environment for the comprehensive development of women.
\n1. Improving the Framework for Advancing Women's Cause
\nChina has established a mechanism for the work related to women, under which Party committees exercise leadership, governments assume primary responsibility, working committees on children and women play a coordinating role, women's federations work in collaboration, relevant departments provide support, and the whole of society participates. These concerted efforts have ensured that gender equality is upheld in all areas of economic and social development and all aspects of social life.
\nThe people's congresses have strengthened legislation and supervision. The National People's Congress (NPC) has established the Social Development Affairs Committee to undertake legislation, conduct supervision, and handle proposals and suggestions from NPC deputies concerning the protection of women's rights and interests. It attaches importance to incorporating legal initiatives for promoting women's development and safeguarding women's rights and interests into the legislative plans of its Standing Committee, and to soliciting opinions and accepting feasible proposals from women's federations and women themselves during legislative review and legal supervision.
\nAdditionally, the NPC hears and reviews the State Council's report on combating domestic violence, identifies the protection of female employees' lawful and special rights and interests as an important component of enforcement inspections of the Trade Union Law, and urges relevant departments to perform their statutory duties in protecting women's rights and interests. The people's congresses of 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government have also set up social development affairs committees to formulate local regulations to supplement national laws, thereby strengthening legal safeguards for women's rights and interests.
\nThe Chinese People's Government has effectively fulfilled its primary responsibility. The government has formulated and organized the implementation of outlines for women's development, and convened meetings on work related to children and women. The working committees on children and women have played their role as deliberative and coordinating bodies, and Party institutions, government departments, judicial authorities, and people's organizations have fulfilled their responsibilities in work related to women. The government has strengthened the statistics monitoring mechanism for the outlines for the development of women in China and established a gender statistics monitoring system covering over 2,400 indicators. Furthermore, gender has been incorporated as a key metric into national censuses and time-use surveys, and the fourth Survey on Social Status of Women in China has been conducted to assess women's development across multiple dimensions.
\nThe Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) has strengthened its role in conducting consultations and offering suggestions. CPPCC committees at all levels perform their duties in political consultation, democratic supervision, and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs. They conduct consultations on women's issues through a variety of channels and platforms, including subject-specific, sector-specific and proposal handling consultations, as well as consultative meetings with relevant departments. As one of the 34 sectors defined by the CPPCC, women's federations conduct research and consultations on key issues and major challenges in women's development, such as the protection of women's reproductive and health rights and interests. The National Committee of the CPPCC has conducted consultations and made suggestions to support women's development, addressing issues including fair employment and career development, the strengthening of family ties, values, and traditions, and universal access to childcare services.
\nWomen's federations have served as bridges for connection and communication. The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) is a people's organization of women of all ethnic groups and from all sectors of society in China. It unites women for further emancipation and development under the leadership of the CPC. The ACWF has established an organizational system of women's federations at the national, provincial, prefectural, county, township and village levels, covering government departments, public institutions, new types of economic entities and social organizations, and groups in new forms of employment.
\nWomen's federations at all levels have served as bridges linking the Party and the government with women, and as assistants to the Party. While supporting major national development strategies, they have performed their functions of guiding, serving, and engaging with women, and launched five key initiatives: providing women with political guidance; encouraging them to excel in the workplace; providing guidance and support in family education, family services, and the cultivation of family virtues; offering support for women's rights protection; and improving the problem-solving capability of women's federations and their staff's professional competence.
\nIn addition, women's federations have mobilized resources to support women's development through six practical measures: supporting female volunteers who provide care for children in need; growing the scale and quality of female-dominated family services; improving vocational training for women; developing a system of childcare services that is accessible to all; advancing the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project to help underprivileged schoolgirls; and telling engaging stories about the development of Chinese women. Through these initiatives, they have delivered accessible services and tangible benefits to women, children and families.
\n2. Setting Objectives and Tasks for Women's Development with Overall Planning
\nChina's national development plans have clarified the strategic tasks for women's development. Five-year plans are blueprints and guides of action for China's economic and social development during their designated time frames. The government has incorporated objectives for women's development into these plans for meeting its strategic goal of modernization.
\nThe 12th Five-year Plan (2011-2015) for the first time included a section dedicated specifically to advancing women's all-round development. It also set requirements for developing human resources with a focus on women, strengthening labor protection for women, and resolutely combating violence and crimes against women. The 13th Five-year Plan (2016-2020) further strengthened the protection of women's rights and interests and for the first time devoted a separate chapter to ensuring women's rights and equal access to education, employment, and participation in social affairs, and eliminating discrimination and prejudice against women. It also set the targets for poverty alleviation and reduction among women. The 14th Five-year Plan (2021-2025) outlines further measures to safeguard women's rights and interests in areas including health, education, employment, participation in state governance, and social security. For the first time, it contains a section specifically dedicated to the strengthening of family development which focuses on improving the supporting policies and services for this goal.
\nSpecial plans in related fields have been made to address women's practical development needs. Plans for improving people's wellbeing — including the Outline of Healthy China 2030, the Outline of the Development Plan for Education (2024-2035), and the special plans for boosting employment and the development of civil affairs undertakings during the 14th Five-year Plan period — have put forward policies and measures to improve the health of women and children, safeguard women's equal rights to education, support women's employment, entrepreneurship, and career development, and improve care and services for rural women who stay behind to care for families while their husbands work in cities.
\nThe National Medium — and Long-term Talent Development Plan (2010-2020) has outlined arrangements to promote gender balance in the talent pool and strengthen the training and selection of female talent. The National Action Plan for Scientific Literacy (2021-2035) has made specific arrangements to improve the scientific literacy of rural women. The National Human Rights Action Plan, in all four phases, includes a section on the measures for safeguarding women's rights and interests, covering personal, property, education, employment and health rights.
\nOutlines for women's development have laid out phased targets. Since 1995, China has formulated and implemented four outlines for women's development, each outlining the primary objectives, strategies, and measures for women's development in its corresponding phase.
\nThe Outline of Women's Development in China (2021-2030) contains 75 primary objectives and 93 strategic measures across eight fields: health, education, economy, participation in decision-making and administration, social security, family development, environment, and the legal sector. The document also outlines the 41 Party and government departments and institutions responsible for implementing these strategic measures.
\nNationwide, 31 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, along with over 300 prefectures and cities and more than 2,000 counties and districts, have formulated plans for local women's development based on their actual conditions. The objectives and tasks set in the Outline dovetail with national development plans, align with sector-specific plans, and are integrated across the national, provincial, city and county levels. A comprehensive planning system for advancing women's development is now firmly in place.
\n3. Strengthening Legal Guarantee for Women's Rights and Interests
\nContinuing to improve the legal system. Legal protection of women's rights and interests is an integral part of advancing law-based governance. China has established a legal system anchored in the Constitution and centered on the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, covering over 100 laws and regulations.
\nThe Civil Code was compiled, which includes a Personality Rights section that clarifies the definition of sexual harassment and the responsibilities of employers. Its Marriage and Family section improves mechanisms for the identification and settlement of marital debts, and economic compensation for unpaid domestic work in divorce proceedings.
\nThe Criminal Law has been revised to abolish the crime of "prostitution involving underage girls" and punish such acts as rape, raise the statutory minimum penalty for the crime of child molestation, and introduce harsher punishments for the crime of purchasing abducted and trafficked women. Additionally, the crime of sexual assault by a person with a duty of care has been added to the Criminal Law.
\nThe amended Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests has made more comprehensive and systematic provisions on the system and mechanism for protecting women's rights and interests. China has also formulated the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and created systems of compulsory reporting, admonition, personal safety protection order, and emergent protection.
\nThe revised Law on Land Contract in Rural Areas has improved the legal guarantees for rural women's land rights and interests, ensuring their rightful entitlement to land and corresponding rights. The Law on Rural Collective Economic Organizations has been formulated to provide institutional safeguards ensuring that women do not lose their membership, rights and interests in such organizations due to changes in marital status.
\nIn addition, the Legal Aid Law, the Law on Basic Medical and Health Care and the Promotion of Health, and the Population and Family Planning Law all have provisions for safeguarding women's rights and interests.
\nA gender equality review mechanism has been established at the national level and across all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government. This mechanism conducts assessments of laws and regulations related to women's rights and interests, ensuring that the fundamental national policy of gender equality is implemented in laws and regulations at the source.
\nPanel 1 Revisions to the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests
\nThe Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests was promulgated in 1992, amended in 2005 and 2018, and thoroughly revised in 2022, expanding from 61 articles in nine chapters to 86 articles in ten chapters with the revision.
\nThe Law fully embodies the fundamental national policy of gender equality and has strengthened the comprehensive protection of women's political rights, personal and personality rights and interests, and their rights and interests in culture, education, employment, social security, property, marriage, and family. It has added new provisions on the mechanism for safeguarding women's rights and interests, the mechanism for gender equality assessment of laws and regulations, the system for collecting and publishing gender statistics, and education on gender equality as a basic national policy. It has established legal aid channels, including a public-interest litigation system for safeguarding women's rights and interests, a mechanism for admonishing violators of women's rights and interests in employment and social security, and a nationwide service hotline for protecting women's rights.
\nOverall, the Law has strengthened legal liabilities and reinforced its rigidity.
\nStrengthening law enforcement and judicial protection. China has taken resolute actions to combat criminal and illegal acts that infringe upon women's and girls' personal rights. Since 2013, public security agencies have continued to carry out special operations targeting the abduction and trafficking of women and children. By 2024, the number of such cases had decreased by 95 percent compared with 2013.
\nChina has established an inter-departmental cooperation and consultation mechanism against domestic violence, issued guidelines on the implementation of admonitions against domestic violence and personal protection orders, and promulgated judicial interpretations clarifying specific interventions and prevention measures, and forms of evidence for identifying domestic violence.
\nThe systems and measures for preventing and addressing workplace sexual harassment have been improved, with the addition of "dispute over liability for damages caused by sexual harassment" as an independent cause of action. To strengthen the protection of the personal rights and interests of girls, China has established a compulsory reporting system for cases of offenses against minors, as well as mechanisms for urging parental care and supervision over minors, for preventing violators from engaging in certain occupations, and for providing one-stop judicial support.
\nProcuratorates at all levels have registered and handled 3,810 public-interest cases concerning women's rights and interests. Since 2012, legal aid institutions across China have provided legal assistance for women involved in over 4.2 million cases, and free legal consultations for over 20 million women.
\nRaising public awareness of the rule of law. China continued to formulate and implement the seventh and eighth five-year plans for popularizing legal knowledge, both of which include laws and regulations on protecting women's lawful rights and interests. The country has strengthened law promotion and interpretation efforts, and the NPC Standing Committee has organized press conferences to expound on the principles in formulating and revising the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law, and share their highlights.
\nEfforts have been made to raise public legal awareness through multiple channels and approaches. Since 2012, articles on protecting women's rights and interests published through the official WeChat account for law popularization have been viewed 91.36 million times, and the annual legal knowledge competition has attracted tens of millions of participants. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions has organized legal awareness activities for female employees for 11 consecutive years, and women's federations at all levels across China have held more than 3.76 million events to raise legal awareness and provide legal services since 2016, with the participation of over 400 million women.
\nIn 2024, courts and procuratorates across the country, in conjunction with women's federations, organized more than 4,200 open day events on safeguarding the rights and interests of women and children and released over 3,800 typical cases. A legal education program for rural women reached more than 86 percent of China's rural areas.
\n4. Creating an Equal and Harmonious Social Environment
\nVigorously promoting the fundamental national policy of gender equality. China has carried out targeted public education on gender equality across multiple dimensions and through multiple channels, promoting this basic national policy in government departments, schools, enterprises, urban and rural communities, and families.
\nFor Party and government leaders, the Implementation of Gender Equality as a Basic National Policy has been compiled as a coursebook and incorporated into the curriculum and teaching plans of Party schools. For students, education on gender equality has been promoted in elementary and high schools, as well as in universities, and integrated into textbook planning and regulatory standards, and guides for related courses. Gender balance is emphasized in textbook illustrations, and excellent female writers have seen greater representation in textbooks, to eliminate gender stereotypes in teaching materials.
\nFor the general public, gender equality has been incorporated into cultural and ethical development in both urban and rural communities, into self-regulations and rules for their residents, and into efforts to cultivate good family ties, values, and traditions. Party members and officials, experts, scholars, and those who work in women's affairs have given talks and lectures, and engaged in public communication on gender equality in approachable and popular forms, enabling the public to understand this basic national policy and apply it in their daily lives.
\nPanel 2 Guangdong Promoting Gender Equality Education in Elementary and High Schools
\nSince 2012, Guangdong Province has promoted gender equality education in schools. Targeting students in urban elementary and high schools, three types of courses have been developed, with a focus on cognitive understanding, behavioral norms and attitudinal guidance. These are themed courses on gender equality, integrated courses that incorporate ideas of gender equality into related subjects, and practical courses that engage students in all types of activities. Targeting students in rural elementary and high schools, courses have been developed for students in different grades with a focus on care for left-behind children, physical development during puberty, and prevention of sexual assault among adolescents.
\nBy the first half of 2025, Guangdong had established 661 demonstration elementary and high schools for gender equality education, with a professional teaching staff of over 1,500 members. Assessment results indicate that education on gender equality has generated a positive effect on both male and female students, raising their gender equality awareness, promoting physical and mental health, improving academic performance, and reducing bullying and disciplinary violations.
\nStrengthening the awareness of gender equality in the media. The Advertising Law and other relevant laws, as well as the Outline of Women's Development in China, all stipulate regulations regarding gender equality assessment and supervision in the media, prohibiting reports or advertisements with contents that disparage, undermine, or infringe upon women's dignity.
\nGender equality reviews have been conducted throughout the script development, production, screening, and distribution of films and TV programs. News outlets have issued lists of prohibited and offensive terms to eliminate discriminatory expressions in news reports. Media organizations have implemented a social responsibility reporting system and upheld the professional ethic of safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of women, children, the elderly, and the disabled and protecting their physical and mental health.
\nThe stories of women role models have been told through media coverage, special releases and events in recognition of their contribution, showcasing patriotism, devotion to the people, perseverance and progress in the face of challenges, and commitment to virtue and good deeds. Gender equality has now become a widely accepted social norm.
\nCreating a clean cyberspace. China has issued judicial interpretations, released exemplary cases, and carried out special operations to combat fraud, abduction, trafficking, rape, and other crimes against women and children committed or facilitated through online channels. Offenses that infringe upon women's personality rights, such as the illegal disclosure of personal information, defamation, and malicious online abuse, are strictly punished. Online platforms have taken on greater responsibility by addressing illegal and inappropriate content, including removing articles and short videos that advocate a preference for sons over daughters or exaggerate family disputes.
\nChina has increased the supply of high-quality online content. Special campaigns have been launched to introduce new media products showcasing women in the new era and their commitment to the country, such as the theme song Blooms of China, the women's federation promotional video Together, and the family values promotional video I Love My Family. These products have reached hundreds of millions of women and families, and facilitated new progress in providing theoretical and political guidance to women.
\nEfforts have also been made to improve the digital literacy of the general public, foster responsible internet usage among women, tell engaging stories of China and Chinese women, spread mainstream values, and promote positive energy online.
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nEradicating poverty, improving living standards, and achieving common prosperity are essential tasks of socialism. China has made continuous efforts to ensure people's access to childcare, education, employment, medical services, eldercare, housing, and social assistance, meeting women's expectation for a better life.
\n1. Elimination of Absolute Poverty
\nChina has organized the largest and most intensive poverty alleviation campaign in human history, benefiting the greatest number of people. By the end of 2020, it had successfully eliminated absolute poverty throughout the country, meeting the poverty reduction target of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. On this epic journey of poverty reduction, China has honored its solemn commitment that no one should be left behind, specifically targeting women as a key group to widen their path towards prosperity.
\nTaking targeted measures to guarantee basic living needs. China has adopted a targeted strategy in poverty alleviation. Under this framework, it maintains detailed records on the distribution of impoverished populations, the underlying causes of poverty, the specific categories of poverty, and the expectations of the poor. This approach guarantees the implementation of targeted efforts in six areas: identification of those in need, project arrangement, capital utilization, the introduction of household-specific measures, the dispatch of officials to villages based on local conditions, and the achievement of set goals. As a result, women, who comprise approximately half of the impoverished population, have benefited from targeted resource allocation.
\nThe Health Program for Poverty Alleviation and its health promotion campaigns have guaranteed access to basic medical and health services for impoverished rural women.
\nThrough education initiatives for poverty alleviation, compulsory education in impoverished areas has been steadily improved, ensuring that no school-age girls from poor families drop out of school due to poverty.
\nSocial security systems have been strengthened to ensure eligible women on the list of the registered poor receive subsistence allowances or assistance and support for the extremely poor.
\nRenovation of dilapidated houses in rural areas, particularly in severely impoverished areas, has been subsidized by the government. Relocation projects have helped over 9.6 million people, who originally lived in inhospitable areas, to emerge from poverty and seek development.
\nThe basic food and clothing needs of impoverished women have been guaranteed, and their access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing has been ensured.
\nAfter winning the battle against absolute poverty, the country initiated a five-year transition period during which poverty alleviation support policies remained in effect to buttress areas and populations that had recently emerged from poverty. Based on the stable operation of such policies, a robust dynamic monitoring and assistance mechanism has been established to prevent any relapse into or occurrence of poverty, and support remains in place for women lifted out of poverty and those in low-income areas to participate in the local economy, seek more employment opportunities, and increase incomes.
\nBoosting the economy to create job opportunities for women and raise their income. China is committed to the policy of development-driven poverty alleviation to empower impoverished women.
\nIt has strengthened industrial support by facilitating the gradient transfer of labor-intensive industries such as food processing and clothing manufacturing, benefitting 98.9 percent of poor households. By advancing east-west cooperation in labor services, setting up poverty alleviation workshops, and creating public-interest rural jobs, the country has provided job opportunities for poor women with the will and ability to work. In its efforts to alleviate poverty, China has leveraged new forms of business and industries such as e-commerce programs, photovoltaic technology, and tourism to help impoverished women find good jobs within their local communities. In ethnic minority areas, the transition of the hand-knitting business from a purely traditional craft to a driver of the local economy has transformed the lives of the women embroidery artisans in the Miao and Yi communities.
\nChina has increased fiscal and financial support. In the critical battle against poverty, special supportive polices such as offering subsidized loans requiring no collateral or guarantee and tax reductions or exemptions were introduced. Cumulatively, over RMB450 billion in guaranteed microloans and poverty alleviation microcredit were disbursed to women in need, and 8.7 million impoverished women saw their income increased through entrepreneurship. From 2021 to 2024, the country sustained a flow of microcredit designated for people recently lifted out of poverty, of which RMB76.83 billion were offered to nearly 1.93 million women.
\nEfforts in skills training have been strengthened, with training courses on vocational skills, entrepreneurship, and practical agricultural technology being held through multiple channels, at multiple levels, and in multiple forms. As of 2020, training programs had been organized for a total of 10.21 million impoverished women and female technicians. From 2023 to 2024, the Rain and Dew Program sponsored 632,000 women to receive vocational education, allowing them to continue their march out of poverty.
\nPanel 3 Poverty Alleviation Workshops for Women Help Women Find Jobs and Emerge from Poverty
\nPoverty Alleviation Workshops for Women constitute a targeted model that helps boost employment and incomes among impoverished women. The Guidelines on the Three-Year Action Plan for Winning the Battle Against Poverty issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council required the establishment of poverty alleviation workshops to employ people from poor households near their homes. In line with this document, governments in poor regions adopted measures such as employment subsidies, workspace rental subsidies, and credit assistance to encourage enterprises to establish poverty alleviation workshops for women in poor rural communities, helping them find work in fields such as agricultural products processing and handicrafts weaving. By providing employment opportunities close to home, local governments and enterprises have enabled women to balance earning an additional income with their farming and family duties. During the critical battle against poverty, more than 10,000 such workshops for women have been established nationwide, helping women in need find secure employment in their local areas.
\nIncreasing input to break the bottlenecks constraining women's development. China has advanced infrastructure development, fundamentally solving many of the issues impeding women's development in impoverished areas, such as insufficient access to transport, electricity, water and communications. Where conditions permit, all towns, townships, and administrative villages have been connected to paved roads and provided with bus and postal services. Full coverage of reliable power supply has been largely realized in rural areas. All counties have access to gigabit internet, all townships to 5G services, and all villages to broadband connections. By the end of 2024, 94 percent of the rural population had enjoyed access to tap water.
\nPanel 4 Female National Models for Poverty Alleviation
\nWomen fully performed their role as "half the sky" in the critical battle against poverty. Among the 10 individuals honored as national models for poverty alleviation by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council in 2021, five were women. They include Bai Jingying, who led 26,000 women in shaking off poverty through a new trail — working in the Mongolian broidery industry; Zhang Guimei, who leveraged her expertise in education to found China's first free senior high school for girls, helping more than 2,000 girls from impoverished mountainous areas reach university; Huang Wenxiu, a poverty alleviation official and a resident first Party secretary, and Zhang Xiaojuan, a vice director of a county-level poverty alleviation office, both of whom sacrificed their young lives for poverty elimination while working at the grassroots level to help residents solve difficulties; and Xia Sen, who donated her savings of RMB2,032,000 accumulated through a lifetime of work and frugality to improve schools in poverty-stricken rural areas, including through the provision of grants that have gone on to help 182 students from poor households enroll in university.
\n2. Notable Improvement in Health
\nPrioritizing people's health in its development strategy, China makes all-out efforts to build a healthy China, with women's and children's health the cornerstone of this work. By consolidating and improving institutional arrangements and optimizing resource allocation, the country provides women with full life-circle health services.
\nContinuous improvement of the maternal and child healthcare system. China has integrated its maternal and child healthcare network into its national medical and healthcare framework that covers its 1.4 billion people. A service system for maternal and child healthcare has been built, with maternal and child healthcare institutions as the core, community-level medical and healthcare institutions as the foundation, and medium and large hospitals and research institutes as the pillars.
\nFrom 2012 to 2023, the number of health professionals at maternal and child healthcare institutions increased from 277,000 to 537,000, with an annual growth rate of over 6 percent; the actual number of beds rose from 187,000 to 295,000, up by nearly 60 percent. At present, China has 3,081 maternal and child healthcare institutions, 3,491 treatment centers for high-risk and critically ill pregnant and postpartum women, and 3,221 treatment centers for critically ill neonates. More than 2,600 traditional Chinese medicine hospitals at Grade II and above have gynecological departments.
\nThe "internet plus maternal and child healthcare" service model has been developed, and training sessions and guidance for treating pregnant and postpartum women in severe and critical conditions have been provided through 31 provincial-level "cloud-based maternal and child healthcare" telemedicine platforms, making maternal and child healthcare services much more equitable.
\nPanel 5 Five Mechanisms for Maternal and Neonatal Safety Safeguarding the Health of Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Newborns
\nThe five mechanisms for maternal and neonatal safety covers pregnancy risk screening and evaluation, targeted management of high-risk pregnant and postpartum women, emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, maternal mortality case reporting, and admonition of underperforming healthcare providers. Based on the severity of pregnancy risks, pregnant and postpartum women are classified into one of five categories and each is assigned a label: green for low risk, yellow for common risk, orange for relatively high risk, red for high risk, or purple for carrying an infectious disease. Their treatment is then managed according to their category. This general system is supported by a nationwide, tiered network for treating pregnant and postpartum women and neonates in severe and critical conditions, which features coordination between different levels, highly efficient response, and orderly operation. It closely monitors key high-risk groups and strengthens the emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, thereby ensuring the safety of mothers and newborns.
\nBreakthroughs in solving key issues in women's health. China has strengthened its resource coordination to integrate the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B into major public health service programs. In 2024, the rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission in China fell to 1.2 percent, meeting the targets for eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission.
\nChina has promoted the comprehensive prevention and treatment of cervical cancer and breast cancer. Between 2009 and 2024, 342 million free screenings for cervical cancer and 245 million free screenings for breast cancer were carried out nationwide, and between 2012 and 2024, the central government allocated RMB3.01 billion for treatment and support for women with these forms of cancer. HPV vaccination has been incorporated into the government's public welfare initiatives in 18 provinces as of June 2025, benefiting 5 million girls of eligible age annually through free vaccination programs.
\nA group of specialty branches and outpatient departments focusing on women's healthcare have been established, covering the entire process of childbearing and women's full life cycle.
\nA reproductive health promotion campaign has been carried out. By the end of 2024, youth health education services had been provided in more than 10,000 elementary and high schools and more than 1,000 higher education institutions across the country.
\nThe campaign to raise national health awareness, the initiative to build healthy families, the Healthy China: Mother's Action, and other initiatives have been rolled out to guide women to lead their family members and the wider society in raising health awareness and health management capacity.
\nRemarkable improvement in women's health. In 2020, the average life expectancy of women in China rose to 80.9 years.
\nSince 2012, the national hospital delivery rate has remained above 99 percent, and in 2024, the systematic maternal management rate reached 94.9 percent. The maternal mortality rate has dropped by 76.9 percent, from 61.9 per 100,000 in 1995 to 14.3 per 100,000 in 2024 — far below the global average.
\nIn terms of core maternal and child health indicators, namely maternal, infant, and under-five mortality rates, China ranks among the top in global upper-middle-income countries. It has met the relevant targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule and has been recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the 10 high performing countries in maternal and child health outcomes.
\n3. Substantial Increase in Women's Education Level
\nIn building up its strength in education and coordinating integrated reforms of educational, sci-tech and talent systems and mechanisms, China has made tremendous efforts to ensure women's equitable access to education of all categories and levels, raise women's scientific literacy and promote life-long education for them. As a result, women's right to education has been effectively guaranteed.
\nGender divide in basic education has been largely eliminated. China has implemented four consecutive preschool education action plans. In 2024, girls accounted for 47.3 percent of children in kindergartens, totaling 16.94 million.
\nPanel 6 The Spring Bud Project Helps Girls from Impoverished Families Realize Their Dreams Through Schooling
\nThe Spring Bud Project is a public welfare project launched by the China Children and Teenagers' Fund in 1989 to help out-of-school girls from poverty-stricken areas return to school and improve their access to education. In 2019, Prof. Peng Liyuan, special envoy for girls' education under the Spring Bud Project, launched the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project. By carrying out education in health, digital technology, science and technology, music, and other areas, this initiative helps girls from poor households pursue well-rounded development. By the end of 2024, the project had raised RMB3.44 billion of non-governmental funds, providing 4.36 million instances of education assistance and more than 200,000 cases of one-to-one growth support and tailored psychological counseling for girls. This enabled girls to enjoy a more equitable and inclusive education of higher quality. In 2023, the Spring Bud Project won the UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education. In 2024, it was designated as one of the best cases in the Fifth Call of Global Solicitation on Best Poverty Reduction Practices.
\nChina promotes the high-quality and balanced development of compulsory education, and has accelerated efforts to narrow the educational gaps between regions, schools, groups, and between urban and rural areas. The net elementary education enrollment rate of school-age girls stays above 99.9 percent, and in 2024, girls made up 46.98 percent of students of nine-year compulsory education.
\nThe Plan to Popularize Senior High School Education (2017-2020) and the Action Plan to Develop County-level Senior High Schools During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) Period have been implemented nationwide, and the proportion of girls among the senior high school population is continuing to rise, standing at 49.3 percent in 2024.
\nA rough balance between male and female students in higher education has been achieved. China has made sustained efforts to develop the world's largest higher education system, cement and advance accessibility in higher education, and ensure gender equality in the enrollment of regular institutions of higher learning. In 2024, female students in these institutions made up 50.76 percent of the total, 14.15 percentage points higher than in 1995. Among them, female graduate students accounted for 50.01 percent, an increase of 22.43 percentage points from 1995.
\nWomen enjoy higher-quality vocational education and life-long education. China has speeded up its efforts to build a modern vocational education system and offers assistance to eligible students in the form of tuition exemptions, scholarships, grants, and student loans. As a result, women are enjoying more and better access to high-quality vocational education. In 2024, female students accounted for 47.9 percent of higher vocational school students at the undergraduate and junior college levels, and 45.2 percent of secondary vocational school students.
\nThe women's life-long learning system has become more open and flexible, with the establishment of the national smart education platform for life-long education offering a more convenient and accessible channel that meets women's diverse learning needs. The number of women receiving adult education continues to rise steadily year on year, and in 2024, female students at adult education institutions at the undergraduate and junior college levels numbered 5.13 million, 54 percent of the total, representing an increase of 1.96 million compared to 2012. In 2020, the average length of schooling for female citizens at or above the age of 15 reached 9.59 years.
\nWomen's scientific literacy is on the rise. The Chinese government has promulgated the Outline of the Action Plan for Improving Scientific Literacy for All (2021-2035), which covers raising women's scientific literacy.
\nIt has issued the Guidelines for Science Education in Elementary and High Schools, improved the curriculum, textbooks, experimental teaching, teachers' training, and extra-curricular activity programs of these schools, and enhanced the coordination and transformation of science education resources.
\nTo inspire and cultivate female students' interests in science, public-interest programs aimed at female students have been rolled out, including the Science Lovers Program for Female College Students, Science Empowering Girls, Spring Bud InnoGirls Program, STEM Girls, and Her Science.
\nA program for raising the capabilities of female employees has also been implemented, and, in particular, efforts have been made to help them improve digital skills.
\nThanks to these initiatives and more, the gender gap in scientific literacy is continuing to narrow. The female sci-tech talent pool continues to expand in scale, improve in structure, and grow in capability, with female scientists now regularly making outstanding contributions in various fields, including basic theory, applied technology, and engineering. In 2024, female R&D professionals numbered 2.85 million, representing an increase of 1.69 million from that in 2012.
\nPanel 7 STEM Girls Program Kindles Girls' Science Dream
\nIn 2018, the China Women's Development Foundation established the public-interest program of STEM Girls for female high school students aged 12-16 to inspire their enthusiasm and interest in STEM subjects. Through open recruitment and online courses, the program selects outstanding female high school students and sends them to universities and research institutions, including Tsinghua University, Tongji University, the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In the study camps at these institutions, girls can engage in exploration and learning in mechanical engineering, energy sources in architecture, eco-environment, biophysics, and other STEM subjects. They conduct visits, research, and hands-on experiments, form innovative plans, and work for their application. In the seven years since its launch, the program has covered more than 100 high schools in 24 provincial-level administrative units, training more than 8,200 students and helping them embark on a journey of scientific exploration and move forward in steady steps.
\n4. Continuous Improvement in Social Security
\nChina has established the world's largest social security system. Built on the principle of ensuring universal coverage for all eligible individuals, the system aims to narrow urban-rural disparities, improve social security policies for key groups, strengthen support for women in difficulty, and steadily raise benefit levels. As a result of this system, women now enjoy more comprehensive, reliable and equitable social security.
\nMedical and old-age insurance systems achieved full coverage. China's healthcare security system has been continuously improved, supported by increased government subsidies for individual contributions to basic medical insurance among rural and non-working urban residents.
\nIn 2024, 651 million women were covered by basic medical insurance, accounting for 49.1 percent of all participants. Additionally, 260 million women were covered by basic pension insurance for rural and non-working urban residents, representing 48 percent of all enrollees, while 260 million women participated in the basic pension scheme for urban employees, constituting 48.2 percent of the total.
\nMore women are protected against unemployment and work-related injuries. Efforts have been made to safeguard employees' employment security, occupational safety, and health protections. By the end of 2024, approximately 105 million women were enrolled in unemployment insurance, accounting for 42.7 percent of all participants and reflecting a 70 percent increase since 2012. Additionally, about 117 million women were covered by work-related injury insurance, comprising 38.6 percent of all enrollees, and reflecting a 60 percent increase since 2012.
\nSpecific measures have been introduced to ensure that workers in new forms of employment receive effective assistance and compensation in case of occupational injuries. Real-time settlement of medical expenses for work-related injuries incurred outside the provincial-level unit where the patient is insured has been fully implemented, protecting the rights and interests of female workers and better meeting their healthcare needs.
\nMaternity protection for women has improved significantly. The integrated implementation of maternity insurance and basic medical insurance for employees has been fully advanced, and continuous efforts have been made to expand employer participation in maternity insurance and to gradually extend its coverage. Regions with the necessary conditions have been guided to include flexibly employed people in maternity insurance. For unemployed women, the unemployment insurance fund pay their maternity insurance contributions on their behalf during their period of unemployment benefit eligibility, while non-working women are covered for maternity medical benefits through their participation in the basic medical insurance scheme for rural and non-working urban residents. By the end of 2024, 111 million women were covered by maternity insurance. All 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, have included eligible assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in their medical insurance schemes.
\nSocial security for women in need is further strengthened. Subsistence allowance standards have continued to rise, with the national average urban and rural subsistence allowance standards in 2024 140 percent and 240 percent higher than those of 2012, respectively.
\nFinancial assistance or premium payments are provided for women from eligible disadvantaged groups, such as those receiving subsistence allowances or classified as extremely impoverished individuals, to participate in basic medical and pension insurance schemes for rural and non-working urban residents.
\nA comprehensive system of living subsidies for persons with disabilities facing financial difficulties and nursing subsidies for those with severe disabilities has been established. In 2024, about 9.40 million women received these subsidies, accounting for 46 percent of all recipients.
\nTargeted assistance and support initiatives have been implemented for rural stay-behind women in difficult circumstances, including efforts to establish records, ensure basic living standards, promote employment and income generation, and enrich cultural lives.
\n5. Improved Family Lives
\nChina places emphasis on fostering family culture, values, and traditions, recognizing the unique role of women in both social and family life. Efforts continue to be made to leverage women's distinctive contributions in promoting traditional Chinese family virtues and establishing positive family traditions. Policies supporting family development are continuously improved, enhancing families' capacity for development and creating favorable conditions for women to enjoy better family lives.
\nMore equal and harmonious family relations in the new era. Laws and regulations including the Civil Code, the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law have been promulgated to protect women's rights within marriage and the family.
\nA new marital and childbearing culture is widely promoted. Marriage and family counseling services are widely available at marriage registration authorities at or above the county level nationwide. Over 2,000 pilot units are advancing marriage customs reform, and activities such as "bringing new marriage and childbearing norms into households" are continuously carried out to promote values including gender equality, mutual respect, and shared parenting responsibilities between couples.
\nThe Fourth Survey on the Social Status of Women in China shows that 90 percent of married women participate in decision-making on major family matters, an increase of approximately 15 percentage points compared to 2010. The gender gap in time spent on household chores has narrowed, and there is a growing emphasis on marital relationships based on mutual respect and trust.
\nA family-friendly society gradually in shape. To meet the demands of high-quality population development and family wellbeing, measures have been introduced to improve childbirth support policies and develop a childbirth-friendly society.
\nThe childbirth leave system has been enhanced, with local regulations extending maternity leave and paternity leave and introducing parental childcare leave. Special additional deductions for individual income tax have been implemented, covering expenses for under-three children nursing, eldercare, and children's education. A childcare subsidy system has been established and implemented, while free pre-school education has been promoted in a phased way.
\nEmployers are encouraged to create "family-friendly workplaces" by adopting flexible working hours or remote work options after negotiating with employees to support them in both career development and childcare.
\nNursing facilities have been provided. By the end of 2024, 403,000 enterprises and public institutions with trade unions had set up nursing rooms for female employees. The provision of baby care rooms in public places has also been expanded, and design standards such as the Uniform Standard for the Design of Civil Buildings, the Standard for the Design of Office Buildings, and the Code for the Design of Railway Passenger Station Buildings now include requirements for such facilities. By the end of 2024, 1,449 baby care rooms had been established in railway stations; 5,371 in highway service areas (including parking areas); 286 on passenger ships and in port passenger terminals; 2,308 in secondary and above-grade bus stations; 2,599 in urban rail transit stations; and nursing rooms in all civilian airports with an annual passenger throughput of 5,000 or more.
\nPanel 8 The 15-Minute Community Life Circles Benefit Hundreds of Millions of Residents
\nThe 15-minute community life circle is a government initiative to improve people's lives by creating community business districts with diverse services. Residents in such communities should be able to meet their basic daily consumption needs and access quality services within a 15-minute walk.
\nTo address childcare needs, Shanghai has established more than 340 community-based childcare rooms in over 90 percent of its subdistricts and towns, providing temporary childcare services. For eldercare needs, Tianjin has set up 1,852 community canteens for seniors and built daytime care centers for the elderly, offering personalized eldercare services. To meet residents' daily needs, the Kangqiao Garden Community in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, has introduced affordable vegetable stalls, convenient barbershops, and small repair service points, enabling one-stop solutions for various household needs.
\nSince 2021, 4 batches of 210 pilot areas across the country have joined the initiative, building 5,510 community life circles that benefit approximately 125 million residents.
\nMore diverse services to reduce family care burden. A variety of childcare services are provided to families, including full-day, half-day, and temporary care options, and employers are also supported in establishing childcare facilities. By the end of 2024, there were 5.74 million childcare slots nationwide, with 4.08 slots per 1,000 people for children under three.
\nA family education guidance service system covering both urban and rural areas has been established. Relying on over 400,000 parent schools in urban and rural communities and more than 20,000 online new media platforms, family education guidance service teams have worked to organize rich and diverse parent-child activities, bringing scientific family education guidance services directly to households and communities.
\nThe eldercare framework has been optimized, where home care is supported by communities and professional institutions, featuring a combination of medical care and eldercare services. Services such as meal assistance, bathing aid, home modifications for the elderly, and barrier-free renovations for financially difficult families with members with severe disabilities have become more accessible.
\nPanel 9 Family Education in the New Era Strengthens the Foundation of Early Nurturing
\nChina places great importance on family education. The Law on Family Education Promotion has been enacted to strengthen parents' primary responsibility in guardianship, establish a collaborative mechanism for family education work, clarify state support measures for family education, and define the role of social forces in supporting family education. The All-China Women's Federation, the Ministry of Education, and other relevant departments have successively issued six five-year plans for family education, setting periodic targets and measures. The National Family Education Guidance Outline and Basic Behavioral Norms for Parents in Family Education have been formulated and revised to define the content of family education guidance.
\nExploratory efforts are made to establish an undergraduate program on family education in colleges and universities to train professionals for this sector. A life-cycle family guidance curriculum system has been developed, and the "Happy Family" online platform for family education services has been established. Family education instructors have been included as an occupation in the General Code of Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China. All these endeavors will promote the digital and professional development of family education and support families in scientific parenting.
\nThe domestic service sector continues to improve in quality and expand in scale. By the end of 2023, there were approximately 600,000 domestic service entities and 16,000 women-led domestic service community stations. National domestic service vocational skills competitions have been held to encourage skill enhancement among people working in this sector, provide a growth platform for more of them, and deliver high-quality services to families.
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nOn the new journey of Chinese modernization, every individual plays a key role. Connecting their own future with that of the country and the nation, Chinese women have devoted themselves to the building of a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful. They have attained major achievements in the new era, creating a better life through action and hard work.
\n1. Achievements in Promoting High-Quality Economic Development
\nIn promoting high-quality economic development, China is committed to expanding channels for women's participation, improving their capabilities, and stimulating their creativity. Women are "holding up half the sky" and playing an increasingly prominent role.
\nRealizing potential in employment and entrepreneurship. Upholding employment as a priority, China has increased fiscal investment, and implemented initiatives such as the Women's Action for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Action for Promoting Women's Employment and Entrepreneurship. Special recruitment sections and events for women have been held, sponsored by the National Employment Promotion Action and Spring Breeze Action, aiming to help more women find better jobs.
\nGender discrimination in employment has been placed under the scrutiny of labor protection supervision. The System of Special Labor Protection for Female Employees in the Workplace (Reference Text) and the System for Eliminating Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (Reference Text) have been formulated as guidelines for employers to improve their corresponding systems for protecting female employees' lawful rights and interests.
\nBy the end of 2024, RMB640 billion in loans had been provided to support 8.49 million women in realizing their entrepreneurial dreams. Since 2012, women have accounted for about 43 percent of the total employed population. According to the fifth national economic census in 2024, 42.6 percent of the employees in government agencies, public institutions, and state-owned enterprises were women, an increase of 3.6 percentage points compared to the fourth census.
\nPanel 10 Beautiful Crafts Workshops Providing Employment and Income Growth for Women with Disabilities
\nThe Beautiful Crafts Workshops program was jointly launched by China Disabled Persons' Federation and All-China Women's Federation in 2022 to help women with disabilities find employment and increase income. Through collaboration between the government, enterprises, and public service organizations, a full-chain service model integrating training, employment, entrepreneurship and protection has been formulated to ensure that women participating in this program have access to employment opportunities and secure stable incomes through the acquisition of important skills.
\nA total of 125 national-level Beautiful Crafts Workshops now provide disabled women with free training courses in hand knitting, embroidery, and pottery, and support some of them in setting up studios and engaging in live-streaming sales. This program has facilitated flexible home-based employment for 190,000 women with disabilities, doubling their average annual income compared to 2022. The outcomes have been displayed at major events including the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the UN Human Rights Council meetings, and the 10th International Abilympics.
\nThe scale of women's accomplishments is reflected in their significant representation among national honorees: They constitute 34 percent of the National Moral Models and 30.9 percent of the Most Beautiful Souls and National Exemplary Educators. Since 2012, a total of 1,821 women have been awarded the titles of National Model Workers and Advanced Workers, 1,957 have received the National May 1st Labor Medal, 5,001 have been honored as National March 8th Red-Banner Pacesetters, and 6,489 recognized as National Role Models for Women's Achievements.
\nPioneering innovation in science and technology. As part of the efforts to implement the Women's Action for Scientific and Technological Innovation, China has formulated the Measures on Supporting Female Talent to Play a Greater Role in Sci-Tech Innovation, which outline 16 concrete measures, including supporting female scientists to undertake national sci-tech projects and participate in decision-making on sci-tech development, as well as improving evaluation and incentive mechanisms for them.
\nThe National Natural Science Foundation has appropriately relaxed the age limits for female applicants in Categories A, B and C of the Young Scientists Fund, raising the maximum age thresholds by three years, two years, and five years respectively, compared to their male counterparts. Leveraging platforms such as the Zhongguancun Forum, Pujiang Innovation Forum, and World AI Conference, China has launched summits and forums for women working in science and technology, and hosted the Women Technicians Forum and a range of training programs for high-caliber female sci-tech professionals. These actions have created platforms for women in STEM fields to conduct professional exchange and learning, apply their research outcomes, and serve the public.
\nToday, women account for 45.8 percent of all sci-tech researchers in China. They are tackling tough problems and achieving breakthroughs in pioneering fields, overcoming daunting obstacles, and scaling new heights at the forefront of innovation, and making significant contributions to building China into a sci-tech powerhouse with greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology.
\nPanel 11 Glorious Achievements of Female Sci-Tech Workers in China
\nThrough their unwavering dedication and exceptional wisdom, Chinese women have made groundbreaking contributions across diverse fields of science and technology, writing glorious chapters in the nation's rich history of sci-tech innovation.
\nTu Youyou, chief scientist at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and a recipient of the Medal of the Republic, was the first person to discover artemisinin. This class of drugs has significantly reduced the mortality rate of malaria patients and saved millions of lives globally. Tu's pioneering research led to her becoming the first home-grown Chinese scientist to receive a Nobel Prize.
\nLiu Yang, China's first female astronaut, Wang Yaping, the first female taikonaut to walk in space, and Wang Haoze, the first female aerospace flight engineer to board China's space station, each courageously challenged the unknown, demonstrating the strength of Chinese women in aerospace.
\nLiao Hong, professor at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, integrated applied basic research with agricultural production to build up about 20,000 hectares of eco-friendly tea gardens, providing a comprehensive solution to the eco-friendly planting and management of Wuyi rock tea.
\nFor over two decades, Shan Xinghua, recipient of the title Role Model of the Era, has led her team in developing the 12306 China Railway ticketing system into a super-large real-time platform with a world-leading transaction volume, boosting China's strength in transportation.
\nTaking the lead in rural revitalization. Through the Women's Action for Rural Revitalization, China has strengthened quality training to empower women farmers. Since 2017, the High-quality Farmer Training Program has trained over 2.24 million women farmers, and between 2022 and 2024, the project for cultivating leaders for rural industry revitalization trained 12,000 female individuals.
\nThe achievements of women in rural revitalization have been recognized through initiatives like the Double Hundred and Double Thousand Initiative, which recognizes outstanding rural craftspeople, 100 of whom in the first batch were women, accounting for 36.6 percent of the total. In the final round of the first National Farmers' Skills Competition, female participants comprised 69.5 percent of all winners. Furthermore, by the end of 2024, 134,000 female workers responsible for extending agricultural technologies and services had obtained professional titles, representing 35.4 percent of the total.
\nPanel 12 A Small Industrial Incubation Platform Galvanizing Women's Power for Rural Revitalization
\nAs a successful example of the Green Rural Revival Program in Zhejiang, Lizu Village in Yiwu has developed from a backward hamlet to a National Model Village, and women have played a vital role in this transformation.
\nThe village is home to a Shared Prosperity Workshop — an incubation platform for industrial projects that attracts numerous aspiring makers and entrepreneurs. This workshop operates as a women's alliance for shared prosperity, and follows a work mechanism under which community-level service centers introduce promising projects under the leadership of the local executive committee of women's federations. The project has helped local women start their own businesses, increasing their incomes and fostering integration between urban and rural areas.
\nAfter five years, the number of makers and entrepreneurs has increased from over 30 to 272, among which 75 percent are women. The "Homemade by Mom" food street and the Women's Fair have increased women's incomes by over RMB13.7 million, while live-streaming activities to promote agricultural products have generated sales of RMB27 million. This small incubator has created big opportunities for women to embrace prosperity.
\nPursuing excellence in the digital economy. China has issued the Action Plan for Strengthening the Digital Literacy and Skills of the General Public and the Action Plan for Digital Rural Development, which include measures such as carrying out digital literacy education and skills training for women and developing women-led e-commerce brands. Chinese women have answered the call of the digital age, and are committed to developing the digital economy, with 14,147 women obtaining the vocational skills certificates for AI trainers in 2024 alone — comprising 42.3 percent of the yearly total. Women represent over half of the entrepreneurs in the internet sector and about one third of the workforce engaging in new business forms such as digital trade, e-commerce, and live streaming. As the digital economy advances, it is providing more opportunities for women.
\nPanel 13 The \"AI Dou\" Project: Helping Women Excel in the Digital Economy
\nThrough digital empowerment, the China Women's Development Foundation is pioneering innovative pathways for women's development. In 2019, the organization launched the "AI Dou" Project for AI industrial incubation in conjunction with relevant businesses. This project aims to help stay-behind women and returning youth to secure data annotation and similar jobs near home, by introducing digital employment opportunities to underdeveloped counties, carrying out vocational training, and incubating locally operated social enterprises. By the end of 2024, the project had established 16 digital employment centers in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Gansu, Guizhou and Ningxia, providing employment opportunities for over 7,500 women. Among those provided with stable jobs by the project, 70 percent were women.
\n2. Equal Participation in Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nAs China advances whole-process people's democracy, it remains committed to increasing women's participation in the management of state, economic, cultural and social affairs. Women enjoy equal political rights and actively participate in democratic practices, contributing their strengths with great enthusiasm.
\nExercising state power through the people's congresses. The proportion of women in people's congresses at all levels continues to rise. In the 14th NPC convened in 2023, there were 790 women deputies, accounting for 26.5 percent of the total. This represents an increase of 3.1 percentage points from the 12th NPC and 1.6 percentage points from the 13th NPC. At the county and township levels, women constitute 31.64 percent and 32.36 percent of deputies, respectively. These women deputies fulfill their duties in accordance with the law, soliciting and reflecting public opinion from all sectors of society. Between 2018 and 2025, NPC women deputies put forward 29,328 suggestions, criticisms and opinions, accounting for 42.3 percent of the total.
\nPanel 14 Women Deputies to the People's Congresses Practicing Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nZhu Guoping, an outstanding representative of the "neighborhood chiefs" in Shanghai, has been a key figure in her local community for over three decades. She served as a deputy to three consecutive NPCs — the 11th, 12th, and 13th — where she had a particular focus on eldercare, childcare and healthcare. Among her suggestions in these fields, two proposals calling for increased fiscal investment in general practitioners and pediatricians were both adopted by the Ministry of Finance, earning her praise as someone who "bridges national policy decisions with public concerns".
\nHongqiao Subdistrict, where Zhu works, functions as a community-level legislative outreach office, set up by the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee. It has solicited opinions for 97 draft laws, including the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and the Law on the Protection of Minors. The subdistrict has proposed over 3,200 suggestions, with 280 being adopted after review, channeling grassroots legislative input to the Great Hall of the People.
\nDiscussing state affairs and making suggestions at consultative meetings of the CPPCC. The proportion of female members in the CPPCC National Committee and local committees has seen a consistent increase. In 2023, 487 female members served on the National Committee of the 14th CPPCC, accounting for 22.4 percent of the total — an increase of 4.6 percentage points and 2 percentage points from the 12th CPPCC and 13th CPPCC, respectively. In the same year, there were 5,401 female members on the provincial-level committees of the CPPCC, accounting for 27.36 percent of the membership at this level. The female members fulfill their duties in full and play a major role in political consultation, democratic supervision, and the deliberation and administration of state affairs. Since the 14th CPPCC National Committee, female members have submitted 4,282 proposals, representing 26.6 percent of the total.
\nActively engaging in decision-making and administration. China attaches importance to the cultivation and selection of female officials and the recruitment of women into the CPC. It has formulated and implemented outlines for strengthening Party and government leadership teams and on women's development, which set specific quantitative and proportional requirements for the appointment of female officials and female heads of leadership bodies. These goals are expected to be met while strict quality standards are upheld.
\nThe proportions of women among the CPC membership and delegates to the Party congresses are increasing. In 2024, 30.9 percent of CPC members were female, an increase of 7.1 percentage points compared to the 2012 level. Female Party members accounted for 27 percent of the delegates to the 20th CPC National Congress, an increase of 4 percentage points from the Party's 18th National Congress in 2012. Women represent 42.3 percent, 43.78 percent, and 51.5 percent of all the judges, prosecutors and jurors nationwide.
\nExtensively participating in grassroots democracy. Effective measures have been taken in the villagers committee elections to expand women's membership. In 2022, women constituted 26.1 percent of villagers committee members and 54.3 percent of urban residents committee members, an increase of 4 percentage points and 5.5 percentage points, respectively, from 2012 levels.
\nFemale workers play an active role in democratic management in enterprises. In 2023, women employees made up 37.7 percent, 41.9 percent, and 34.2 percent of the boards of directors, boards of supervisors, and workers' congress representatives, increasing by 11.4 percentage points, 14.9 percentage points, and 4.4 percentage points, respectively, compared to 2012. A total of 431,000 councils of women have been established in urban and rural communities, facilitating extensive consultations on public affairs concerning women's immediate interests.
\n3. Excellence in a Flourishing Culture
\nIn developing a thriving socialist culture, China has given full play to women's role in creating cultural wealth and cultivated female talent in the cultural sector. Through innovation and with creativity, women have made a significant contribution to preserving cultural heritage and promoting the best of traditional Chinese culture.
\nDemonstrating vitality at the forefront of culture and communication. Women have become a pillar of cultural prosperity and development and are playing an increasingly important role in cultural creation, communication and studies. Female writers and artists have produced masterpieces that have shaped the image of women in the new era, as varied as the Peking Opera Mother, ballet Yimeng, prose works My Altay, TV series She and Her Girls, movie Huang Wenxiu, documentary Aunt Haiyun, variety shows The Daughters of Chinese Villages and Sisters Who Make Waves 2024, and short drama Got Old Recently.
\nBy the end of 2023, about 456,900 women across the country were employed in the radio, television, and online audio-visual sectors, comprising 43.14 percent of the total employees. In the senior professional title evaluations for the journalism section organized by the National Press and Publication Administration in 2024, women accounted for 44.1 percent of those receiving senior professional titles and 50.6 percent of those gaining associate senior ones.
\nWomen constitute 27.5 percent of participants in key talent initiatives in the field of public communication and culture, including 45.2 percent of successful candidates in the cultural talent program and 42.5 percent in the youth cultural talent program under the National Cultural Talent of Excellence Initiative. Through their work in culture and communication, women have vigorously committed themselves in the promotion and practice of the core socialist values.
\nShowing strengths in preserving and vitalizing ethnic cultures. By passing down traditional crafts and facilitating cultural innovation and dissemination, women are injecting new vitality into ethnic cultures. Among the 3,997 recognized representative bearers of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) items on the national list, 25 percent are women. The research and training program for ICH bearers has provided training for 51,000 people, with women accounting for 57 percent. Under the plan on revitalizing traditional Chinese craftsmanship and the specialized initiatives to revitalize rural areas by promoting ICH, many women have played a leading role in transforming local natural resources and rural cultural assets into cultural products and industries. Handicraft brands such as "Dove Flower: Songtao's Miao Embroidery" in Guizhou and "Weiyuan Tu Ethnic Coiling Embroidery" in Qinghai are shining examples of this transformation.
\nNew business models — often fronted by women — such as "ICH plus guesthouses", "ICH plus cultural products", and "ICH plus study trips" have also been launched in recent years, breathing new life into traditional ethnic cultures. The rise of digital technology has allowed traditional culture to flourish again, and an increasing number of young women now play a central role in promoting the "China-Chic" trend and preserving and vitalizing ICH, facilitating ICH's integration in modern life and helping it reach a global audience.
\nExcelling in both competitive and mass leisure sports. The Outline for Building a Strong Sporting Nation has explicitly set the goal of achieving balanced development between men's and women's events. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games issued a Gender Equality Commitment covering 14 specific areas, including equal participation, gender-equal and fair portrayal, and gender equality in leadership and workforce.
\nPanel 15 Creating Masterpieces and Promoting Civilization with Stitches and Threads
\nFemale embroiders, with needles as brushes and silk threads as ink, create delicate works that embody the resilience, patience, and determination of the Chinese people through every stitch and thread. These artisans are committed to revitalizing ancient techniques in a modern society.
\nSuzhou embroidery is one of the four most celebrated forms of Chinese embroidery. The art form originated in Zhenhu Township, where local women are now encouraged to set up their own embroidery businesses. As a result of this push, over 90 percent of Suzhou embroidery entrepreneurs are women.
\nMiao embroidery is another highly praised technique, celebrated as a "wordless epic created with colorful threads and a living totem worn on the body". Under the Brocade and Embroidery Initiative, Guizhou Province has empowered over 500,000 women working in handicraft industries such as Miao embroidery and batik to create a splendid life through splendid products.
\nWith a history of over 3,000 years, Li brocade is renowned as a "living monument of Chinese textile history". Currently, 18,000 female weavers work to preserve and develop this art. Tibetan carpet making is a skill that boasts thousands of years of history. Tibetan women begin learning the weaving techniques from a young age and pass down this precious craftsmanship through generations. Women in the Chaoshan area in southeastern Guangdong, based on traditional stitching techniques, have pioneered innovations to create 3D double-sided padded embroidery, carrying forward this traditional art in a modern world.
\nThe number of female elite athletes in China has witnessed rapid growth, and the proportion of international-level female athletes has remained above 50 percent. Since 2012, across the four consecutive Summer Olympic Games, female athletes have accounted for over 55 percent of competitors and won over 60 percent of the medals. During the same period across the four Paralympic Games, women have made up 50.22 percent of participants and secured 55.62 percent of the medals. Female athletes fight for their nations, collaborate in unity, and challenge their limits, playing an equal role as their male counterparts in competitive sports. The fighting spirit of the Chinese women's volleyball team has inspired the Chinese people to this day.
\nExtensive fitness-for-all programs are carried out nationwide, and a program of cultivating female community sports instructors in rural areas has provided training for over 65,000 women in 10,000 villages. By the end of 2024, there were about 3.71 million community sports instructors across the country, among which 56.1 percent were women, demonstrating women's leadership and responsibility in advancing China's fitness-for-all initiative in the new era.
\n4. Women's Undertakings in Grassroots Social Governance
\nIn building a grassroots social governance model based on collaboration, participation, and common interests, China has attached great importance to the role of women and women's organizations, expanded the channels for their orderly participation in grassroots governance, and ensured their involvement in managing grassroots-level public affairs and public-interest undertakings in accordance with the law. Chinese women have excelled in these roles, becoming a major force in grassroots governance.
\nThe positive role of family ties, values, and traditions in grassroots governance. China has improved mechanisms that help to foster family virtues, facilitate education cooperation between families, schools and society, deliver more accessible family services, and resolve marital and family disputes, supporting women in nurturing harmony within households, and thus contributing to a more peaceful and harmonious society for all.
\nFamily virtue cultivation activities such as the selection of the "Most Beautiful Families", "Model Families", and "Five-Virtue Families", and initiatives like "Share Your Family Rules, Mottoes, and Values", "Family Virtues in Letters", and "Family Education Cultivates Values and Virtues" have been organized. These activities champion the new socialist family morality and values, emphasizing love for the country and family, mutual care, devotion to progress and kindness, and joint efforts with shared benefits. A total of 1,597 households have been honored as "National Model Families", 6,258 as "National Five-Virtue Families", and 16.48 million as the "Most Beautiful Families". Additionally, more than 500,000 lectures, exhibitions and performances on family values and traditions have been hosted around the country, attracting a combined attendance of 250 million people.
\nPanel 16 Family Points System Contributing to Rural Governance
\nGansu Province has implemented an innovative system, which breaks down key aspects of rural governance into points for households in villages and communities. Clear criteria and scoring standards are established for adding or deducting points. Law-abiding families that demonstrate harmony, mutual support among neighbors, and industriousness can collect points by adopting a green lifestyle, participating in public-interest programs, and discarding outdated customs. These points can then be redeemed locally for a wide range of household goods. The initiative has inspired women and their families to participate more actively in rural governance and efforts to improve their living environment and beautify their villages, driving big impact in grassroots governance with ingenuity.
\nWomen's extensive participation in building a peaceful and harmonious community. Women actively participate in the comprehensive maintenance of public order and contribute to resolving problems and disputes at the grassroots level. Local governments have been exploring a "Women's Federations Plus" mediation model. By the end of 2024, 3,690 mediation commissions above the county level for resolving marriage and family disputes had been established under the leadership of women's federations. Marriage mediation organizations now provide service at comprehensive governance centers, litigation service centers, and community police offices, and marriage mediation offices have been established at the village and community level. Since 2016, nearly 1.36 million cases have been resolved through mediation. In 2023, 295 women mediators were commended by the Ministry of Justice as National Model Mediators, accounting for 29.5 percent of those recognized.
\nWomen also play an active part in patrols for maintaining order and in supervision. The "Jiangdong Aunties" team in Jingkou District, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province has completed 5,000 hours of voluntary patrols and participated in over 1,000 public service activities since its establishment in 2017. The "Xicheng Aunties" in Beijing and women community liaisons in Weinan City, Shaanxi Province, have promptly identified and reported potential risks for social governance, working at the forefront of conflict resolution at the grassroots level. Women acting as community workers, grid managers, and residential building chiefs have made significant contributions to building a peaceful and harmonious community.
\nPanel 17 Mediation Office for Promoting Family Harmony
\nIn 2016, the Women's Federation of Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, established a Marriage and Family Disputes Mediation Office and launched a project to promote marital and family harmony and ensure the legal rights of women and children. A set of operational mechanisms was established, including joint meetings, information sharing, and rotating professionals, and experts in the fields of law, sociology, and psychology were recruited to form a dedicated voluntary service group.
\nBased on practical experience, a mediation method of "four aspects plus three synchronizations" was adopted to mediate disputes, wherein the "four aspects" refer to the psychological, legal, emotional, and rational dimensions, while the "three synchronizations" denote the alignment of answering questions with raising public awareness of the law, providing emotional guidance with teaching life experience, and resolving disputes with protecting rights. At the same time, a four-step method of stabilizing emotions, understanding demands, instilling hope, and establishing support was adopted in solving many family disputes. By the end of July 2025, more than 10,000 cases had been solved through this project, with a success rate of 95 percent, benefiting more than 30,000 individuals.
\nActive engagement in voluntary service and other public-interest programs. China emphasizes the healthy development of voluntary services and social organizations, among which women play an active role. In 2024, there were 24 million women registered as volunteers and 350,000 women volunteer teams. These volunteers play an important role in promoting national strategies, improving the people's wellbeing, and strengthening social governance. They have provided nearly one million voluntary services, covering all 17 goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The number of women in social organizations is on the rise. In 2023, women comprised 42.3 percent of the staff and 26.3 percent of the heads of social organizations respectively, up by 13.3 and 4.9 percentage points from 2012.
\nPanel 18 Wang's Volunteer Group: Inspiring More Women to Serve Their Community
\nIn 2005, Wang Lanhua, a Hui woman, former director on a residents committee in Wuzhong City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region formed a volunteer group with six former colleagues — a group she continues to lead 20 years later. Her voluntary service leaves no stone unturned, reaching every corner of the community to look after left-behind children and elderly people who live alone, while providing conflict resolution services and addressing people's immediate concerns. Wang and her team warm the residents' hearts with their selfless dedication, and their influence in community service has drawn more and more community members to join. These volunteers from different ethnic groups encapsulate the idea of all ethnic groups as one family with their solidarity and mutual help. Now, there are 1,315 registered volunteers in Wang's Volunteer Group, and Wang's dedication has seen her honored as a model for ethnic solidarity.
\n5. Women's Contributions in the Eco-environmental Field
\nChina upholds and acts on the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and promotes modernization based on harmony between humanity and nature by following a path of green development that gives priority to eco-environmental conservation. Women play an important role in building a beautiful China, and are continuing to develop the awareness and skills required to drive forward eco-environmental protection.
\nPanel 19 Princess of the Beavers
\nWomen are emerging as key practitioners in biodiversity protection, and Chu Wenwen represents a new generation of female conservationists committed to protecting local biodiversity. Born in 1994 in Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Chu founded the Altay Nature Conservation Association and launched a series of public-interest projects to protect beavers and other wildlife, including the Beaver Cafeteria, Beaver Guardian, and Beaver Ark initiatives. The Beaver Cafeteria project focuses on restoring shrubs in natural habitats, which provide food for more than 100 species of wild animal. The Beaver Guardian project mobilizes more than 500 herdsmen along the Ulungur River to participate in conservation efforts and serve as voluntary patrols. The Beaver Ark project established a professional wildlife rescue center that has saved over 400 wild animals injured or trapped by human activities. Thanks in part to Chu's efforts, the population of Mongolian-Xinjiang beavers (Castor fiber birulai) has increased by 250 to date, earning her the honorary nickname "Princess of the Beavers".
\nPromoting ecosystem protection and restoration. China pursues the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, grasslands and deserts, with the aim of establishing an overarching framework that extends from the mountaintops to the oceans. Women play a significant role in the nation's ecosystem protection and restoration. Among the 17,000 eco-environmental guardians working at the 190,700 sq km Sanjiangyuan National Park, 33.3 percent are women. The Women Tree-Planting Team in Changjiang Li Autonomous County of Hainan Province has been dedicated to planting more than six million coastal defense trees, establishing a forest spanning over 2,000 hectares in the desert after 30 years of trial and error. The women's militia company for sand control in Shaanxi Province has converted more than 933.33 hectares of barren deserts into oases covered with rows of trees over the past five decades. The women's volunteer team in Helan County of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region conducts regular activities to protect rivers, shoals, and birds, and the Women's Action for the Yangtze River Protection is an ongoing activity in Nanjing City of Jiangsu Province to provide vital protection for China's longest river. Women's perseverance and wisdom are shown in many aspects of eco-environmental protection, from green coverage expansion and desertification prevention and control, to the protection of forests, rivers, and biodiversity.
\nPanel 20 Sci-Tech Courtyard Supporting Green Agriculture
\nThe Sci-Tech Courtyard is a service platform that integrates agricultural scitech innovation, demonstration and promotion, and talent cultivation. In the Dongpo Sci-Tech Courtyard of Agricultural Skill Promotion in Meishan City, Sichuan Province, 33 team members — including 22 women — work on the front line of green agriculture. With women at its core, the team provides comprehensive services in skill training, field production guidance, problem identification and resolution, and industry chain alignment, benefiting more than 50,000 villagers. The Sci-Tech Courtyard also makes targeted efforts in new species selection, cultivation technique research for high-quality and high-yield crops, and the development of green planting and cultivation models. Over the past nine years, comparative trials of more than 400 paddy varieties have been completed, leading to the selection of 40 high-quality and high-yield species that have significantly increased the proportion of such crops in the region. Cultivation of 824,467 hectares of these paddies has generated a net income growth of RMB2.65 billion. In addition, more than 10 new planting techniques have been promoted, and research on green planting and cultivation models has been advanced, increasing crop yield and economic benefits while reducing pesticide use.
\nAccelerating the green transformation of production models. China upholds green and low-carbon development as a fundamental approach to resolving environmental problems, and promotes a sound economic structure that facilitates green, low-carbon, and circular development. Women actively participate in the efforts to promote green development in industry, shift the production model of agriculture, and improve the sustainable level of the service industry. By 2024, the number of companies in the green economy sector invested in by women entrepreneurs had reached 445,000, accounting for 27.4 percent of the total. These companies cover a range of market segments, including clean energy, organic agriculture, and eco-conservation. Scientific management of fertilizer and pesticide use and innovative ecological planting serve to save agricultural resources, improve the eco-environment of agricultural production areas, and supply high-quality green agricultural products, promoting the triple-win of less pesticide use, more income, and better environment. New models of eco-environmental businesses have been established, including urban modern agriculture, leisure agriculture, eco-tourism, high-quality homestays, and rural complexes. By the end of 2024, the number of family farms run by women reached 487,000, and women accounted for 68.6 percent of all holders of vocational skill certificates in rural homestay housekeeping.
\nLiving a green lifestyle. Green development is closely connected to each of our lives. Chinese women advocate the values of eco-civilization and encourage simple, moderate, green, low-carbon, sound and healthy ways of life and consumption by integrating these concepts into everyday routines. They have played a leading role in building green families through saving water and electricity, participating in the "Clear Your Plate" campaign, using green modes of transport, and engaging in waste sorting. Women also actively participate in developing beautiful courtyards and harmonious villages, guided by standards such as tidy rooms, hygienic kitchens and toilets, neat courtyards, abundant greenery, and harmonious families. To date, more than 12 million households have been awarded the title of "Beautiful Courtyard". Women are consistently in the frontline of enhancing public awareness of environmental protection and improving community environment. For example, in Shanghai, a themed campaign was launched to find 10,000 families living a green lifestyle and recruit 100,000 family waste sorting volunteers, creating a good atmosphere for the million families participating in this endeavor.
\nParticipating in disaster prevention and mitigation. China regards people's lives and safety as the primary goal of disaster prevention and mitigation. It boosts public participation and improves the capabilities of the whole society to defend and respond to disasters, and women play a key role in this — particularly in investigation and identification of potential risks and hidden dangers, early warning and treatment, and information reporting. In 2024, women accounted for 23.6 percent of disaster information assistants nationwide, totaling 267,000, and comprised 61.6 percent of national chief meteorological experts. Women actively participate in disaster relief operations and public education on disaster prevention and mitigation, and promote family education in relevant fields. There are 13.71 million registered women fire volunteers nationwide, representing 52.4 percent of the total. The National Natural Disaster Emergency Relief Plan put forward requirements for safeguarding the rights and interests of special groups. Through the collaborative efforts of the government and society, material guarantee for special needs, such as women's hygiene products and supplies for pregnant and postpartum women, has been strengthened.
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nChina upholds the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, aligns with the prevailing global trends towards peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, and actively advances the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. Through close cooperation with other countries, China is helping accelerate the creation of an international environment conducive to women's development and a better world for all.
\n1. Participating in Global Governance on Women's Issues
\nChina plays a leading role in implementing the spirit of the UN Fourth World Conference on Women and advances global governance on women's issues through concrete actions.
\nSupporting the central role of the United Nations. China has co-hosted the Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment with UN Women to encourage countries to fulfill their commitments and inject new momentum into the global advancement of women. At the UN Human Rights Council, China has repeatedly delivered joint statements on promoting and protecting women's rights, pushed for the adoption of relevant resolutions, and called on countries to work together to implement the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action. China consistently sends high-level delegations to the sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and collaborates with UN organizations and agencies to conduct seminars on women's poverty reduction, the digital economy, inclusive finance, technology empowerment, and gender equality amid demographic changes, sharing China's experience in promoting women's development. Since 2015, China has donated US $20 million to UN Women and carried out practical cooperation with multiple UN specialized agencies on women's issues. In partnership with UNESCO, it has established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education and implemented projects in Africa focusing on digital and health education for girls. Chinese women hold important positions and serve as experts in the UN system, contributing their expertise to global governance on women's issues.
\nPanel 21 China and UNESCO Jointly Established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education
\nIn 2015, China partnered with UNESCO to establish the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education, which recognizes institutions and individuals that have made outstanding contributions to advancing education for girls and women. This is the first prize of its kind established by UNESCO. Proposed and funded by the Chinese government, it is awarded annually to two laureates, who each receive US $50,000 to further their work in girls' and women's education. As of 2024, 18 organizations and projects from 18 countries had received the award, including the Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education. This prize has provided an increasing number of girls and women with opportunities to change their lives and pursue their dreams. It has also raised greater awareness of and support for girls' and women's education among more people, thereby galvanizing concerted efforts to advance global gender equality in education.
\nFirmly fulfilling international obligations. China fulfills its obligations under international conventions such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, regularly submits national implementation reports, and actively participates in review processes to promote gender equality and women's development. It actively implements the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, continuously improves women's living conditions and expands their development prospects, and has achieved the poverty reduction and health-related targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule. Through these efforts, China has not only improved the lives of Chinese women, but has also offered the international community its approach to safeguarding women's human rights.
\nLeading and advancing multilateral and regional agendas for women's development. At the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, China proposed the Global AI Governance Initiative, emphasizing the need to avoid gender bias in AI development. The country also facilitated the adoption of the Resolution on Enhancing International Cooperation in Capacity-Building of Artificial Intelligence at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, which underscores ensuring universal benefits from AI, enhancing digital inclusion and achieving gender equality while empowering women and girls. Since 2012, China has hosted 29 women's conferences under frameworks including APEC, G20, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), China-ASEAN, China-Africa, China-Arab States, China-Central Asia, and Lancang-Mekong Cooperation. Through these mechanisms, China has deeply engaged in cooperation on women's issues, focusing on topics including poverty reduction, development, employment, business startup, education empowerment, and pandemic response. These efforts have facilitated targeted experience-sharing, dialogues, and collaborative actions, enabling China to advocate actionable propositions for advancing women's comprehensive development, inclusivity, and sustainable development.
\n2. Deepening Cooperation and Exchanges to Advance Women's Development
\nChina integrates the deepening of women's development cooperation into the frameworks of high-quality Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and South-South cooperation, to jointly promote women's sustainable development.
\nAdvancing women's development in BRI participating countries. China actively promotes high-quality BRI cooperation. Initiatives such as the Silk Road E-commerce have created employment opportunities and pathways for women in these countries, and digital technology enablement program for women in ASEAN countries — alongside other related programs — have supported women in the region in seeking employment and starting businesses. For 10 consecutive years, China and partner countries have jointly hosted a series of events under the theme "Pool Women's Strength for Belt and Road Cooperation", encouraging women in these countries to become supporters, participants, contributors, and beneficiaries of the BRI.
\nSupporting women's poverty reduction and development in South-South cooperation. China supports developing countries in improving women's living conditions and development environment. It has implemented 100 maternal and child health projects and 100 happy campus projects, along with a series of small but effective public wellbeing programs focusing on housing, rural roads, and technology training to empower women and girls. Through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has carried out women-related projects worth nearly US $40 million across over 20 countries. Additionally, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund has allocated RMB12 million to support women's development programs. Through foreign aid training and technical assistance, Juncao technology has helped women in 106 countries gain meaningful employment.
\nPanel 22 Juncao Technology Assistance: Empowering Women in Developing Countries to Realize Their Dreams
\nJuncao technology is a unique Chinese method for cultivating edible and medicinal fungi that uses grass as a substitute for wood. First included in China's foreign aid programs in 1994, it has since been introduced to 106 countries. In Lesotho, a compact 10-square-meter Juncao mushroom cultivation model has enabled impoverished farmers with limited land to produce 1.2 tonnes of fresh Juncao mushrooms annually from a single 10-square-meter plot. In African and Pacific Island nations, women use Juncao as livestock feed to mitigate shortages caused by climate change. Seruwaia Kabukabu from Fiji has led local women in growing Juncao mushrooms, significantly improving the living conditions of families in her community. In recognition of her work, she has been elected as chairperson of the Fiji Mushroom Farmers Association. Juncao has thus become a "grass of happiness" for people in developing countries.
\nDeepening international cooperation in women's capacity building. China continues to strengthen and expand support training programs focused on women and children in developing countries. Since 2018, it has implemented over 100 programs in this domain, including the Seminar on Promoting Maternal and Child Health Under Global Development Initiative, and the Seminar on Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries — Women and Children. Additionally, China has launched degree programs in women's leadership and social development, training nearly 4,000 outstanding professionals in the field of women's development. An exchange and training base for global women's development cooperation has been established in Beijing to design tailored empowerment programs for women in developing countries. Training and exchange centers for Chinese and foreign women have been set up in collaboration with 15 countries, and through international cooperation in vocational education, the Luban Workshops have trained 5,944 female students, who account for 23.25 percent of all participants in the project.
\nSolid progress in people-to-people exchanges in the field of women's affairs. China has actively developed global partnerships and engaged in comprehensive, multi-channel friendly exchanges with women's organizations and institutions from over 140 countries. It has conducted dialogues with foreign female political leaders, spouses of heads of state, and female government ministers, organized high-level delegations for overseas visits, and pioneered new approaches to high-level women's foreign exchanges. China has deepened women's exchanges under its cultural and people-to-people exchange mechanisms with other countries, holding thematic seminars on women's entrepreneurship, economic empowerment, education, anti-domestic violence, and family culture, while strengthening cooperation in areas such as women's rights and interests, bridging the digital gender divide, and promoting women's participation in sci-tech innovation and sustainable development. The Female Diplomats' China Adventures series has been launched to share the practical experiences of Chinese women in economic development and grassroots governance, and exchange insights on promoting gender equality. China supports women's participation in cross-cultural exchanges, with women accounting for 80 percent of dispatched Chinese-language teachers and 90 percent of volunteers in international Chinese language education.
\n3. Actively Addressing Global Challenges
\nChina supports women in playing an active role in maintaining peace and security, and in addressing challenges including climate change, public health crises, and humanitarian disasters.
\nSupporting women's participation in maintaining peace and security. China has taken concrete actions to implement UN Security Council resolutions on "Women, Peace and Security", supporting women's important roles in conflict prevention, peace negotiations, and post-conflict reconstruction. In 2022, the China-UN Peace and Development Trust Fund initiated a training program for senior female talent to promote gender equality in high-level positions within UN peacekeeping operations. China has deployed over 1,200 female peacekeepers and more than 100 female police officers to UN missions, who have participated in medical support, liaison and coordination, mine clearance, patrols and observation, and efforts to advance gender equality and protect women.
\nPanel 23 Chinese Female Peacekeeping Officer Received an Honorary Certificate for UN Military Gender Advocate Award
\nThe UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award was established in 2016 to recognize peacekeepers who have made outstanding contributions to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. On May 29, 2020, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Chinese officer Xin Yuan, a senior mine clearance staff officer at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), received an award in this category in recognition of her exceptional service, becoming the first Chinese service member to win this honor. Xin was the only female staff officer responsible for mine clearance operations in UNIFIL. She assumed significant risks by conducting surveys in minefields alongside clearance teams, developed meticulous clearance plans, and completed mine clearance tasks 34 days ahead of schedule, clearing over 1,500 square meters of minefields. Her efforts earned her special commendation from the UNIFIL headquarters.
\nEmpowering women to address climate change. China has consistently organized training programs on South-South cooperation for climate change response, implementing a gender-balanced enrollment policy. Since 2022, nearly 300 female officials, experts and scholars from developing countries engaged in climate change projects have participated in training programs in China. From 2012 to 2024, China conducted nearly 100 foreign aid training projects in meteorological monitoring, forecasting, and services, with women accounting for 36.72 percent of the trainees. It has donated 5,000 household solar photovoltaic power generation systems and 10,000 clean cooking stoves to Myanmar, reducing indoor air pollution and its associated health risks while supporting the country's low-carbon transition. The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund supported Cambodia in implementing a project on gender mainstreaming in climate action, enhancing rural women's climate adaptability and resilience.
\nAddressing women's needs in international humanitarian assistance. In efforts to alleviate migrant and refugee crises, China has placed high priority on women and children, encouraging women to register as recipients of household assistance supplies and providing special care for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Projects in the Republic of Congo specifically target pregnant and breastfeeding women as beneficiaries, effectively reducing malnutrition rates among women and children. In 2023, China provided over 120,000 hygiene kits, valued at US $1.5 million, to Rohingya women and girls seeking refuge in Bangladesh, benefiting more than 60,000 women and girls.
\nConclusion
\nThe pursuit of gender equality is a great cause. In the new era, the spirit of self-esteem, confidence, independence and self-reliance among Chinese women is demonstrated as the Chinese people forge ahead with resolve under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The glorious journey of women's development in China is deeply integrated into the process of achieving the Two Centenary Goals under the Party's leadership. Never before have Chinese women enjoyed such tremendous opportunities to realize their full potential and achieve their dreams, and never before has the cause of Chinese women borne witness to such broad prospects for development.
\nToday, China is working to build a great country and achieve national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. This requires pooling the strength of hundreds of millions of women and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development at a higher level. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China will unswervingly follow the path of women's development under socialism with Chinese characteristics, adhere to the fundamental national policy of gender equality, and thoroughly implement the Outline of Women's Development in China to enhance women's overall capabilities. Through these efforts, the country will create conditions and platforms for women to participate in economic and social development, protect their legitimate rights and interests, and encourage them to stand at the forefront of the times.
\nIn today's world, promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development presents both opportunities and significant challenges. All countries must strive to create safe and secure environments for women's survival and development, eliminate violence, discrimination and poverty, and effectively address the impact of climate change. It is essential to continuously empower women, ensuring they enjoy more and better opportunities and play more significant roles in the new revolution in science, technology and industry. We must adhere to true multilateralism, honor international obligations, and promote mutual learning and people-to-people exchanges among women worldwide. China is ready to work with countries around the world to expedite actions to create a brighter future for women's development and write a new chapter in the global progress of women.
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\nContents
\nPreface
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nConclusion
\nPreface
\nThroughout history, women have played an essential role in shaping human civilization and have made immense contributions to social progress. But the paths towards gender equality and women's well-rounded development across the world have been long and arduous.
\nSince its founding in 1921, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has remained committed to women's liberation and development and gender equality. The CPC regards women as a major force for advancing all endeavors of the Party and the nation, always places the work concerning women high on its agenda, and leads women in their pursuit of liberation, progress and development. In doing so, the Party has opened a socialist path for women's development with Chinese characteristics.
\nThe 18th CPC National Congress in 2012 marked the beginning of a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In this new era, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has emphasized safeguarding women's lawful rights and interests and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development as integral components of Chinese modernization. Accordingly, it has made a series of major decisions and plans that are pioneering in vision, overarching in scope, and enduring in significance. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, initiated, planned for, supported and chaired the Party's first ever Central Conference on the Party's Work with People's Organizations in 2015, attended the 11th, 12th and 13th national women's congresses in 2013, 2018 and 2023 respectively, and held talks with each newly elected leadership team of the All-China Women's Federation. He has also delivered important speeches on work related to women and children, the role of women's federations, and the significance of family ties, values and traditions, thereby identifying the direction, objectives and guidelines of China's endeavors for women in the new era.
\nUpholding gender equality, among other basic national policies, has been incorporated into the CPC's political program, and promoting women's well-rounded development has been included in the national development plan. The legal system for safeguarding women's rights and interests also continues to improve. China has developed a sound approach to its endeavors concerning women. Chinese women actively participate in government initiatives, serve as advocates of civic virtues, fight for their dreams, and excel across all professions. In the new era, China has delivered numerous historic achievements in its endeavors concerning women. The Chinese socialist path for women's development continues to expand, opening ever-broader opportunities for advancement.
\nWomen around the world have a shared future. China's endeavors concerning women are an integral part of the global cause. In 1995, China hosted the Fourth World Conference on Women, organized by the United Nations. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the conference has since become a milestone for global gender equality. At important occasions such as the 2015 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment and the 2020 high-level meeting on the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, Xi Jinping, in his role as president of China, elaborated on China's propositions on gender equality and women's well-rounded development, and proposed holding another global leaders' meeting on women in 2025.
\nOn the occasion of the 2025 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, the Chinese government is publishing this white paper to present China's philosophy, principles, and innovative practices in promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development in the new era, highlight Chinese women's outstanding achievements and contribution, and affirm China's commitment to join global endeavors for women's advancement.
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nIn the process of Chinese modernization, based on China's realities and the trend of the times, the CPC leads Chinese women in exercising their lawful democratic rights, participating in social and economic development, and sharing the fruits of reform and development, all on the foundation of gender equality.
\n1. Upholding the CPC's Overall Leadership
\nThe CPC's leadership is the fundamental guarantee of China's work related to women. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has approached this work as an integral part of its broader strategic goal of achieving national rejuvenation, incorporating gender equality and women's well-rounded development into the overall architecture of Chinese socialism.
\nUpholding the fundamental national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children have been included into the reports to the 18th, 19th and 20th CPC national congresses, held in 2012, 2017 and 2022 respectively.
\nAt the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2019, the Party called for upholding and improving the systems and mechanisms for promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development and proposed leveraging the important role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance.
\nAt the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2020, upholding the national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children were written into the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, along with the promotion of family ties, values and traditions.
\nAt the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2021, the promotion of family ties, values and traditions and the protection of the rights and interests of women and children were incorporated into the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century.
\nAt the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in 2024, the Party incorporated improving the system for protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children and refining the mechanisms for leveraging the role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance into the overall plan for deeper comprehensive reform.
\nThis evolution in policy-making has ensured that China's endeavors concerning women have progressed smoothly under the CPC's overall leadership.
\n2. Implementing the Fundamental National Policy of Gender Equality
\nHighlighting gender equality as a basic national policy is an innovative practice of the Chinese socialist system and a momentous decision for advancing this cause and women's well-rounded development.
\nChina has improved top-level design and systematic planning accordingly. In formulating laws and policies and making plans and arrangements, the country has taken into full consideration the differences between women and men and the distinctive interests of women. It has promoted gender equality in rights, opportunities and outcomes, safeguarding women's rights and interests in accordance with the law.
\nChina is committed to cultivating a social ethos of respect and care for women, eliminating all forms of discrimination against them, and discarding obsolete ideas and practices that hinder their development. This more inclusive and dynamic social environment has allowed gender equality to truly become a shared social norm and part of the value system.
\n3. Synergizing Women's Development with Social and Economic Progress
\nDevelopment cannot be achieved without women, and its fruits should be shared by all. In this spirit, China has integrated the advancement of gender equality into its broader development process.
\nWomen's development has been incorporated into the Five-sphere Integrated Plan, which promotes coordinated progress in the economic, political, cultural, social and eco-environmental fields. Goals and tasks for women's development have also been embedded in the five-year plans for national economic and social development. The level of women's development is regarded as an essential measurement for social and economic development. With these efforts, China has synergized its endeavors for women with its social and economic progress in terms of planning and implementation, ensuring that modernization brings greater benefits to women in a fairer way, enabling them to enjoy a growing, guaranteed and sustained sense of gain, fulfillment and security.
\n4. Fully Leveraging Women's Proactive Role in National Development
\nWomen constitute a powerful force driving human progress, while at the same time shaping and determining their own futures. Upholding a people-centered philosophy of development, China respects the agency of women and has strengthened relevant institutional safeguards, policy support, and public service supply for their development.
\nChina has carried out programs encouraging women to strive for achievements, which seek to enhance women's overall capabilities, broaden channels for their participation in national development, and fully stimulate their enthusiasm, initiative and creativity, with an ultimate goal of realizing, safeguarding and improving women's vital and immediate interests to the maximum extent.
\nThe country encourages women to integrate their personal aspirations with the undertakings of the Party and the country, and to leverage their individual strengths in implementing the new development philosophy, fostering a new development dynamic, promoting high-quality development, achieving greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology, and advancing rural revitalization across the board. Utilizing their distinctive role in society and family, women are called upon to contribute considerably to the building of China into a great country and the realization of national rejuvenation.
\n5. Joining Global Women in Building a Bright Shared Future
\nHumanity lives in one homeland, and women around the world have a shared future. China upholds the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity, and facilitates the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. It advocates putting the people first, stays committed to results-oriented actions, and contributes Chinese initiatives, solutions and actions to global endeavors for women.
\nChina supports the United Nations in prioritizing women's development, promotes cooperation with the rest of the world in relevant fields, and builds international consensus on gender equality through extensive exchanges and mutual learning. Together with all other countries, China works to shape a global environment conducive to women's development, to safeguard international fairness and justice, and to make its due contribution to moving the world to a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress.
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nWomen's cause is an integral part of state governance. To advance this cause, China has continued to strengthen institutional support and safeguards, fostering the necessary conditions and environment for the comprehensive development of women.
\n1. Improving the Framework for Advancing Women's Cause
\nChina has established a mechanism for the work related to women, under which Party committees exercise leadership, governments assume primary responsibility, working committees on children and women play a coordinating role, women's federations work in collaboration, relevant departments provide support, and the whole of society participates. These concerted efforts have ensured that gender equality is upheld in all areas of economic and social development and all aspects of social life.
\nThe people's congresses have strengthened legislation and supervision. The National People's Congress (NPC) has established the Social Development Affairs Committee to undertake legislation, conduct supervision, and handle proposals and suggestions from NPC deputies concerning the protection of women's rights and interests. It attaches importance to incorporating legal initiatives for promoting women's development and safeguarding women's rights and interests into the legislative plans of its Standing Committee, and to soliciting opinions and accepting feasible proposals from women's federations and women themselves during legislative review and legal supervision.
\nAdditionally, the NPC hears and reviews the State Council's report on combating domestic violence, identifies the protection of female employees' lawful and special rights and interests as an important component of enforcement inspections of the Trade Union Law, and urges relevant departments to perform their statutory duties in protecting women's rights and interests. The people's congresses of 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government have also set up social development affairs committees to formulate local regulations to supplement national laws, thereby strengthening legal safeguards for women's rights and interests.
\nThe Chinese People's Government has effectively fulfilled its primary responsibility. The government has formulated and organized the implementation of outlines for women's development, and convened meetings on work related to children and women. The working committees on children and women have played their role as deliberative and coordinating bodies, and Party institutions, government departments, judicial authorities, and people's organizations have fulfilled their responsibilities in work related to women. The government has strengthened the statistics monitoring mechanism for the outlines for the development of women in China and established a gender statistics monitoring system covering over 2,400 indicators. Furthermore, gender has been incorporated as a key metric into national censuses and time-use surveys, and the fourth Survey on Social Status of Women in China has been conducted to assess women's development across multiple dimensions.
\nThe Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) has strengthened its role in conducting consultations and offering suggestions. CPPCC committees at all levels perform their duties in political consultation, democratic supervision, and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs. They conduct consultations on women's issues through a variety of channels and platforms, including subject-specific, sector-specific and proposal handling consultations, as well as consultative meetings with relevant departments. As one of the 34 sectors defined by the CPPCC, women's federations conduct research and consultations on key issues and major challenges in women's development, such as the protection of women's reproductive and health rights and interests. The National Committee of the CPPCC has conducted consultations and made suggestions to support women's development, addressing issues including fair employment and career development, the strengthening of family ties, values, and traditions, and universal access to childcare services.
\nWomen's federations have served as bridges for connection and communication. The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) is a people's organization of women of all ethnic groups and from all sectors of society in China. It unites women for further emancipation and development under the leadership of the CPC. The ACWF has established an organizational system of women's federations at the national, provincial, prefectural, county, township and village levels, covering government departments, public institutions, new types of economic entities and social organizations, and groups in new forms of employment.
\nWomen's federations at all levels have served as bridges linking the Party and the government with women, and as assistants to the Party. While supporting major national development strategies, they have performed their functions of guiding, serving, and engaging with women, and launched five key initiatives: providing women with political guidance; encouraging them to excel in the workplace; providing guidance and support in family education, family services, and the cultivation of family virtues; offering support for women's rights protection; and improving the problem-solving capability of women's federations and their staff's professional competence.
\nIn addition, women's federations have mobilized resources to support women's development through six practical measures: supporting female volunteers who provide care for children in need; growing the scale and quality of female-dominated family services; improving vocational training for women; developing a system of childcare services that is accessible to all; advancing the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project to help underprivileged schoolgirls; and telling engaging stories about the development of Chinese women. Through these initiatives, they have delivered accessible services and tangible benefits to women, children and families.
\n2. Setting Objectives and Tasks for Women's Development with Overall Planning
\nChina's national development plans have clarified the strategic tasks for women's development. Five-year plans are blueprints and guides of action for China's economic and social development during their designated time frames. The government has incorporated objectives for women's development into these plans for meeting its strategic goal of modernization.
\nThe 12th Five-year Plan (2011-2015) for the first time included a section dedicated specifically to advancing women's all-round development. It also set requirements for developing human resources with a focus on women, strengthening labor protection for women, and resolutely combating violence and crimes against women. The 13th Five-year Plan (2016-2020) further strengthened the protection of women's rights and interests and for the first time devoted a separate chapter to ensuring women's rights and equal access to education, employment, and participation in social affairs, and eliminating discrimination and prejudice against women. It also set the targets for poverty alleviation and reduction among women. The 14th Five-year Plan (2021-2025) outlines further measures to safeguard women's rights and interests in areas including health, education, employment, participation in state governance, and social security. For the first time, it contains a section specifically dedicated to the strengthening of family development which focuses on improving the supporting policies and services for this goal.
\nSpecial plans in related fields have been made to address women's practical development needs. Plans for improving people's wellbeing — including the Outline of Healthy China 2030, the Outline of the Development Plan for Education (2024-2035), and the special plans for boosting employment and the development of civil affairs undertakings during the 14th Five-year Plan period — have put forward policies and measures to improve the health of women and children, safeguard women's equal rights to education, support women's employment, entrepreneurship, and career development, and improve care and services for rural women who stay behind to care for families while their husbands work in cities.
\nThe National Medium — and Long-term Talent Development Plan (2010-2020) has outlined arrangements to promote gender balance in the talent pool and strengthen the training and selection of female talent. The National Action Plan for Scientific Literacy (2021-2035) has made specific arrangements to improve the scientific literacy of rural women. The National Human Rights Action Plan, in all four phases, includes a section on the measures for safeguarding women's rights and interests, covering personal, property, education, employment and health rights.
\nOutlines for women's development have laid out phased targets. Since 1995, China has formulated and implemented four outlines for women's development, each outlining the primary objectives, strategies, and measures for women's development in its corresponding phase.
\nThe Outline of Women's Development in China (2021-2030) contains 75 primary objectives and 93 strategic measures across eight fields: health, education, economy, participation in decision-making and administration, social security, family development, environment, and the legal sector. The document also outlines the 41 Party and government departments and institutions responsible for implementing these strategic measures.
\nNationwide, 31 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, along with over 300 prefectures and cities and more than 2,000 counties and districts, have formulated plans for local women's development based on their actual conditions. The objectives and tasks set in the Outline dovetail with national development plans, align with sector-specific plans, and are integrated across the national, provincial, city and county levels. A comprehensive planning system for advancing women's development is now firmly in place.
\n3. Strengthening Legal Guarantee for Women's Rights and Interests
\nContinuing to improve the legal system. Legal protection of women's rights and interests is an integral part of advancing law-based governance. China has established a legal system anchored in the Constitution and centered on the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, covering over 100 laws and regulations.
\nThe Civil Code was compiled, which includes a Personality Rights section that clarifies the definition of sexual harassment and the responsibilities of employers. Its Marriage and Family section improves mechanisms for the identification and settlement of marital debts, and economic compensation for unpaid domestic work in divorce proceedings.
\nThe Criminal Law has been revised to abolish the crime of "prostitution involving underage girls" and punish such acts as rape, raise the statutory minimum penalty for the crime of child molestation, and introduce harsher punishments for the crime of purchasing abducted and trafficked women. Additionally, the crime of sexual assault by a person with a duty of care has been added to the Criminal Law.
\nThe amended Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests has made more comprehensive and systematic provisions on the system and mechanism for protecting women's rights and interests. China has also formulated the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and created systems of compulsory reporting, admonition, personal safety protection order, and emergent protection.
\nThe revised Law on Land Contract in Rural Areas has improved the legal guarantees for rural women's land rights and interests, ensuring their rightful entitlement to land and corresponding rights. The Law on Rural Collective Economic Organizations has been formulated to provide institutional safeguards ensuring that women do not lose their membership, rights and interests in such organizations due to changes in marital status.
\nIn addition, the Legal Aid Law, the Law on Basic Medical and Health Care and the Promotion of Health, and the Population and Family Planning Law all have provisions for safeguarding women's rights and interests.
\nA gender equality review mechanism has been established at the national level and across all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government. This mechanism conducts assessments of laws and regulations related to women's rights and interests, ensuring that the fundamental national policy of gender equality is implemented in laws and regulations at the source.
\nPanel 1 Revisions to the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests
\nThe Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests was promulgated in 1992, amended in 2005 and 2018, and thoroughly revised in 2022, expanding from 61 articles in nine chapters to 86 articles in ten chapters with the revision.
\nThe Law fully embodies the fundamental national policy of gender equality and has strengthened the comprehensive protection of women's political rights, personal and personality rights and interests, and their rights and interests in culture, education, employment, social security, property, marriage, and family. It has added new provisions on the mechanism for safeguarding women's rights and interests, the mechanism for gender equality assessment of laws and regulations, the system for collecting and publishing gender statistics, and education on gender equality as a basic national policy. It has established legal aid channels, including a public-interest litigation system for safeguarding women's rights and interests, a mechanism for admonishing violators of women's rights and interests in employment and social security, and a nationwide service hotline for protecting women's rights.
\nOverall, the Law has strengthened legal liabilities and reinforced its rigidity.
\nStrengthening law enforcement and judicial protection. China has taken resolute actions to combat criminal and illegal acts that infringe upon women's and girls' personal rights. Since 2013, public security agencies have continued to carry out special operations targeting the abduction and trafficking of women and children. By 2024, the number of such cases had decreased by 95 percent compared with 2013.
\nChina has established an inter-departmental cooperation and consultation mechanism against domestic violence, issued guidelines on the implementation of admonitions against domestic violence and personal protection orders, and promulgated judicial interpretations clarifying specific interventions and prevention measures, and forms of evidence for identifying domestic violence.
\nThe systems and measures for preventing and addressing workplace sexual harassment have been improved, with the addition of "dispute over liability for damages caused by sexual harassment" as an independent cause of action. To strengthen the protection of the personal rights and interests of girls, China has established a compulsory reporting system for cases of offenses against minors, as well as mechanisms for urging parental care and supervision over minors, for preventing violators from engaging in certain occupations, and for providing one-stop judicial support.
\nProcuratorates at all levels have registered and handled 3,810 public-interest cases concerning women's rights and interests. Since 2012, legal aid institutions across China have provided legal assistance for women involved in over 4.2 million cases, and free legal consultations for over 20 million women.
\nRaising public awareness of the rule of law. China continued to formulate and implement the seventh and eighth five-year plans for popularizing legal knowledge, both of which include laws and regulations on protecting women's lawful rights and interests. The country has strengthened law promotion and interpretation efforts, and the NPC Standing Committee has organized press conferences to expound on the principles in formulating and revising the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law, and share their highlights.
\nEfforts have been made to raise public legal awareness through multiple channels and approaches. Since 2012, articles on protecting women's rights and interests published through the official WeChat account for law popularization have been viewed 91.36 million times, and the annual legal knowledge competition has attracted tens of millions of participants. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions has organized legal awareness activities for female employees for 11 consecutive years, and women's federations at all levels across China have held more than 3.76 million events to raise legal awareness and provide legal services since 2016, with the participation of over 400 million women.
\nIn 2024, courts and procuratorates across the country, in conjunction with women's federations, organized more than 4,200 open day events on safeguarding the rights and interests of women and children and released over 3,800 typical cases. A legal education program for rural women reached more than 86 percent of China's rural areas.
\n4. Creating an Equal and Harmonious Social Environment
\nVigorously promoting the fundamental national policy of gender equality. China has carried out targeted public education on gender equality across multiple dimensions and through multiple channels, promoting this basic national policy in government departments, schools, enterprises, urban and rural communities, and families.
\nFor Party and government leaders, the Implementation of Gender Equality as a Basic National Policy has been compiled as a coursebook and incorporated into the curriculum and teaching plans of Party schools. For students, education on gender equality has been promoted in elementary and high schools, as well as in universities, and integrated into textbook planning and regulatory standards, and guides for related courses. Gender balance is emphasized in textbook illustrations, and excellent female writers have seen greater representation in textbooks, to eliminate gender stereotypes in teaching materials.
\nFor the general public, gender equality has been incorporated into cultural and ethical development in both urban and rural communities, into self-regulations and rules for their residents, and into efforts to cultivate good family ties, values, and traditions. Party members and officials, experts, scholars, and those who work in women's affairs have given talks and lectures, and engaged in public communication on gender equality in approachable and popular forms, enabling the public to understand this basic national policy and apply it in their daily lives.
\nPanel 2 Guangdong Promoting Gender Equality Education in Elementary and High Schools
\nSince 2012, Guangdong Province has promoted gender equality education in schools. Targeting students in urban elementary and high schools, three types of courses have been developed, with a focus on cognitive understanding, behavioral norms and attitudinal guidance. These are themed courses on gender equality, integrated courses that incorporate ideas of gender equality into related subjects, and practical courses that engage students in all types of activities. Targeting students in rural elementary and high schools, courses have been developed for students in different grades with a focus on care for left-behind children, physical development during puberty, and prevention of sexual assault among adolescents.
\nBy the first half of 2025, Guangdong had established 661 demonstration elementary and high schools for gender equality education, with a professional teaching staff of over 1,500 members. Assessment results indicate that education on gender equality has generated a positive effect on both male and female students, raising their gender equality awareness, promoting physical and mental health, improving academic performance, and reducing bullying and disciplinary violations.
\nStrengthening the awareness of gender equality in the media. The Advertising Law and other relevant laws, as well as the Outline of Women's Development in China, all stipulate regulations regarding gender equality assessment and supervision in the media, prohibiting reports or advertisements with contents that disparage, undermine, or infringe upon women's dignity.
\nGender equality reviews have been conducted throughout the script development, production, screening, and distribution of films and TV programs. News outlets have issued lists of prohibited and offensive terms to eliminate discriminatory expressions in news reports. Media organizations have implemented a social responsibility reporting system and upheld the professional ethic of safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of women, children, the elderly, and the disabled and protecting their physical and mental health.
\nThe stories of women role models have been told through media coverage, special releases and events in recognition of their contribution, showcasing patriotism, devotion to the people, perseverance and progress in the face of challenges, and commitment to virtue and good deeds. Gender equality has now become a widely accepted social norm.
\nCreating a clean cyberspace. China has issued judicial interpretations, released exemplary cases, and carried out special operations to combat fraud, abduction, trafficking, rape, and other crimes against women and children committed or facilitated through online channels. Offenses that infringe upon women's personality rights, such as the illegal disclosure of personal information, defamation, and malicious online abuse, are strictly punished. Online platforms have taken on greater responsibility by addressing illegal and inappropriate content, including removing articles and short videos that advocate a preference for sons over daughters or exaggerate family disputes.
\nChina has increased the supply of high-quality online content. Special campaigns have been launched to introduce new media products showcasing women in the new era and their commitment to the country, such as the theme song Blooms of China, the women's federation promotional video Together, and the family values promotional video I Love My Family. These products have reached hundreds of millions of women and families, and facilitated new progress in providing theoretical and political guidance to women.
\nEfforts have also been made to improve the digital literacy of the general public, foster responsible internet usage among women, tell engaging stories of China and Chinese women, spread mainstream values, and promote positive energy online.
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nEradicating poverty, improving living standards, and achieving common prosperity are essential tasks of socialism. China has made continuous efforts to ensure people's access to childcare, education, employment, medical services, eldercare, housing, and social assistance, meeting women's expectation for a better life.
\n1. Elimination of Absolute Poverty
\nChina has organized the largest and most intensive poverty alleviation campaign in human history, benefiting the greatest number of people. By the end of 2020, it had successfully eliminated absolute poverty throughout the country, meeting the poverty reduction target of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. On this epic journey of poverty reduction, China has honored its solemn commitment that no one should be left behind, specifically targeting women as a key group to widen their path towards prosperity.
\nTaking targeted measures to guarantee basic living needs. China has adopted a targeted strategy in poverty alleviation. Under this framework, it maintains detailed records on the distribution of impoverished populations, the underlying causes of poverty, the specific categories of poverty, and the expectations of the poor. This approach guarantees the implementation of targeted efforts in six areas: identification of those in need, project arrangement, capital utilization, the introduction of household-specific measures, the dispatch of officials to villages based on local conditions, and the achievement of set goals. As a result, women, who comprise approximately half of the impoverished population, have benefited from targeted resource allocation.
\nThe Health Program for Poverty Alleviation and its health promotion campaigns have guaranteed access to basic medical and health services for impoverished rural women.
\nThrough education initiatives for poverty alleviation, compulsory education in impoverished areas has been steadily improved, ensuring that no school-age girls from poor families drop out of school due to poverty.
\nSocial security systems have been strengthened to ensure eligible women on the list of the registered poor receive subsistence allowances or assistance and support for the extremely poor.
\nRenovation of dilapidated houses in rural areas, particularly in severely impoverished areas, has been subsidized by the government. Relocation projects have helped over 9.6 million people, who originally lived in inhospitable areas, to emerge from poverty and seek development.
\nThe basic food and clothing needs of impoverished women have been guaranteed, and their access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing has been ensured.
\nAfter winning the battle against absolute poverty, the country initiated a five-year transition period during which poverty alleviation support policies remained in effect to buttress areas and populations that had recently emerged from poverty. Based on the stable operation of such policies, a robust dynamic monitoring and assistance mechanism has been established to prevent any relapse into or occurrence of poverty, and support remains in place for women lifted out of poverty and those in low-income areas to participate in the local economy, seek more employment opportunities, and increase incomes.
\nBoosting the economy to create job opportunities for women and raise their income. China is committed to the policy of development-driven poverty alleviation to empower impoverished women.
\nIt has strengthened industrial support by facilitating the gradient transfer of labor-intensive industries such as food processing and clothing manufacturing, benefitting 98.9 percent of poor households. By advancing east-west cooperation in labor services, setting up poverty alleviation workshops, and creating public-interest rural jobs, the country has provided job opportunities for poor women with the will and ability to work. In its efforts to alleviate poverty, China has leveraged new forms of business and industries such as e-commerce programs, photovoltaic technology, and tourism to help impoverished women find good jobs within their local communities. In ethnic minority areas, the transition of the hand-knitting business from a purely traditional craft to a driver of the local economy has transformed the lives of the women embroidery artisans in the Miao and Yi communities.
\nChina has increased fiscal and financial support. In the critical battle against poverty, special supportive polices such as offering subsidized loans requiring no collateral or guarantee and tax reductions or exemptions were introduced. Cumulatively, over RMB450 billion in guaranteed microloans and poverty alleviation microcredit were disbursed to women in need, and 8.7 million impoverished women saw their income increased through entrepreneurship. From 2021 to 2024, the country sustained a flow of microcredit designated for people recently lifted out of poverty, of which RMB76.83 billion were offered to nearly 1.93 million women.
\nEfforts in skills training have been strengthened, with training courses on vocational skills, entrepreneurship, and practical agricultural technology being held through multiple channels, at multiple levels, and in multiple forms. As of 2020, training programs had been organized for a total of 10.21 million impoverished women and female technicians. From 2023 to 2024, the Rain and Dew Program sponsored 632,000 women to receive vocational education, allowing them to continue their march out of poverty.
\nPanel 3 Poverty Alleviation Workshops for Women Help Women Find Jobs and Emerge from Poverty
\nPoverty Alleviation Workshops for Women constitute a targeted model that helps boost employment and incomes among impoverished women. The Guidelines on the Three-Year Action Plan for Winning the Battle Against Poverty issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council required the establishment of poverty alleviation workshops to employ people from poor households near their homes. In line with this document, governments in poor regions adopted measures such as employment subsidies, workspace rental subsidies, and credit assistance to encourage enterprises to establish poverty alleviation workshops for women in poor rural communities, helping them find work in fields such as agricultural products processing and handicrafts weaving. By providing employment opportunities close to home, local governments and enterprises have enabled women to balance earning an additional income with their farming and family duties. During the critical battle against poverty, more than 10,000 such workshops for women have been established nationwide, helping women in need find secure employment in their local areas.
\nIncreasing input to break the bottlenecks constraining women's development. China has advanced infrastructure development, fundamentally solving many of the issues impeding women's development in impoverished areas, such as insufficient access to transport, electricity, water and communications. Where conditions permit, all towns, townships, and administrative villages have been connected to paved roads and provided with bus and postal services. Full coverage of reliable power supply has been largely realized in rural areas. All counties have access to gigabit internet, all townships to 5G services, and all villages to broadband connections. By the end of 2024, 94 percent of the rural population had enjoyed access to tap water.
\nPanel 4 Female National Models for Poverty Alleviation
\nWomen fully performed their role as "half the sky" in the critical battle against poverty. Among the 10 individuals honored as national models for poverty alleviation by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council in 2021, five were women. They include Bai Jingying, who led 26,000 women in shaking off poverty through a new trail — working in the Mongolian broidery industry; Zhang Guimei, who leveraged her expertise in education to found China's first free senior high school for girls, helping more than 2,000 girls from impoverished mountainous areas reach university; Huang Wenxiu, a poverty alleviation official and a resident first Party secretary, and Zhang Xiaojuan, a vice director of a county-level poverty alleviation office, both of whom sacrificed their young lives for poverty elimination while working at the grassroots level to help residents solve difficulties; and Xia Sen, who donated her savings of RMB2,032,000 accumulated through a lifetime of work and frugality to improve schools in poverty-stricken rural areas, including through the provision of grants that have gone on to help 182 students from poor households enroll in university.
\n2. Notable Improvement in Health
\nPrioritizing people's health in its development strategy, China makes all-out efforts to build a healthy China, with women's and children's health the cornerstone of this work. By consolidating and improving institutional arrangements and optimizing resource allocation, the country provides women with full life-circle health services.
\nContinuous improvement of the maternal and child healthcare system. China has integrated its maternal and child healthcare network into its national medical and healthcare framework that covers its 1.4 billion people. A service system for maternal and child healthcare has been built, with maternal and child healthcare institutions as the core, community-level medical and healthcare institutions as the foundation, and medium and large hospitals and research institutes as the pillars.
\nFrom 2012 to 2023, the number of health professionals at maternal and child healthcare institutions increased from 277,000 to 537,000, with an annual growth rate of over 6 percent; the actual number of beds rose from 187,000 to 295,000, up by nearly 60 percent. At present, China has 3,081 maternal and child healthcare institutions, 3,491 treatment centers for high-risk and critically ill pregnant and postpartum women, and 3,221 treatment centers for critically ill neonates. More than 2,600 traditional Chinese medicine hospitals at Grade II and above have gynecological departments.
\nThe "internet plus maternal and child healthcare" service model has been developed, and training sessions and guidance for treating pregnant and postpartum women in severe and critical conditions have been provided through 31 provincial-level "cloud-based maternal and child healthcare" telemedicine platforms, making maternal and child healthcare services much more equitable.
\nPanel 5 Five Mechanisms for Maternal and Neonatal Safety Safeguarding the Health of Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Newborns
\nThe five mechanisms for maternal and neonatal safety covers pregnancy risk screening and evaluation, targeted management of high-risk pregnant and postpartum women, emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, maternal mortality case reporting, and admonition of underperforming healthcare providers. Based on the severity of pregnancy risks, pregnant and postpartum women are classified into one of five categories and each is assigned a label: green for low risk, yellow for common risk, orange for relatively high risk, red for high risk, or purple for carrying an infectious disease. Their treatment is then managed according to their category. This general system is supported by a nationwide, tiered network for treating pregnant and postpartum women and neonates in severe and critical conditions, which features coordination between different levels, highly efficient response, and orderly operation. It closely monitors key high-risk groups and strengthens the emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, thereby ensuring the safety of mothers and newborns.
\nBreakthroughs in solving key issues in women's health. China has strengthened its resource coordination to integrate the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B into major public health service programs. In 2024, the rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission in China fell to 1.2 percent, meeting the targets for eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission.
\nChina has promoted the comprehensive prevention and treatment of cervical cancer and breast cancer. Between 2009 and 2024, 342 million free screenings for cervical cancer and 245 million free screenings for breast cancer were carried out nationwide, and between 2012 and 2024, the central government allocated RMB3.01 billion for treatment and support for women with these forms of cancer. HPV vaccination has been incorporated into the government's public welfare initiatives in 18 provinces as of June 2025, benefiting 5 million girls of eligible age annually through free vaccination programs.
\nA group of specialty branches and outpatient departments focusing on women's healthcare have been established, covering the entire process of childbearing and women's full life cycle.
\nA reproductive health promotion campaign has been carried out. By the end of 2024, youth health education services had been provided in more than 10,000 elementary and high schools and more than 1,000 higher education institutions across the country.
\nThe campaign to raise national health awareness, the initiative to build healthy families, the Healthy China: Mother's Action, and other initiatives have been rolled out to guide women to lead their family members and the wider society in raising health awareness and health management capacity.
\nRemarkable improvement in women's health. In 2020, the average life expectancy of women in China rose to 80.9 years.
\nSince 2012, the national hospital delivery rate has remained above 99 percent, and in 2024, the systematic maternal management rate reached 94.9 percent. The maternal mortality rate has dropped by 76.9 percent, from 61.9 per 100,000 in 1995 to 14.3 per 100,000 in 2024 — far below the global average.
\nIn terms of core maternal and child health indicators, namely maternal, infant, and under-five mortality rates, China ranks among the top in global upper-middle-income countries. It has met the relevant targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule and has been recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the 10 high performing countries in maternal and child health outcomes.
\n3. Substantial Increase in Women's Education Level
\nIn building up its strength in education and coordinating integrated reforms of educational, sci-tech and talent systems and mechanisms, China has made tremendous efforts to ensure women's equitable access to education of all categories and levels, raise women's scientific literacy and promote life-long education for them. As a result, women's right to education has been effectively guaranteed.
\nGender divide in basic education has been largely eliminated. China has implemented four consecutive preschool education action plans. In 2024, girls accounted for 47.3 percent of children in kindergartens, totaling 16.94 million.
\nPanel 6 The Spring Bud Project Helps Girls from Impoverished Families Realize Their Dreams Through Schooling
\nThe Spring Bud Project is a public welfare project launched by the China Children and Teenagers' Fund in 1989 to help out-of-school girls from poverty-stricken areas return to school and improve their access to education. In 2019, Prof. Peng Liyuan, special envoy for girls' education under the Spring Bud Project, launched the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project. By carrying out education in health, digital technology, science and technology, music, and other areas, this initiative helps girls from poor households pursue well-rounded development. By the end of 2024, the project had raised RMB3.44 billion of non-governmental funds, providing 4.36 million instances of education assistance and more than 200,000 cases of one-to-one growth support and tailored psychological counseling for girls. This enabled girls to enjoy a more equitable and inclusive education of higher quality. In 2023, the Spring Bud Project won the UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education. In 2024, it was designated as one of the best cases in the Fifth Call of Global Solicitation on Best Poverty Reduction Practices.
\nChina promotes the high-quality and balanced development of compulsory education, and has accelerated efforts to narrow the educational gaps between regions, schools, groups, and between urban and rural areas. The net elementary education enrollment rate of school-age girls stays above 99.9 percent, and in 2024, girls made up 46.98 percent of students of nine-year compulsory education.
\nThe Plan to Popularize Senior High School Education (2017-2020) and the Action Plan to Develop County-level Senior High Schools During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) Period have been implemented nationwide, and the proportion of girls among the senior high school population is continuing to rise, standing at 49.3 percent in 2024.
\nA rough balance between male and female students in higher education has been achieved. China has made sustained efforts to develop the world's largest higher education system, cement and advance accessibility in higher education, and ensure gender equality in the enrollment of regular institutions of higher learning. In 2024, female students in these institutions made up 50.76 percent of the total, 14.15 percentage points higher than in 1995. Among them, female graduate students accounted for 50.01 percent, an increase of 22.43 percentage points from 1995.
\nWomen enjoy higher-quality vocational education and life-long education. China has speeded up its efforts to build a modern vocational education system and offers assistance to eligible students in the form of tuition exemptions, scholarships, grants, and student loans. As a result, women are enjoying more and better access to high-quality vocational education. In 2024, female students accounted for 47.9 percent of higher vocational school students at the undergraduate and junior college levels, and 45.2 percent of secondary vocational school students.
\nThe women's life-long learning system has become more open and flexible, with the establishment of the national smart education platform for life-long education offering a more convenient and accessible channel that meets women's diverse learning needs. The number of women receiving adult education continues to rise steadily year on year, and in 2024, female students at adult education institutions at the undergraduate and junior college levels numbered 5.13 million, 54 percent of the total, representing an increase of 1.96 million compared to 2012. In 2020, the average length of schooling for female citizens at or above the age of 15 reached 9.59 years.
\nWomen's scientific literacy is on the rise. The Chinese government has promulgated the Outline of the Action Plan for Improving Scientific Literacy for All (2021-2035), which covers raising women's scientific literacy.
\nIt has issued the Guidelines for Science Education in Elementary and High Schools, improved the curriculum, textbooks, experimental teaching, teachers' training, and extra-curricular activity programs of these schools, and enhanced the coordination and transformation of science education resources.
\nTo inspire and cultivate female students' interests in science, public-interest programs aimed at female students have been rolled out, including the Science Lovers Program for Female College Students, Science Empowering Girls, Spring Bud InnoGirls Program, STEM Girls, and Her Science.
\nA program for raising the capabilities of female employees has also been implemented, and, in particular, efforts have been made to help them improve digital skills.
\nThanks to these initiatives and more, the gender gap in scientific literacy is continuing to narrow. The female sci-tech talent pool continues to expand in scale, improve in structure, and grow in capability, with female scientists now regularly making outstanding contributions in various fields, including basic theory, applied technology, and engineering. In 2024, female R&D professionals numbered 2.85 million, representing an increase of 1.69 million from that in 2012.
\nPanel 7 STEM Girls Program Kindles Girls' Science Dream
\nIn 2018, the China Women's Development Foundation established the public-interest program of STEM Girls for female high school students aged 12-16 to inspire their enthusiasm and interest in STEM subjects. Through open recruitment and online courses, the program selects outstanding female high school students and sends them to universities and research institutions, including Tsinghua University, Tongji University, the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In the study camps at these institutions, girls can engage in exploration and learning in mechanical engineering, energy sources in architecture, eco-environment, biophysics, and other STEM subjects. They conduct visits, research, and hands-on experiments, form innovative plans, and work for their application. In the seven years since its launch, the program has covered more than 100 high schools in 24 provincial-level administrative units, training more than 8,200 students and helping them embark on a journey of scientific exploration and move forward in steady steps.
\n4. Continuous Improvement in Social Security
\nChina has established the world's largest social security system. Built on the principle of ensuring universal coverage for all eligible individuals, the system aims to narrow urban-rural disparities, improve social security policies for key groups, strengthen support for women in difficulty, and steadily raise benefit levels. As a result of this system, women now enjoy more comprehensive, reliable and equitable social security.
\nMedical and old-age insurance systems achieved full coverage. China's healthcare security system has been continuously improved, supported by increased government subsidies for individual contributions to basic medical insurance among rural and non-working urban residents.
\nIn 2024, 651 million women were covered by basic medical insurance, accounting for 49.1 percent of all participants. Additionally, 260 million women were covered by basic pension insurance for rural and non-working urban residents, representing 48 percent of all enrollees, while 260 million women participated in the basic pension scheme for urban employees, constituting 48.2 percent of the total.
\nMore women are protected against unemployment and work-related injuries. Efforts have been made to safeguard employees' employment security, occupational safety, and health protections. By the end of 2024, approximately 105 million women were enrolled in unemployment insurance, accounting for 42.7 percent of all participants and reflecting a 70 percent increase since 2012. Additionally, about 117 million women were covered by work-related injury insurance, comprising 38.6 percent of all enrollees, and reflecting a 60 percent increase since 2012.
\nSpecific measures have been introduced to ensure that workers in new forms of employment receive effective assistance and compensation in case of occupational injuries. Real-time settlement of medical expenses for work-related injuries incurred outside the provincial-level unit where the patient is insured has been fully implemented, protecting the rights and interests of female workers and better meeting their healthcare needs.
\nMaternity protection for women has improved significantly. The integrated implementation of maternity insurance and basic medical insurance for employees has been fully advanced, and continuous efforts have been made to expand employer participation in maternity insurance and to gradually extend its coverage. Regions with the necessary conditions have been guided to include flexibly employed people in maternity insurance. For unemployed women, the unemployment insurance fund pay their maternity insurance contributions on their behalf during their period of unemployment benefit eligibility, while non-working women are covered for maternity medical benefits through their participation in the basic medical insurance scheme for rural and non-working urban residents. By the end of 2024, 111 million women were covered by maternity insurance. All 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, have included eligible assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in their medical insurance schemes.
\nSocial security for women in need is further strengthened. Subsistence allowance standards have continued to rise, with the national average urban and rural subsistence allowance standards in 2024 140 percent and 240 percent higher than those of 2012, respectively.
\nFinancial assistance or premium payments are provided for women from eligible disadvantaged groups, such as those receiving subsistence allowances or classified as extremely impoverished individuals, to participate in basic medical and pension insurance schemes for rural and non-working urban residents.
\nA comprehensive system of living subsidies for persons with disabilities facing financial difficulties and nursing subsidies for those with severe disabilities has been established. In 2024, about 9.40 million women received these subsidies, accounting for 46 percent of all recipients.
\nTargeted assistance and support initiatives have been implemented for rural stay-behind women in difficult circumstances, including efforts to establish records, ensure basic living standards, promote employment and income generation, and enrich cultural lives.
\n5. Improved Family Lives
\nChina places emphasis on fostering family culture, values, and traditions, recognizing the unique role of women in both social and family life. Efforts continue to be made to leverage women's distinctive contributions in promoting traditional Chinese family virtues and establishing positive family traditions. Policies supporting family development are continuously improved, enhancing families' capacity for development and creating favorable conditions for women to enjoy better family lives.
\nMore equal and harmonious family relations in the new era. Laws and regulations including the Civil Code, the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law have been promulgated to protect women's rights within marriage and the family.
\nA new marital and childbearing culture is widely promoted. Marriage and family counseling services are widely available at marriage registration authorities at or above the county level nationwide. Over 2,000 pilot units are advancing marriage customs reform, and activities such as "bringing new marriage and childbearing norms into households" are continuously carried out to promote values including gender equality, mutual respect, and shared parenting responsibilities between couples.
\nThe Fourth Survey on the Social Status of Women in China shows that 90 percent of married women participate in decision-making on major family matters, an increase of approximately 15 percentage points compared to 2010. The gender gap in time spent on household chores has narrowed, and there is a growing emphasis on marital relationships based on mutual respect and trust.
\nA family-friendly society gradually in shape. To meet the demands of high-quality population development and family wellbeing, measures have been introduced to improve childbirth support policies and develop a childbirth-friendly society.
\nThe childbirth leave system has been enhanced, with local regulations extending maternity leave and paternity leave and introducing parental childcare leave. Special additional deductions for individual income tax have been implemented, covering expenses for under-three children nursing, eldercare, and children's education. A childcare subsidy system has been established and implemented, while free pre-school education has been promoted in a phased way.
\nEmployers are encouraged to create "family-friendly workplaces" by adopting flexible working hours or remote work options after negotiating with employees to support them in both career development and childcare.
\nNursing facilities have been provided. By the end of 2024, 403,000 enterprises and public institutions with trade unions had set up nursing rooms for female employees. The provision of baby care rooms in public places has also been expanded, and design standards such as the Uniform Standard for the Design of Civil Buildings, the Standard for the Design of Office Buildings, and the Code for the Design of Railway Passenger Station Buildings now include requirements for such facilities. By the end of 2024, 1,449 baby care rooms had been established in railway stations; 5,371 in highway service areas (including parking areas); 286 on passenger ships and in port passenger terminals; 2,308 in secondary and above-grade bus stations; 2,599 in urban rail transit stations; and nursing rooms in all civilian airports with an annual passenger throughput of 5,000 or more.
\nPanel 8 The 15-Minute Community Life Circles Benefit Hundreds of Millions of Residents
\nThe 15-minute community life circle is a government initiative to improve people's lives by creating community business districts with diverse services. Residents in such communities should be able to meet their basic daily consumption needs and access quality services within a 15-minute walk.
\nTo address childcare needs, Shanghai has established more than 340 community-based childcare rooms in over 90 percent of its subdistricts and towns, providing temporary childcare services. For eldercare needs, Tianjin has set up 1,852 community canteens for seniors and built daytime care centers for the elderly, offering personalized eldercare services. To meet residents' daily needs, the Kangqiao Garden Community in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, has introduced affordable vegetable stalls, convenient barbershops, and small repair service points, enabling one-stop solutions for various household needs.
\nSince 2021, 4 batches of 210 pilot areas across the country have joined the initiative, building 5,510 community life circles that benefit approximately 125 million residents.
\nMore diverse services to reduce family care burden. A variety of childcare services are provided to families, including full-day, half-day, and temporary care options, and employers are also supported in establishing childcare facilities. By the end of 2024, there were 5.74 million childcare slots nationwide, with 4.08 slots per 1,000 people for children under three.
\nA family education guidance service system covering both urban and rural areas has been established. Relying on over 400,000 parent schools in urban and rural communities and more than 20,000 online new media platforms, family education guidance service teams have worked to organize rich and diverse parent-child activities, bringing scientific family education guidance services directly to households and communities.
\nThe eldercare framework has been optimized, where home care is supported by communities and professional institutions, featuring a combination of medical care and eldercare services. Services such as meal assistance, bathing aid, home modifications for the elderly, and barrier-free renovations for financially difficult families with members with severe disabilities have become more accessible.
\nPanel 9 Family Education in the New Era Strengthens the Foundation of Early Nurturing
\nChina places great importance on family education. The Law on Family Education Promotion has been enacted to strengthen parents' primary responsibility in guardianship, establish a collaborative mechanism for family education work, clarify state support measures for family education, and define the role of social forces in supporting family education. The All-China Women's Federation, the Ministry of Education, and other relevant departments have successively issued six five-year plans for family education, setting periodic targets and measures. The National Family Education Guidance Outline and Basic Behavioral Norms for Parents in Family Education have been formulated and revised to define the content of family education guidance.
\nExploratory efforts are made to establish an undergraduate program on family education in colleges and universities to train professionals for this sector. A life-cycle family guidance curriculum system has been developed, and the "Happy Family" online platform for family education services has been established. Family education instructors have been included as an occupation in the General Code of Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China. All these endeavors will promote the digital and professional development of family education and support families in scientific parenting.
\nThe domestic service sector continues to improve in quality and expand in scale. By the end of 2023, there were approximately 600,000 domestic service entities and 16,000 women-led domestic service community stations. National domestic service vocational skills competitions have been held to encourage skill enhancement among people working in this sector, provide a growth platform for more of them, and deliver high-quality services to families.
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nOn the new journey of Chinese modernization, every individual plays a key role. Connecting their own future with that of the country and the nation, Chinese women have devoted themselves to the building of a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful. They have attained major achievements in the new era, creating a better life through action and hard work.
\n1. Achievements in Promoting High-Quality Economic Development
\nIn promoting high-quality economic development, China is committed to expanding channels for women's participation, improving their capabilities, and stimulating their creativity. Women are "holding up half the sky" and playing an increasingly prominent role.
\nRealizing potential in employment and entrepreneurship. Upholding employment as a priority, China has increased fiscal investment, and implemented initiatives such as the Women's Action for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Action for Promoting Women's Employment and Entrepreneurship. Special recruitment sections and events for women have been held, sponsored by the National Employment Promotion Action and Spring Breeze Action, aiming to help more women find better jobs.
\nGender discrimination in employment has been placed under the scrutiny of labor protection supervision. The System of Special Labor Protection for Female Employees in the Workplace (Reference Text) and the System for Eliminating Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (Reference Text) have been formulated as guidelines for employers to improve their corresponding systems for protecting female employees' lawful rights and interests.
\nBy the end of 2024, RMB640 billion in loans had been provided to support 8.49 million women in realizing their entrepreneurial dreams. Since 2012, women have accounted for about 43 percent of the total employed population. According to the fifth national economic census in 2024, 42.6 percent of the employees in government agencies, public institutions, and state-owned enterprises were women, an increase of 3.6 percentage points compared to the fourth census.
\nPanel 10 Beautiful Crafts Workshops Providing Employment and Income Growth for Women with Disabilities
\nThe Beautiful Crafts Workshops program was jointly launched by China Disabled Persons' Federation and All-China Women's Federation in 2022 to help women with disabilities find employment and increase income. Through collaboration between the government, enterprises, and public service organizations, a full-chain service model integrating training, employment, entrepreneurship and protection has been formulated to ensure that women participating in this program have access to employment opportunities and secure stable incomes through the acquisition of important skills.
\nA total of 125 national-level Beautiful Crafts Workshops now provide disabled women with free training courses in hand knitting, embroidery, and pottery, and support some of them in setting up studios and engaging in live-streaming sales. This program has facilitated flexible home-based employment for 190,000 women with disabilities, doubling their average annual income compared to 2022. The outcomes have been displayed at major events including the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the UN Human Rights Council meetings, and the 10th International Abilympics.
\nThe scale of women's accomplishments is reflected in their significant representation among national honorees: They constitute 34 percent of the National Moral Models and 30.9 percent of the Most Beautiful Souls and National Exemplary Educators. Since 2012, a total of 1,821 women have been awarded the titles of National Model Workers and Advanced Workers, 1,957 have received the National May 1st Labor Medal, 5,001 have been honored as National March 8th Red-Banner Pacesetters, and 6,489 recognized as National Role Models for Women's Achievements.
\nPioneering innovation in science and technology. As part of the efforts to implement the Women's Action for Scientific and Technological Innovation, China has formulated the Measures on Supporting Female Talent to Play a Greater Role in Sci-Tech Innovation, which outline 16 concrete measures, including supporting female scientists to undertake national sci-tech projects and participate in decision-making on sci-tech development, as well as improving evaluation and incentive mechanisms for them.
\nThe National Natural Science Foundation has appropriately relaxed the age limits for female applicants in Categories A, B and C of the Young Scientists Fund, raising the maximum age thresholds by three years, two years, and five years respectively, compared to their male counterparts. Leveraging platforms such as the Zhongguancun Forum, Pujiang Innovation Forum, and World AI Conference, China has launched summits and forums for women working in science and technology, and hosted the Women Technicians Forum and a range of training programs for high-caliber female sci-tech professionals. These actions have created platforms for women in STEM fields to conduct professional exchange and learning, apply their research outcomes, and serve the public.
\nToday, women account for 45.8 percent of all sci-tech researchers in China. They are tackling tough problems and achieving breakthroughs in pioneering fields, overcoming daunting obstacles, and scaling new heights at the forefront of innovation, and making significant contributions to building China into a sci-tech powerhouse with greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology.
\nPanel 11 Glorious Achievements of Female Sci-Tech Workers in China
\nThrough their unwavering dedication and exceptional wisdom, Chinese women have made groundbreaking contributions across diverse fields of science and technology, writing glorious chapters in the nation's rich history of sci-tech innovation.
\nTu Youyou, chief scientist at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and a recipient of the Medal of the Republic, was the first person to discover artemisinin. This class of drugs has significantly reduced the mortality rate of malaria patients and saved millions of lives globally. Tu's pioneering research led to her becoming the first home-grown Chinese scientist to receive a Nobel Prize.
\nLiu Yang, China's first female astronaut, Wang Yaping, the first female taikonaut to walk in space, and Wang Haoze, the first female aerospace flight engineer to board China's space station, each courageously challenged the unknown, demonstrating the strength of Chinese women in aerospace.
\nLiao Hong, professor at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, integrated applied basic research with agricultural production to build up about 20,000 hectares of eco-friendly tea gardens, providing a comprehensive solution to the eco-friendly planting and management of Wuyi rock tea.
\nFor over two decades, Shan Xinghua, recipient of the title Role Model of the Era, has led her team in developing the 12306 China Railway ticketing system into a super-large real-time platform with a world-leading transaction volume, boosting China's strength in transportation.
\nTaking the lead in rural revitalization. Through the Women's Action for Rural Revitalization, China has strengthened quality training to empower women farmers. Since 2017, the High-quality Farmer Training Program has trained over 2.24 million women farmers, and between 2022 and 2024, the project for cultivating leaders for rural industry revitalization trained 12,000 female individuals.
\nThe achievements of women in rural revitalization have been recognized through initiatives like the Double Hundred and Double Thousand Initiative, which recognizes outstanding rural craftspeople, 100 of whom in the first batch were women, accounting for 36.6 percent of the total. In the final round of the first National Farmers' Skills Competition, female participants comprised 69.5 percent of all winners. Furthermore, by the end of 2024, 134,000 female workers responsible for extending agricultural technologies and services had obtained professional titles, representing 35.4 percent of the total.
\nPanel 12 A Small Industrial Incubation Platform Galvanizing Women's Power for Rural Revitalization
\nAs a successful example of the Green Rural Revival Program in Zhejiang, Lizu Village in Yiwu has developed from a backward hamlet to a National Model Village, and women have played a vital role in this transformation.
\nThe village is home to a Shared Prosperity Workshop — an incubation platform for industrial projects that attracts numerous aspiring makers and entrepreneurs. This workshop operates as a women's alliance for shared prosperity, and follows a work mechanism under which community-level service centers introduce promising projects under the leadership of the local executive committee of women's federations. The project has helped local women start their own businesses, increasing their incomes and fostering integration between urban and rural areas.
\nAfter five years, the number of makers and entrepreneurs has increased from over 30 to 272, among which 75 percent are women. The "Homemade by Mom" food street and the Women's Fair have increased women's incomes by over RMB13.7 million, while live-streaming activities to promote agricultural products have generated sales of RMB27 million. This small incubator has created big opportunities for women to embrace prosperity.
\nPursuing excellence in the digital economy. China has issued the Action Plan for Strengthening the Digital Literacy and Skills of the General Public and the Action Plan for Digital Rural Development, which include measures such as carrying out digital literacy education and skills training for women and developing women-led e-commerce brands. Chinese women have answered the call of the digital age, and are committed to developing the digital economy, with 14,147 women obtaining the vocational skills certificates for AI trainers in 2024 alone — comprising 42.3 percent of the yearly total. Women represent over half of the entrepreneurs in the internet sector and about one third of the workforce engaging in new business forms such as digital trade, e-commerce, and live streaming. As the digital economy advances, it is providing more opportunities for women.
\nPanel 13 The \"AI Dou\" Project: Helping Women Excel in the Digital Economy
\nThrough digital empowerment, the China Women's Development Foundation is pioneering innovative pathways for women's development. In 2019, the organization launched the "AI Dou" Project for AI industrial incubation in conjunction with relevant businesses. This project aims to help stay-behind women and returning youth to secure data annotation and similar jobs near home, by introducing digital employment opportunities to underdeveloped counties, carrying out vocational training, and incubating locally operated social enterprises. By the end of 2024, the project had established 16 digital employment centers in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Gansu, Guizhou and Ningxia, providing employment opportunities for over 7,500 women. Among those provided with stable jobs by the project, 70 percent were women.
\n2. Equal Participation in Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nAs China advances whole-process people's democracy, it remains committed to increasing women's participation in the management of state, economic, cultural and social affairs. Women enjoy equal political rights and actively participate in democratic practices, contributing their strengths with great enthusiasm.
\nExercising state power through the people's congresses. The proportion of women in people's congresses at all levels continues to rise. In the 14th NPC convened in 2023, there were 790 women deputies, accounting for 26.5 percent of the total. This represents an increase of 3.1 percentage points from the 12th NPC and 1.6 percentage points from the 13th NPC. At the county and township levels, women constitute 31.64 percent and 32.36 percent of deputies, respectively. These women deputies fulfill their duties in accordance with the law, soliciting and reflecting public opinion from all sectors of society. Between 2018 and 2025, NPC women deputies put forward 29,328 suggestions, criticisms and opinions, accounting for 42.3 percent of the total.
\nPanel 14 Women Deputies to the People's Congresses Practicing Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nZhu Guoping, an outstanding representative of the "neighborhood chiefs" in Shanghai, has been a key figure in her local community for over three decades. She served as a deputy to three consecutive NPCs — the 11th, 12th, and 13th — where she had a particular focus on eldercare, childcare and healthcare. Among her suggestions in these fields, two proposals calling for increased fiscal investment in general practitioners and pediatricians were both adopted by the Ministry of Finance, earning her praise as someone who "bridges national policy decisions with public concerns".
\nHongqiao Subdistrict, where Zhu works, functions as a community-level legislative outreach office, set up by the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee. It has solicited opinions for 97 draft laws, including the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and the Law on the Protection of Minors. The subdistrict has proposed over 3,200 suggestions, with 280 being adopted after review, channeling grassroots legislative input to the Great Hall of the People.
\nDiscussing state affairs and making suggestions at consultative meetings of the CPPCC. The proportion of female members in the CPPCC National Committee and local committees has seen a consistent increase. In 2023, 487 female members served on the National Committee of the 14th CPPCC, accounting for 22.4 percent of the total — an increase of 4.6 percentage points and 2 percentage points from the 12th CPPCC and 13th CPPCC, respectively. In the same year, there were 5,401 female members on the provincial-level committees of the CPPCC, accounting for 27.36 percent of the membership at this level. The female members fulfill their duties in full and play a major role in political consultation, democratic supervision, and the deliberation and administration of state affairs. Since the 14th CPPCC National Committee, female members have submitted 4,282 proposals, representing 26.6 percent of the total.
\nActively engaging in decision-making and administration. China attaches importance to the cultivation and selection of female officials and the recruitment of women into the CPC. It has formulated and implemented outlines for strengthening Party and government leadership teams and on women's development, which set specific quantitative and proportional requirements for the appointment of female officials and female heads of leadership bodies. These goals are expected to be met while strict quality standards are upheld.
\nThe proportions of women among the CPC membership and delegates to the Party congresses are increasing. In 2024, 30.9 percent of CPC members were female, an increase of 7.1 percentage points compared to the 2012 level. Female Party members accounted for 27 percent of the delegates to the 20th CPC National Congress, an increase of 4 percentage points from the Party's 18th National Congress in 2012. Women represent 42.3 percent, 43.78 percent, and 51.5 percent of all the judges, prosecutors and jurors nationwide.
\nExtensively participating in grassroots democracy. Effective measures have been taken in the villagers committee elections to expand women's membership. In 2022, women constituted 26.1 percent of villagers committee members and 54.3 percent of urban residents committee members, an increase of 4 percentage points and 5.5 percentage points, respectively, from 2012 levels.
\nFemale workers play an active role in democratic management in enterprises. In 2023, women employees made up 37.7 percent, 41.9 percent, and 34.2 percent of the boards of directors, boards of supervisors, and workers' congress representatives, increasing by 11.4 percentage points, 14.9 percentage points, and 4.4 percentage points, respectively, compared to 2012. A total of 431,000 councils of women have been established in urban and rural communities, facilitating extensive consultations on public affairs concerning women's immediate interests.
\n3. Excellence in a Flourishing Culture
\nIn developing a thriving socialist culture, China has given full play to women's role in creating cultural wealth and cultivated female talent in the cultural sector. Through innovation and with creativity, women have made a significant contribution to preserving cultural heritage and promoting the best of traditional Chinese culture.
\nDemonstrating vitality at the forefront of culture and communication. Women have become a pillar of cultural prosperity and development and are playing an increasingly important role in cultural creation, communication and studies. Female writers and artists have produced masterpieces that have shaped the image of women in the new era, as varied as the Peking Opera Mother, ballet Yimeng, prose works My Altay, TV series She and Her Girls, movie Huang Wenxiu, documentary Aunt Haiyun, variety shows The Daughters of Chinese Villages and Sisters Who Make Waves 2024, and short drama Got Old Recently.
\nBy the end of 2023, about 456,900 women across the country were employed in the radio, television, and online audio-visual sectors, comprising 43.14 percent of the total employees. In the senior professional title evaluations for the journalism section organized by the National Press and Publication Administration in 2024, women accounted for 44.1 percent of those receiving senior professional titles and 50.6 percent of those gaining associate senior ones.
\nWomen constitute 27.5 percent of participants in key talent initiatives in the field of public communication and culture, including 45.2 percent of successful candidates in the cultural talent program and 42.5 percent in the youth cultural talent program under the National Cultural Talent of Excellence Initiative. Through their work in culture and communication, women have vigorously committed themselves in the promotion and practice of the core socialist values.
\nShowing strengths in preserving and vitalizing ethnic cultures. By passing down traditional crafts and facilitating cultural innovation and dissemination, women are injecting new vitality into ethnic cultures. Among the 3,997 recognized representative bearers of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) items on the national list, 25 percent are women. The research and training program for ICH bearers has provided training for 51,000 people, with women accounting for 57 percent. Under the plan on revitalizing traditional Chinese craftsmanship and the specialized initiatives to revitalize rural areas by promoting ICH, many women have played a leading role in transforming local natural resources and rural cultural assets into cultural products and industries. Handicraft brands such as "Dove Flower: Songtao's Miao Embroidery" in Guizhou and "Weiyuan Tu Ethnic Coiling Embroidery" in Qinghai are shining examples of this transformation.
\nNew business models — often fronted by women — such as "ICH plus guesthouses", "ICH plus cultural products", and "ICH plus study trips" have also been launched in recent years, breathing new life into traditional ethnic cultures. The rise of digital technology has allowed traditional culture to flourish again, and an increasing number of young women now play a central role in promoting the "China-Chic" trend and preserving and vitalizing ICH, facilitating ICH's integration in modern life and helping it reach a global audience.
\nExcelling in both competitive and mass leisure sports. The Outline for Building a Strong Sporting Nation has explicitly set the goal of achieving balanced development between men's and women's events. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games issued a Gender Equality Commitment covering 14 specific areas, including equal participation, gender-equal and fair portrayal, and gender equality in leadership and workforce.
\nPanel 15 Creating Masterpieces and Promoting Civilization with Stitches and Threads
\nFemale embroiders, with needles as brushes and silk threads as ink, create delicate works that embody the resilience, patience, and determination of the Chinese people through every stitch and thread. These artisans are committed to revitalizing ancient techniques in a modern society.
\nSuzhou embroidery is one of the four most celebrated forms of Chinese embroidery. The art form originated in Zhenhu Township, where local women are now encouraged to set up their own embroidery businesses. As a result of this push, over 90 percent of Suzhou embroidery entrepreneurs are women.
\nMiao embroidery is another highly praised technique, celebrated as a "wordless epic created with colorful threads and a living totem worn on the body". Under the Brocade and Embroidery Initiative, Guizhou Province has empowered over 500,000 women working in handicraft industries such as Miao embroidery and batik to create a splendid life through splendid products.
\nWith a history of over 3,000 years, Li brocade is renowned as a "living monument of Chinese textile history". Currently, 18,000 female weavers work to preserve and develop this art. Tibetan carpet making is a skill that boasts thousands of years of history. Tibetan women begin learning the weaving techniques from a young age and pass down this precious craftsmanship through generations. Women in the Chaoshan area in southeastern Guangdong, based on traditional stitching techniques, have pioneered innovations to create 3D double-sided padded embroidery, carrying forward this traditional art in a modern world.
\nThe number of female elite athletes in China has witnessed rapid growth, and the proportion of international-level female athletes has remained above 50 percent. Since 2012, across the four consecutive Summer Olympic Games, female athletes have accounted for over 55 percent of competitors and won over 60 percent of the medals. During the same period across the four Paralympic Games, women have made up 50.22 percent of participants and secured 55.62 percent of the medals. Female athletes fight for their nations, collaborate in unity, and challenge their limits, playing an equal role as their male counterparts in competitive sports. The fighting spirit of the Chinese women's volleyball team has inspired the Chinese people to this day.
\nExtensive fitness-for-all programs are carried out nationwide, and a program of cultivating female community sports instructors in rural areas has provided training for over 65,000 women in 10,000 villages. By the end of 2024, there were about 3.71 million community sports instructors across the country, among which 56.1 percent were women, demonstrating women's leadership and responsibility in advancing China's fitness-for-all initiative in the new era.
\n4. Women's Undertakings in Grassroots Social Governance
\nIn building a grassroots social governance model based on collaboration, participation, and common interests, China has attached great importance to the role of women and women's organizations, expanded the channels for their orderly participation in grassroots governance, and ensured their involvement in managing grassroots-level public affairs and public-interest undertakings in accordance with the law. Chinese women have excelled in these roles, becoming a major force in grassroots governance.
\nThe positive role of family ties, values, and traditions in grassroots governance. China has improved mechanisms that help to foster family virtues, facilitate education cooperation between families, schools and society, deliver more accessible family services, and resolve marital and family disputes, supporting women in nurturing harmony within households, and thus contributing to a more peaceful and harmonious society for all.
\nFamily virtue cultivation activities such as the selection of the "Most Beautiful Families", "Model Families", and "Five-Virtue Families", and initiatives like "Share Your Family Rules, Mottoes, and Values", "Family Virtues in Letters", and "Family Education Cultivates Values and Virtues" have been organized. These activities champion the new socialist family morality and values, emphasizing love for the country and family, mutual care, devotion to progress and kindness, and joint efforts with shared benefits. A total of 1,597 households have been honored as "National Model Families", 6,258 as "National Five-Virtue Families", and 16.48 million as the "Most Beautiful Families". Additionally, more than 500,000 lectures, exhibitions and performances on family values and traditions have been hosted around the country, attracting a combined attendance of 250 million people.
\nPanel 16 Family Points System Contributing to Rural Governance
\nGansu Province has implemented an innovative system, which breaks down key aspects of rural governance into points for households in villages and communities. Clear criteria and scoring standards are established for adding or deducting points. Law-abiding families that demonstrate harmony, mutual support among neighbors, and industriousness can collect points by adopting a green lifestyle, participating in public-interest programs, and discarding outdated customs. These points can then be redeemed locally for a wide range of household goods. The initiative has inspired women and their families to participate more actively in rural governance and efforts to improve their living environment and beautify their villages, driving big impact in grassroots governance with ingenuity.
\nWomen's extensive participation in building a peaceful and harmonious community. Women actively participate in the comprehensive maintenance of public order and contribute to resolving problems and disputes at the grassroots level. Local governments have been exploring a "Women's Federations Plus" mediation model. By the end of 2024, 3,690 mediation commissions above the county level for resolving marriage and family disputes had been established under the leadership of women's federations. Marriage mediation organizations now provide service at comprehensive governance centers, litigation service centers, and community police offices, and marriage mediation offices have been established at the village and community level. Since 2016, nearly 1.36 million cases have been resolved through mediation. In 2023, 295 women mediators were commended by the Ministry of Justice as National Model Mediators, accounting for 29.5 percent of those recognized.
\nWomen also play an active part in patrols for maintaining order and in supervision. The "Jiangdong Aunties" team in Jingkou District, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province has completed 5,000 hours of voluntary patrols and participated in over 1,000 public service activities since its establishment in 2017. The "Xicheng Aunties" in Beijing and women community liaisons in Weinan City, Shaanxi Province, have promptly identified and reported potential risks for social governance, working at the forefront of conflict resolution at the grassroots level. Women acting as community workers, grid managers, and residential building chiefs have made significant contributions to building a peaceful and harmonious community.
\nPanel 17 Mediation Office for Promoting Family Harmony
\nIn 2016, the Women's Federation of Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, established a Marriage and Family Disputes Mediation Office and launched a project to promote marital and family harmony and ensure the legal rights of women and children. A set of operational mechanisms was established, including joint meetings, information sharing, and rotating professionals, and experts in the fields of law, sociology, and psychology were recruited to form a dedicated voluntary service group.
\nBased on practical experience, a mediation method of "four aspects plus three synchronizations" was adopted to mediate disputes, wherein the "four aspects" refer to the psychological, legal, emotional, and rational dimensions, while the "three synchronizations" denote the alignment of answering questions with raising public awareness of the law, providing emotional guidance with teaching life experience, and resolving disputes with protecting rights. At the same time, a four-step method of stabilizing emotions, understanding demands, instilling hope, and establishing support was adopted in solving many family disputes. By the end of July 2025, more than 10,000 cases had been solved through this project, with a success rate of 95 percent, benefiting more than 30,000 individuals.
\nActive engagement in voluntary service and other public-interest programs. China emphasizes the healthy development of voluntary services and social organizations, among which women play an active role. In 2024, there were 24 million women registered as volunteers and 350,000 women volunteer teams. These volunteers play an important role in promoting national strategies, improving the people's wellbeing, and strengthening social governance. They have provided nearly one million voluntary services, covering all 17 goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The number of women in social organizations is on the rise. In 2023, women comprised 42.3 percent of the staff and 26.3 percent of the heads of social organizations respectively, up by 13.3 and 4.9 percentage points from 2012.
\nPanel 18 Wang's Volunteer Group: Inspiring More Women to Serve Their Community
\nIn 2005, Wang Lanhua, a Hui woman, former director on a residents committee in Wuzhong City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region formed a volunteer group with six former colleagues — a group she continues to lead 20 years later. Her voluntary service leaves no stone unturned, reaching every corner of the community to look after left-behind children and elderly people who live alone, while providing conflict resolution services and addressing people's immediate concerns. Wang and her team warm the residents' hearts with their selfless dedication, and their influence in community service has drawn more and more community members to join. These volunteers from different ethnic groups encapsulate the idea of all ethnic groups as one family with their solidarity and mutual help. Now, there are 1,315 registered volunteers in Wang's Volunteer Group, and Wang's dedication has seen her honored as a model for ethnic solidarity.
\n5. Women's Contributions in the Eco-environmental Field
\nChina upholds and acts on the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and promotes modernization based on harmony between humanity and nature by following a path of green development that gives priority to eco-environmental conservation. Women play an important role in building a beautiful China, and are continuing to develop the awareness and skills required to drive forward eco-environmental protection.
\nPanel 19 Princess of the Beavers
\nWomen are emerging as key practitioners in biodiversity protection, and Chu Wenwen represents a new generation of female conservationists committed to protecting local biodiversity. Born in 1994 in Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Chu founded the Altay Nature Conservation Association and launched a series of public-interest projects to protect beavers and other wildlife, including the Beaver Cafeteria, Beaver Guardian, and Beaver Ark initiatives. The Beaver Cafeteria project focuses on restoring shrubs in natural habitats, which provide food for more than 100 species of wild animal. The Beaver Guardian project mobilizes more than 500 herdsmen along the Ulungur River to participate in conservation efforts and serve as voluntary patrols. The Beaver Ark project established a professional wildlife rescue center that has saved over 400 wild animals injured or trapped by human activities. Thanks in part to Chu's efforts, the population of Mongolian-Xinjiang beavers (Castor fiber birulai) has increased by 250 to date, earning her the honorary nickname "Princess of the Beavers".
\nPromoting ecosystem protection and restoration. China pursues the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, grasslands and deserts, with the aim of establishing an overarching framework that extends from the mountaintops to the oceans. Women play a significant role in the nation's ecosystem protection and restoration. Among the 17,000 eco-environmental guardians working at the 190,700 sq km Sanjiangyuan National Park, 33.3 percent are women. The Women Tree-Planting Team in Changjiang Li Autonomous County of Hainan Province has been dedicated to planting more than six million coastal defense trees, establishing a forest spanning over 2,000 hectares in the desert after 30 years of trial and error. The women's militia company for sand control in Shaanxi Province has converted more than 933.33 hectares of barren deserts into oases covered with rows of trees over the past five decades. The women's volunteer team in Helan County of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region conducts regular activities to protect rivers, shoals, and birds, and the Women's Action for the Yangtze River Protection is an ongoing activity in Nanjing City of Jiangsu Province to provide vital protection for China's longest river. Women's perseverance and wisdom are shown in many aspects of eco-environmental protection, from green coverage expansion and desertification prevention and control, to the protection of forests, rivers, and biodiversity.
\nPanel 20 Sci-Tech Courtyard Supporting Green Agriculture
\nThe Sci-Tech Courtyard is a service platform that integrates agricultural scitech innovation, demonstration and promotion, and talent cultivation. In the Dongpo Sci-Tech Courtyard of Agricultural Skill Promotion in Meishan City, Sichuan Province, 33 team members — including 22 women — work on the front line of green agriculture. With women at its core, the team provides comprehensive services in skill training, field production guidance, problem identification and resolution, and industry chain alignment, benefiting more than 50,000 villagers. The Sci-Tech Courtyard also makes targeted efforts in new species selection, cultivation technique research for high-quality and high-yield crops, and the development of green planting and cultivation models. Over the past nine years, comparative trials of more than 400 paddy varieties have been completed, leading to the selection of 40 high-quality and high-yield species that have significantly increased the proportion of such crops in the region. Cultivation of 824,467 hectares of these paddies has generated a net income growth of RMB2.65 billion. In addition, more than 10 new planting techniques have been promoted, and research on green planting and cultivation models has been advanced, increasing crop yield and economic benefits while reducing pesticide use.
\nAccelerating the green transformation of production models. China upholds green and low-carbon development as a fundamental approach to resolving environmental problems, and promotes a sound economic structure that facilitates green, low-carbon, and circular development. Women actively participate in the efforts to promote green development in industry, shift the production model of agriculture, and improve the sustainable level of the service industry. By 2024, the number of companies in the green economy sector invested in by women entrepreneurs had reached 445,000, accounting for 27.4 percent of the total. These companies cover a range of market segments, including clean energy, organic agriculture, and eco-conservation. Scientific management of fertilizer and pesticide use and innovative ecological planting serve to save agricultural resources, improve the eco-environment of agricultural production areas, and supply high-quality green agricultural products, promoting the triple-win of less pesticide use, more income, and better environment. New models of eco-environmental businesses have been established, including urban modern agriculture, leisure agriculture, eco-tourism, high-quality homestays, and rural complexes. By the end of 2024, the number of family farms run by women reached 487,000, and women accounted for 68.6 percent of all holders of vocational skill certificates in rural homestay housekeeping.
\nLiving a green lifestyle. Green development is closely connected to each of our lives. Chinese women advocate the values of eco-civilization and encourage simple, moderate, green, low-carbon, sound and healthy ways of life and consumption by integrating these concepts into everyday routines. They have played a leading role in building green families through saving water and electricity, participating in the "Clear Your Plate" campaign, using green modes of transport, and engaging in waste sorting. Women also actively participate in developing beautiful courtyards and harmonious villages, guided by standards such as tidy rooms, hygienic kitchens and toilets, neat courtyards, abundant greenery, and harmonious families. To date, more than 12 million households have been awarded the title of "Beautiful Courtyard". Women are consistently in the frontline of enhancing public awareness of environmental protection and improving community environment. For example, in Shanghai, a themed campaign was launched to find 10,000 families living a green lifestyle and recruit 100,000 family waste sorting volunteers, creating a good atmosphere for the million families participating in this endeavor.
\nParticipating in disaster prevention and mitigation. China regards people's lives and safety as the primary goal of disaster prevention and mitigation. It boosts public participation and improves the capabilities of the whole society to defend and respond to disasters, and women play a key role in this — particularly in investigation and identification of potential risks and hidden dangers, early warning and treatment, and information reporting. In 2024, women accounted for 23.6 percent of disaster information assistants nationwide, totaling 267,000, and comprised 61.6 percent of national chief meteorological experts. Women actively participate in disaster relief operations and public education on disaster prevention and mitigation, and promote family education in relevant fields. There are 13.71 million registered women fire volunteers nationwide, representing 52.4 percent of the total. The National Natural Disaster Emergency Relief Plan put forward requirements for safeguarding the rights and interests of special groups. Through the collaborative efforts of the government and society, material guarantee for special needs, such as women's hygiene products and supplies for pregnant and postpartum women, has been strengthened.
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nChina upholds the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, aligns with the prevailing global trends towards peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, and actively advances the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. Through close cooperation with other countries, China is helping accelerate the creation of an international environment conducive to women's development and a better world for all.
\n1. Participating in Global Governance on Women's Issues
\nChina plays a leading role in implementing the spirit of the UN Fourth World Conference on Women and advances global governance on women's issues through concrete actions.
\nSupporting the central role of the United Nations. China has co-hosted the Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment with UN Women to encourage countries to fulfill their commitments and inject new momentum into the global advancement of women. At the UN Human Rights Council, China has repeatedly delivered joint statements on promoting and protecting women's rights, pushed for the adoption of relevant resolutions, and called on countries to work together to implement the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action. China consistently sends high-level delegations to the sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and collaborates with UN organizations and agencies to conduct seminars on women's poverty reduction, the digital economy, inclusive finance, technology empowerment, and gender equality amid demographic changes, sharing China's experience in promoting women's development. Since 2015, China has donated US $20 million to UN Women and carried out practical cooperation with multiple UN specialized agencies on women's issues. In partnership with UNESCO, it has established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education and implemented projects in Africa focusing on digital and health education for girls. Chinese women hold important positions and serve as experts in the UN system, contributing their expertise to global governance on women's issues.
\nPanel 21 China and UNESCO Jointly Established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education
\nIn 2015, China partnered with UNESCO to establish the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education, which recognizes institutions and individuals that have made outstanding contributions to advancing education for girls and women. This is the first prize of its kind established by UNESCO. Proposed and funded by the Chinese government, it is awarded annually to two laureates, who each receive US $50,000 to further their work in girls' and women's education. As of 2024, 18 organizations and projects from 18 countries had received the award, including the Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education. This prize has provided an increasing number of girls and women with opportunities to change their lives and pursue their dreams. It has also raised greater awareness of and support for girls' and women's education among more people, thereby galvanizing concerted efforts to advance global gender equality in education.
\nFirmly fulfilling international obligations. China fulfills its obligations under international conventions such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, regularly submits national implementation reports, and actively participates in review processes to promote gender equality and women's development. It actively implements the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, continuously improves women's living conditions and expands their development prospects, and has achieved the poverty reduction and health-related targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule. Through these efforts, China has not only improved the lives of Chinese women, but has also offered the international community its approach to safeguarding women's human rights.
\nLeading and advancing multilateral and regional agendas for women's development. At the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, China proposed the Global AI Governance Initiative, emphasizing the need to avoid gender bias in AI development. The country also facilitated the adoption of the Resolution on Enhancing International Cooperation in Capacity-Building of Artificial Intelligence at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, which underscores ensuring universal benefits from AI, enhancing digital inclusion and achieving gender equality while empowering women and girls. Since 2012, China has hosted 29 women's conferences under frameworks including APEC, G20, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), China-ASEAN, China-Africa, China-Arab States, China-Central Asia, and Lancang-Mekong Cooperation. Through these mechanisms, China has deeply engaged in cooperation on women's issues, focusing on topics including poverty reduction, development, employment, business startup, education empowerment, and pandemic response. These efforts have facilitated targeted experience-sharing, dialogues, and collaborative actions, enabling China to advocate actionable propositions for advancing women's comprehensive development, inclusivity, and sustainable development.
\n2. Deepening Cooperation and Exchanges to Advance Women's Development
\nChina integrates the deepening of women's development cooperation into the frameworks of high-quality Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and South-South cooperation, to jointly promote women's sustainable development.
\nAdvancing women's development in BRI participating countries. China actively promotes high-quality BRI cooperation. Initiatives such as the Silk Road E-commerce have created employment opportunities and pathways for women in these countries, and digital technology enablement program for women in ASEAN countries — alongside other related programs — have supported women in the region in seeking employment and starting businesses. For 10 consecutive years, China and partner countries have jointly hosted a series of events under the theme "Pool Women's Strength for Belt and Road Cooperation", encouraging women in these countries to become supporters, participants, contributors, and beneficiaries of the BRI.
\nSupporting women's poverty reduction and development in South-South cooperation. China supports developing countries in improving women's living conditions and development environment. It has implemented 100 maternal and child health projects and 100 happy campus projects, along with a series of small but effective public wellbeing programs focusing on housing, rural roads, and technology training to empower women and girls. Through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has carried out women-related projects worth nearly US $40 million across over 20 countries. Additionally, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund has allocated RMB12 million to support women's development programs. Through foreign aid training and technical assistance, Juncao technology has helped women in 106 countries gain meaningful employment.
\nPanel 22 Juncao Technology Assistance: Empowering Women in Developing Countries to Realize Their Dreams
\nJuncao technology is a unique Chinese method for cultivating edible and medicinal fungi that uses grass as a substitute for wood. First included in China's foreign aid programs in 1994, it has since been introduced to 106 countries. In Lesotho, a compact 10-square-meter Juncao mushroom cultivation model has enabled impoverished farmers with limited land to produce 1.2 tonnes of fresh Juncao mushrooms annually from a single 10-square-meter plot. In African and Pacific Island nations, women use Juncao as livestock feed to mitigate shortages caused by climate change. Seruwaia Kabukabu from Fiji has led local women in growing Juncao mushrooms, significantly improving the living conditions of families in her community. In recognition of her work, she has been elected as chairperson of the Fiji Mushroom Farmers Association. Juncao has thus become a "grass of happiness" for people in developing countries.
\nDeepening international cooperation in women's capacity building. China continues to strengthen and expand support training programs focused on women and children in developing countries. Since 2018, it has implemented over 100 programs in this domain, including the Seminar on Promoting Maternal and Child Health Under Global Development Initiative, and the Seminar on Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries — Women and Children. Additionally, China has launched degree programs in women's leadership and social development, training nearly 4,000 outstanding professionals in the field of women's development. An exchange and training base for global women's development cooperation has been established in Beijing to design tailored empowerment programs for women in developing countries. Training and exchange centers for Chinese and foreign women have been set up in collaboration with 15 countries, and through international cooperation in vocational education, the Luban Workshops have trained 5,944 female students, who account for 23.25 percent of all participants in the project.
\nSolid progress in people-to-people exchanges in the field of women's affairs. China has actively developed global partnerships and engaged in comprehensive, multi-channel friendly exchanges with women's organizations and institutions from over 140 countries. It has conducted dialogues with foreign female political leaders, spouses of heads of state, and female government ministers, organized high-level delegations for overseas visits, and pioneered new approaches to high-level women's foreign exchanges. China has deepened women's exchanges under its cultural and people-to-people exchange mechanisms with other countries, holding thematic seminars on women's entrepreneurship, economic empowerment, education, anti-domestic violence, and family culture, while strengthening cooperation in areas such as women's rights and interests, bridging the digital gender divide, and promoting women's participation in sci-tech innovation and sustainable development. The Female Diplomats' China Adventures series has been launched to share the practical experiences of Chinese women in economic development and grassroots governance, and exchange insights on promoting gender equality. China supports women's participation in cross-cultural exchanges, with women accounting for 80 percent of dispatched Chinese-language teachers and 90 percent of volunteers in international Chinese language education.
\n3. Actively Addressing Global Challenges
\nChina supports women in playing an active role in maintaining peace and security, and in addressing challenges including climate change, public health crises, and humanitarian disasters.
\nSupporting women's participation in maintaining peace and security. China has taken concrete actions to implement UN Security Council resolutions on "Women, Peace and Security", supporting women's important roles in conflict prevention, peace negotiations, and post-conflict reconstruction. In 2022, the China-UN Peace and Development Trust Fund initiated a training program for senior female talent to promote gender equality in high-level positions within UN peacekeeping operations. China has deployed over 1,200 female peacekeepers and more than 100 female police officers to UN missions, who have participated in medical support, liaison and coordination, mine clearance, patrols and observation, and efforts to advance gender equality and protect women.
\nPanel 23 Chinese Female Peacekeeping Officer Received an Honorary Certificate for UN Military Gender Advocate Award
\nThe UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award was established in 2016 to recognize peacekeepers who have made outstanding contributions to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. On May 29, 2020, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Chinese officer Xin Yuan, a senior mine clearance staff officer at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), received an award in this category in recognition of her exceptional service, becoming the first Chinese service member to win this honor. Xin was the only female staff officer responsible for mine clearance operations in UNIFIL. She assumed significant risks by conducting surveys in minefields alongside clearance teams, developed meticulous clearance plans, and completed mine clearance tasks 34 days ahead of schedule, clearing over 1,500 square meters of minefields. Her efforts earned her special commendation from the UNIFIL headquarters.
\nEmpowering women to address climate change. China has consistently organized training programs on South-South cooperation for climate change response, implementing a gender-balanced enrollment policy. Since 2022, nearly 300 female officials, experts and scholars from developing countries engaged in climate change projects have participated in training programs in China. From 2012 to 2024, China conducted nearly 100 foreign aid training projects in meteorological monitoring, forecasting, and services, with women accounting for 36.72 percent of the trainees. It has donated 5,000 household solar photovoltaic power generation systems and 10,000 clean cooking stoves to Myanmar, reducing indoor air pollution and its associated health risks while supporting the country's low-carbon transition. The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund supported Cambodia in implementing a project on gender mainstreaming in climate action, enhancing rural women's climate adaptability and resilience.
\nAddressing women's needs in international humanitarian assistance. In efforts to alleviate migrant and refugee crises, China has placed high priority on women and children, encouraging women to register as recipients of household assistance supplies and providing special care for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Projects in the Republic of Congo specifically target pregnant and breastfeeding women as beneficiaries, effectively reducing malnutrition rates among women and children. In 2023, China provided over 120,000 hygiene kits, valued at US $1.5 million, to Rohingya women and girls seeking refuge in Bangladesh, benefiting more than 60,000 women and girls.
\nConclusion
\nThe pursuit of gender equality is a great cause. In the new era, the spirit of self-esteem, confidence, independence and self-reliance among Chinese women is demonstrated as the Chinese people forge ahead with resolve under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The glorious journey of women's development in China is deeply integrated into the process of achieving the Two Centenary Goals under the Party's leadership. Never before have Chinese women enjoyed such tremendous opportunities to realize their full potential and achieve their dreams, and never before has the cause of Chinese women borne witness to such broad prospects for development.
\nToday, China is working to build a great country and achieve national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. This requires pooling the strength of hundreds of millions of women and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development at a higher level. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China will unswervingly follow the path of women's development under socialism with Chinese characteristics, adhere to the fundamental national policy of gender equality, and thoroughly implement the Outline of Women's Development in China to enhance women's overall capabilities. Through these efforts, the country will create conditions and platforms for women to participate in economic and social development, protect their legitimate rights and interests, and encourage them to stand at the forefront of the times.
\nIn today's world, promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development presents both opportunities and significant challenges. All countries must strive to create safe and secure environments for women's survival and development, eliminate violence, discrimination and poverty, and effectively address the impact of climate change. It is essential to continuously empower women, ensuring they enjoy more and better opportunities and play more significant roles in the new revolution in science, technology and industry. We must adhere to true multilateralism, honor international obligations, and promote mutual learning and people-to-people exchanges among women worldwide. China is ready to work with countries around the world to expedite actions to create a brighter future for women's development and write a new chapter in the global progress of women.
\n", + "content": "\n\n\n\nContents
\nPreface
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nConclusion
\nPreface
\nThroughout history, women have played an essential role in shaping human civilization and have made immense contributions to social progress. But the paths towards gender equality and women's well-rounded development across the world have been long and arduous.
\nSince its founding in 1921, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has remained committed to women's liberation and development and gender equality. The CPC regards women as a major force for advancing all endeavors of the Party and the nation, always places the work concerning women high on its agenda, and leads women in their pursuit of liberation, progress and development. In doing so, the Party has opened a socialist path for women's development with Chinese characteristics.
\nThe 18th CPC National Congress in 2012 marked the beginning of a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In this new era, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has emphasized safeguarding women's lawful rights and interests and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development as integral components of Chinese modernization. Accordingly, it has made a series of major decisions and plans that are pioneering in vision, overarching in scope, and enduring in significance. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, initiated, planned for, supported and chaired the Party's first ever Central Conference on the Party's Work with People's Organizations in 2015, attended the 11th, 12th and 13th national women's congresses in 2013, 2018 and 2023 respectively, and held talks with each newly elected leadership team of the All-China Women's Federation. He has also delivered important speeches on work related to women and children, the role of women's federations, and the significance of family ties, values and traditions, thereby identifying the direction, objectives and guidelines of China's endeavors for women in the new era.
\nUpholding gender equality, among other basic national policies, has been incorporated into the CPC's political program, and promoting women's well-rounded development has been included in the national development plan. The legal system for safeguarding women's rights and interests also continues to improve. China has developed a sound approach to its endeavors concerning women. Chinese women actively participate in government initiatives, serve as advocates of civic virtues, fight for their dreams, and excel across all professions. In the new era, China has delivered numerous historic achievements in its endeavors concerning women. The Chinese socialist path for women's development continues to expand, opening ever-broader opportunities for advancement.
\nWomen around the world have a shared future. China's endeavors concerning women are an integral part of the global cause. In 1995, China hosted the Fourth World Conference on Women, organized by the United Nations. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the conference has since become a milestone for global gender equality. At important occasions such as the 2015 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment and the 2020 high-level meeting on the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, Xi Jinping, in his role as president of China, elaborated on China's propositions on gender equality and women's well-rounded development, and proposed holding another global leaders' meeting on women in 2025.
\nOn the occasion of the 2025 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, the Chinese government is publishing this white paper to present China's philosophy, principles, and innovative practices in promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development in the new era, highlight Chinese women's outstanding achievements and contribution, and affirm China's commitment to join global endeavors for women's advancement.
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nIn the process of Chinese modernization, based on China's realities and the trend of the times, the CPC leads Chinese women in exercising their lawful democratic rights, participating in social and economic development, and sharing the fruits of reform and development, all on the foundation of gender equality.
\n1. Upholding the CPC's Overall Leadership
\nThe CPC's leadership is the fundamental guarantee of China's work related to women. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has approached this work as an integral part of its broader strategic goal of achieving national rejuvenation, incorporating gender equality and women's well-rounded development into the overall architecture of Chinese socialism.
\nUpholding the fundamental national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children have been included into the reports to the 18th, 19th and 20th CPC national congresses, held in 2012, 2017 and 2022 respectively.
\nAt the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2019, the Party called for upholding and improving the systems and mechanisms for promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development and proposed leveraging the important role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance.
\nAt the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2020, upholding the national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children were written into the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, along with the promotion of family ties, values and traditions.
\nAt the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2021, the promotion of family ties, values and traditions and the protection of the rights and interests of women and children were incorporated into the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century.
\nAt the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in 2024, the Party incorporated improving the system for protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children and refining the mechanisms for leveraging the role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance into the overall plan for deeper comprehensive reform.
\nThis evolution in policy-making has ensured that China's endeavors concerning women have progressed smoothly under the CPC's overall leadership.
\n2. Implementing the Fundamental National Policy of Gender Equality
\nHighlighting gender equality as a basic national policy is an innovative practice of the Chinese socialist system and a momentous decision for advancing this cause and women's well-rounded development.
\nChina has improved top-level design and systematic planning accordingly. In formulating laws and policies and making plans and arrangements, the country has taken into full consideration the differences between women and men and the distinctive interests of women. It has promoted gender equality in rights, opportunities and outcomes, safeguarding women's rights and interests in accordance with the law.
\nChina is committed to cultivating a social ethos of respect and care for women, eliminating all forms of discrimination against them, and discarding obsolete ideas and practices that hinder their development. This more inclusive and dynamic social environment has allowed gender equality to truly become a shared social norm and part of the value system.
\n3. Synergizing Women's Development with Social and Economic Progress
\nDevelopment cannot be achieved without women, and its fruits should be shared by all. In this spirit, China has integrated the advancement of gender equality into its broader development process.
\nWomen's development has been incorporated into the Five-sphere Integrated Plan, which promotes coordinated progress in the economic, political, cultural, social and eco-environmental fields. Goals and tasks for women's development have also been embedded in the five-year plans for national economic and social development. The level of women's development is regarded as an essential measurement for social and economic development. With these efforts, China has synergized its endeavors for women with its social and economic progress in terms of planning and implementation, ensuring that modernization brings greater benefits to women in a fairer way, enabling them to enjoy a growing, guaranteed and sustained sense of gain, fulfillment and security.
\n4. Fully Leveraging Women's Proactive Role in National Development
\nWomen constitute a powerful force driving human progress, while at the same time shaping and determining their own futures. Upholding a people-centered philosophy of development, China respects the agency of women and has strengthened relevant institutional safeguards, policy support, and public service supply for their development.
\nChina has carried out programs encouraging women to strive for achievements, which seek to enhance women's overall capabilities, broaden channels for their participation in national development, and fully stimulate their enthusiasm, initiative and creativity, with an ultimate goal of realizing, safeguarding and improving women's vital and immediate interests to the maximum extent.
\nThe country encourages women to integrate their personal aspirations with the undertakings of the Party and the country, and to leverage their individual strengths in implementing the new development philosophy, fostering a new development dynamic, promoting high-quality development, achieving greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology, and advancing rural revitalization across the board. Utilizing their distinctive role in society and family, women are called upon to contribute considerably to the building of China into a great country and the realization of national rejuvenation.
\n5. Joining Global Women in Building a Bright Shared Future
\nHumanity lives in one homeland, and women around the world have a shared future. China upholds the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity, and facilitates the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. It advocates putting the people first, stays committed to results-oriented actions, and contributes Chinese initiatives, solutions and actions to global endeavors for women.
\nChina supports the United Nations in prioritizing women's development, promotes cooperation with the rest of the world in relevant fields, and builds international consensus on gender equality through extensive exchanges and mutual learning. Together with all other countries, China works to shape a global environment conducive to women's development, to safeguard international fairness and justice, and to make its due contribution to moving the world to a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress.
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nWomen's cause is an integral part of state governance. To advance this cause, China has continued to strengthen institutional support and safeguards, fostering the necessary conditions and environment for the comprehensive development of women.
\n1. Improving the Framework for Advancing Women's Cause
\nChina has established a mechanism for the work related to women, under which Party committees exercise leadership, governments assume primary responsibility, working committees on children and women play a coordinating role, women's federations work in collaboration, relevant departments provide support, and the whole of society participates. These concerted efforts have ensured that gender equality is upheld in all areas of economic and social development and all aspects of social life.
\nThe people's congresses have strengthened legislation and supervision. The National People's Congress (NPC) has established the Social Development Affairs Committee to undertake legislation, conduct supervision, and handle proposals and suggestions from NPC deputies concerning the protection of women's rights and interests. It attaches importance to incorporating legal initiatives for promoting women's development and safeguarding women's rights and interests into the legislative plans of its Standing Committee, and to soliciting opinions and accepting feasible proposals from women's federations and women themselves during legislative review and legal supervision.
\nAdditionally, the NPC hears and reviews the State Council's report on combating domestic violence, identifies the protection of female employees' lawful and special rights and interests as an important component of enforcement inspections of the Trade Union Law, and urges relevant departments to perform their statutory duties in protecting women's rights and interests. The people's congresses of 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government have also set up social development affairs committees to formulate local regulations to supplement national laws, thereby strengthening legal safeguards for women's rights and interests.
\nThe Chinese People's Government has effectively fulfilled its primary responsibility. The government has formulated and organized the implementation of outlines for women's development, and convened meetings on work related to children and women. The working committees on children and women have played their role as deliberative and coordinating bodies, and Party institutions, government departments, judicial authorities, and people's organizations have fulfilled their responsibilities in work related to women. The government has strengthened the statistics monitoring mechanism for the outlines for the development of women in China and established a gender statistics monitoring system covering over 2,400 indicators. Furthermore, gender has been incorporated as a key metric into national censuses and time-use surveys, and the fourth Survey on Social Status of Women in China has been conducted to assess women's development across multiple dimensions.
\nThe Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) has strengthened its role in conducting consultations and offering suggestions. CPPCC committees at all levels perform their duties in political consultation, democratic supervision, and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs. They conduct consultations on women's issues through a variety of channels and platforms, including subject-specific, sector-specific and proposal handling consultations, as well as consultative meetings with relevant departments. As one of the 34 sectors defined by the CPPCC, women's federations conduct research and consultations on key issues and major challenges in women's development, such as the protection of women's reproductive and health rights and interests. The National Committee of the CPPCC has conducted consultations and made suggestions to support women's development, addressing issues including fair employment and career development, the strengthening of family ties, values, and traditions, and universal access to childcare services.
\nWomen's federations have served as bridges for connection and communication. The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) is a people's organization of women of all ethnic groups and from all sectors of society in China. It unites women for further emancipation and development under the leadership of the CPC. The ACWF has established an organizational system of women's federations at the national, provincial, prefectural, county, township and village levels, covering government departments, public institutions, new types of economic entities and social organizations, and groups in new forms of employment.
\nWomen's federations at all levels have served as bridges linking the Party and the government with women, and as assistants to the Party. While supporting major national development strategies, they have performed their functions of guiding, serving, and engaging with women, and launched five key initiatives: providing women with political guidance; encouraging them to excel in the workplace; providing guidance and support in family education, family services, and the cultivation of family virtues; offering support for women's rights protection; and improving the problem-solving capability of women's federations and their staff's professional competence.
\nIn addition, women's federations have mobilized resources to support women's development through six practical measures: supporting female volunteers who provide care for children in need; growing the scale and quality of female-dominated family services; improving vocational training for women; developing a system of childcare services that is accessible to all; advancing the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project to help underprivileged schoolgirls; and telling engaging stories about the development of Chinese women. Through these initiatives, they have delivered accessible services and tangible benefits to women, children and families.
\n2. Setting Objectives and Tasks for Women's Development with Overall Planning
\nChina's national development plans have clarified the strategic tasks for women's development. Five-year plans are blueprints and guides of action for China's economic and social development during their designated time frames. The government has incorporated objectives for women's development into these plans for meeting its strategic goal of modernization.
\nThe 12th Five-year Plan (2011-2015) for the first time included a section dedicated specifically to advancing women's all-round development. It also set requirements for developing human resources with a focus on women, strengthening labor protection for women, and resolutely combating violence and crimes against women. The 13th Five-year Plan (2016-2020) further strengthened the protection of women's rights and interests and for the first time devoted a separate chapter to ensuring women's rights and equal access to education, employment, and participation in social affairs, and eliminating discrimination and prejudice against women. It also set the targets for poverty alleviation and reduction among women. The 14th Five-year Plan (2021-2025) outlines further measures to safeguard women's rights and interests in areas including health, education, employment, participation in state governance, and social security. For the first time, it contains a section specifically dedicated to the strengthening of family development which focuses on improving the supporting policies and services for this goal.
\nSpecial plans in related fields have been made to address women's practical development needs. Plans for improving people's wellbeing — including the Outline of Healthy China 2030, the Outline of the Development Plan for Education (2024-2035), and the special plans for boosting employment and the development of civil affairs undertakings during the 14th Five-year Plan period — have put forward policies and measures to improve the health of women and children, safeguard women's equal rights to education, support women's employment, entrepreneurship, and career development, and improve care and services for rural women who stay behind to care for families while their husbands work in cities.
\nThe National Medium — and Long-term Talent Development Plan (2010-2020) has outlined arrangements to promote gender balance in the talent pool and strengthen the training and selection of female talent. The National Action Plan for Scientific Literacy (2021-2035) has made specific arrangements to improve the scientific literacy of rural women. The National Human Rights Action Plan, in all four phases, includes a section on the measures for safeguarding women's rights and interests, covering personal, property, education, employment and health rights.
\nOutlines for women's development have laid out phased targets. Since 1995, China has formulated and implemented four outlines for women's development, each outlining the primary objectives, strategies, and measures for women's development in its corresponding phase.
\nThe Outline of Women's Development in China (2021-2030) contains 75 primary objectives and 93 strategic measures across eight fields: health, education, economy, participation in decision-making and administration, social security, family development, environment, and the legal sector. The document also outlines the 41 Party and government departments and institutions responsible for implementing these strategic measures.
\nNationwide, 31 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, along with over 300 prefectures and cities and more than 2,000 counties and districts, have formulated plans for local women's development based on their actual conditions. The objectives and tasks set in the Outline dovetail with national development plans, align with sector-specific plans, and are integrated across the national, provincial, city and county levels. A comprehensive planning system for advancing women's development is now firmly in place.
\n3. Strengthening Legal Guarantee for Women's Rights and Interests
\nContinuing to improve the legal system. Legal protection of women's rights and interests is an integral part of advancing law-based governance. China has established a legal system anchored in the Constitution and centered on the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, covering over 100 laws and regulations.
\nThe Civil Code was compiled, which includes a Personality Rights section that clarifies the definition of sexual harassment and the responsibilities of employers. Its Marriage and Family section improves mechanisms for the identification and settlement of marital debts, and economic compensation for unpaid domestic work in divorce proceedings.
\nThe Criminal Law has been revised to abolish the crime of "prostitution involving underage girls" and punish such acts as rape, raise the statutory minimum penalty for the crime of child molestation, and introduce harsher punishments for the crime of purchasing abducted and trafficked women. Additionally, the crime of sexual assault by a person with a duty of care has been added to the Criminal Law.
\nThe amended Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests has made more comprehensive and systematic provisions on the system and mechanism for protecting women's rights and interests. China has also formulated the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and created systems of compulsory reporting, admonition, personal safety protection order, and emergent protection.
\nThe revised Law on Land Contract in Rural Areas has improved the legal guarantees for rural women's land rights and interests, ensuring their rightful entitlement to land and corresponding rights. The Law on Rural Collective Economic Organizations has been formulated to provide institutional safeguards ensuring that women do not lose their membership, rights and interests in such organizations due to changes in marital status.
\nIn addition, the Legal Aid Law, the Law on Basic Medical and Health Care and the Promotion of Health, and the Population and Family Planning Law all have provisions for safeguarding women's rights and interests.
\nA gender equality review mechanism has been established at the national level and across all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government. This mechanism conducts assessments of laws and regulations related to women's rights and interests, ensuring that the fundamental national policy of gender equality is implemented in laws and regulations at the source.
\nPanel 1 Revisions to the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests
\nThe Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests was promulgated in 1992, amended in 2005 and 2018, and thoroughly revised in 2022, expanding from 61 articles in nine chapters to 86 articles in ten chapters with the revision.
\nThe Law fully embodies the fundamental national policy of gender equality and has strengthened the comprehensive protection of women's political rights, personal and personality rights and interests, and their rights and interests in culture, education, employment, social security, property, marriage, and family. It has added new provisions on the mechanism for safeguarding women's rights and interests, the mechanism for gender equality assessment of laws and regulations, the system for collecting and publishing gender statistics, and education on gender equality as a basic national policy. It has established legal aid channels, including a public-interest litigation system for safeguarding women's rights and interests, a mechanism for admonishing violators of women's rights and interests in employment and social security, and a nationwide service hotline for protecting women's rights.
\nOverall, the Law has strengthened legal liabilities and reinforced its rigidity.
\nStrengthening law enforcement and judicial protection. China has taken resolute actions to combat criminal and illegal acts that infringe upon women's and girls' personal rights. Since 2013, public security agencies have continued to carry out special operations targeting the abduction and trafficking of women and children. By 2024, the number of such cases had decreased by 95 percent compared with 2013.
\nChina has established an inter-departmental cooperation and consultation mechanism against domestic violence, issued guidelines on the implementation of admonitions against domestic violence and personal protection orders, and promulgated judicial interpretations clarifying specific interventions and prevention measures, and forms of evidence for identifying domestic violence.
\nThe systems and measures for preventing and addressing workplace sexual harassment have been improved, with the addition of "dispute over liability for damages caused by sexual harassment" as an independent cause of action. To strengthen the protection of the personal rights and interests of girls, China has established a compulsory reporting system for cases of offenses against minors, as well as mechanisms for urging parental care and supervision over minors, for preventing violators from engaging in certain occupations, and for providing one-stop judicial support.
\nProcuratorates at all levels have registered and handled 3,810 public-interest cases concerning women's rights and interests. Since 2012, legal aid institutions across China have provided legal assistance for women involved in over 4.2 million cases, and free legal consultations for over 20 million women.
\nRaising public awareness of the rule of law. China continued to formulate and implement the seventh and eighth five-year plans for popularizing legal knowledge, both of which include laws and regulations on protecting women's lawful rights and interests. The country has strengthened law promotion and interpretation efforts, and the NPC Standing Committee has organized press conferences to expound on the principles in formulating and revising the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law, and share their highlights.
\nEfforts have been made to raise public legal awareness through multiple channels and approaches. Since 2012, articles on protecting women's rights and interests published through the official WeChat account for law popularization have been viewed 91.36 million times, and the annual legal knowledge competition has attracted tens of millions of participants. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions has organized legal awareness activities for female employees for 11 consecutive years, and women's federations at all levels across China have held more than 3.76 million events to raise legal awareness and provide legal services since 2016, with the participation of over 400 million women.
\nIn 2024, courts and procuratorates across the country, in conjunction with women's federations, organized more than 4,200 open day events on safeguarding the rights and interests of women and children and released over 3,800 typical cases. A legal education program for rural women reached more than 86 percent of China's rural areas.
\n4. Creating an Equal and Harmonious Social Environment
\nVigorously promoting the fundamental national policy of gender equality. China has carried out targeted public education on gender equality across multiple dimensions and through multiple channels, promoting this basic national policy in government departments, schools, enterprises, urban and rural communities, and families.
\nFor Party and government leaders, the Implementation of Gender Equality as a Basic National Policy has been compiled as a coursebook and incorporated into the curriculum and teaching plans of Party schools. For students, education on gender equality has been promoted in elementary and high schools, as well as in universities, and integrated into textbook planning and regulatory standards, and guides for related courses. Gender balance is emphasized in textbook illustrations, and excellent female writers have seen greater representation in textbooks, to eliminate gender stereotypes in teaching materials.
\nFor the general public, gender equality has been incorporated into cultural and ethical development in both urban and rural communities, into self-regulations and rules for their residents, and into efforts to cultivate good family ties, values, and traditions. Party members and officials, experts, scholars, and those who work in women's affairs have given talks and lectures, and engaged in public communication on gender equality in approachable and popular forms, enabling the public to understand this basic national policy and apply it in their daily lives.
\nPanel 2 Guangdong Promoting Gender Equality Education in Elementary and High Schools
\nSince 2012, Guangdong Province has promoted gender equality education in schools. Targeting students in urban elementary and high schools, three types of courses have been developed, with a focus on cognitive understanding, behavioral norms and attitudinal guidance. These are themed courses on gender equality, integrated courses that incorporate ideas of gender equality into related subjects, and practical courses that engage students in all types of activities. Targeting students in rural elementary and high schools, courses have been developed for students in different grades with a focus on care for left-behind children, physical development during puberty, and prevention of sexual assault among adolescents.
\nBy the first half of 2025, Guangdong had established 661 demonstration elementary and high schools for gender equality education, with a professional teaching staff of over 1,500 members. Assessment results indicate that education on gender equality has generated a positive effect on both male and female students, raising their gender equality awareness, promoting physical and mental health, improving academic performance, and reducing bullying and disciplinary violations.
\nStrengthening the awareness of gender equality in the media. The Advertising Law and other relevant laws, as well as the Outline of Women's Development in China, all stipulate regulations regarding gender equality assessment and supervision in the media, prohibiting reports or advertisements with contents that disparage, undermine, or infringe upon women's dignity.
\nGender equality reviews have been conducted throughout the script development, production, screening, and distribution of films and TV programs. News outlets have issued lists of prohibited and offensive terms to eliminate discriminatory expressions in news reports. Media organizations have implemented a social responsibility reporting system and upheld the professional ethic of safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of women, children, the elderly, and the disabled and protecting their physical and mental health.
\nThe stories of women role models have been told through media coverage, special releases and events in recognition of their contribution, showcasing patriotism, devotion to the people, perseverance and progress in the face of challenges, and commitment to virtue and good deeds. Gender equality has now become a widely accepted social norm.
\nCreating a clean cyberspace. China has issued judicial interpretations, released exemplary cases, and carried out special operations to combat fraud, abduction, trafficking, rape, and other crimes against women and children committed or facilitated through online channels. Offenses that infringe upon women's personality rights, such as the illegal disclosure of personal information, defamation, and malicious online abuse, are strictly punished. Online platforms have taken on greater responsibility by addressing illegal and inappropriate content, including removing articles and short videos that advocate a preference for sons over daughters or exaggerate family disputes.
\nChina has increased the supply of high-quality online content. Special campaigns have been launched to introduce new media products showcasing women in the new era and their commitment to the country, such as the theme song Blooms of China, the women's federation promotional video Together, and the family values promotional video I Love My Family. These products have reached hundreds of millions of women and families, and facilitated new progress in providing theoretical and political guidance to women.
\nEfforts have also been made to improve the digital literacy of the general public, foster responsible internet usage among women, tell engaging stories of China and Chinese women, spread mainstream values, and promote positive energy online.
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nEradicating poverty, improving living standards, and achieving common prosperity are essential tasks of socialism. China has made continuous efforts to ensure people's access to childcare, education, employment, medical services, eldercare, housing, and social assistance, meeting women's expectation for a better life.
\n1. Elimination of Absolute Poverty
\nChina has organized the largest and most intensive poverty alleviation campaign in human history, benefiting the greatest number of people. By the end of 2020, it had successfully eliminated absolute poverty throughout the country, meeting the poverty reduction target of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. On this epic journey of poverty reduction, China has honored its solemn commitment that no one should be left behind, specifically targeting women as a key group to widen their path towards prosperity.
\nTaking targeted measures to guarantee basic living needs. China has adopted a targeted strategy in poverty alleviation. Under this framework, it maintains detailed records on the distribution of impoverished populations, the underlying causes of poverty, the specific categories of poverty, and the expectations of the poor. This approach guarantees the implementation of targeted efforts in six areas: identification of those in need, project arrangement, capital utilization, the introduction of household-specific measures, the dispatch of officials to villages based on local conditions, and the achievement of set goals. As a result, women, who comprise approximately half of the impoverished population, have benefited from targeted resource allocation.
\nThe Health Program for Poverty Alleviation and its health promotion campaigns have guaranteed access to basic medical and health services for impoverished rural women.
\nThrough education initiatives for poverty alleviation, compulsory education in impoverished areas has been steadily improved, ensuring that no school-age girls from poor families drop out of school due to poverty.
\nSocial security systems have been strengthened to ensure eligible women on the list of the registered poor receive subsistence allowances or assistance and support for the extremely poor.
\nRenovation of dilapidated houses in rural areas, particularly in severely impoverished areas, has been subsidized by the government. Relocation projects have helped over 9.6 million people, who originally lived in inhospitable areas, to emerge from poverty and seek development.
\nThe basic food and clothing needs of impoverished women have been guaranteed, and their access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing has been ensured.
\nAfter winning the battle against absolute poverty, the country initiated a five-year transition period during which poverty alleviation support policies remained in effect to buttress areas and populations that had recently emerged from poverty. Based on the stable operation of such policies, a robust dynamic monitoring and assistance mechanism has been established to prevent any relapse into or occurrence of poverty, and support remains in place for women lifted out of poverty and those in low-income areas to participate in the local economy, seek more employment opportunities, and increase incomes.
\nBoosting the economy to create job opportunities for women and raise their income. China is committed to the policy of development-driven poverty alleviation to empower impoverished women.
\nIt has strengthened industrial support by facilitating the gradient transfer of labor-intensive industries such as food processing and clothing manufacturing, benefitting 98.9 percent of poor households. By advancing east-west cooperation in labor services, setting up poverty alleviation workshops, and creating public-interest rural jobs, the country has provided job opportunities for poor women with the will and ability to work. In its efforts to alleviate poverty, China has leveraged new forms of business and industries such as e-commerce programs, photovoltaic technology, and tourism to help impoverished women find good jobs within their local communities. In ethnic minority areas, the transition of the hand-knitting business from a purely traditional craft to a driver of the local economy has transformed the lives of the women embroidery artisans in the Miao and Yi communities.
\nChina has increased fiscal and financial support. In the critical battle against poverty, special supportive polices such as offering subsidized loans requiring no collateral or guarantee and tax reductions or exemptions were introduced. Cumulatively, over RMB450 billion in guaranteed microloans and poverty alleviation microcredit were disbursed to women in need, and 8.7 million impoverished women saw their income increased through entrepreneurship. From 2021 to 2024, the country sustained a flow of microcredit designated for people recently lifted out of poverty, of which RMB76.83 billion were offered to nearly 1.93 million women.
\nEfforts in skills training have been strengthened, with training courses on vocational skills, entrepreneurship, and practical agricultural technology being held through multiple channels, at multiple levels, and in multiple forms. As of 2020, training programs had been organized for a total of 10.21 million impoverished women and female technicians. From 2023 to 2024, the Rain and Dew Program sponsored 632,000 women to receive vocational education, allowing them to continue their march out of poverty.
\nPanel 3 Poverty Alleviation Workshops for Women Help Women Find Jobs and Emerge from Poverty
\nPoverty Alleviation Workshops for Women constitute a targeted model that helps boost employment and incomes among impoverished women. The Guidelines on the Three-Year Action Plan for Winning the Battle Against Poverty issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council required the establishment of poverty alleviation workshops to employ people from poor households near their homes. In line with this document, governments in poor regions adopted measures such as employment subsidies, workspace rental subsidies, and credit assistance to encourage enterprises to establish poverty alleviation workshops for women in poor rural communities, helping them find work in fields such as agricultural products processing and handicrafts weaving. By providing employment opportunities close to home, local governments and enterprises have enabled women to balance earning an additional income with their farming and family duties. During the critical battle against poverty, more than 10,000 such workshops for women have been established nationwide, helping women in need find secure employment in their local areas.
\nIncreasing input to break the bottlenecks constraining women's development. China has advanced infrastructure development, fundamentally solving many of the issues impeding women's development in impoverished areas, such as insufficient access to transport, electricity, water and communications. Where conditions permit, all towns, townships, and administrative villages have been connected to paved roads and provided with bus and postal services. Full coverage of reliable power supply has been largely realized in rural areas. All counties have access to gigabit internet, all townships to 5G services, and all villages to broadband connections. By the end of 2024, 94 percent of the rural population had enjoyed access to tap water.
\nPanel 4 Female National Models for Poverty Alleviation
\nWomen fully performed their role as "half the sky" in the critical battle against poverty. Among the 10 individuals honored as national models for poverty alleviation by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council in 2021, five were women. They include Bai Jingying, who led 26,000 women in shaking off poverty through a new trail — working in the Mongolian broidery industry; Zhang Guimei, who leveraged her expertise in education to found China's first free senior high school for girls, helping more than 2,000 girls from impoverished mountainous areas reach university; Huang Wenxiu, a poverty alleviation official and a resident first Party secretary, and Zhang Xiaojuan, a vice director of a county-level poverty alleviation office, both of whom sacrificed their young lives for poverty elimination while working at the grassroots level to help residents solve difficulties; and Xia Sen, who donated her savings of RMB2,032,000 accumulated through a lifetime of work and frugality to improve schools in poverty-stricken rural areas, including through the provision of grants that have gone on to help 182 students from poor households enroll in university.
\n2. Notable Improvement in Health
\nPrioritizing people's health in its development strategy, China makes all-out efforts to build a healthy China, with women's and children's health the cornerstone of this work. By consolidating and improving institutional arrangements and optimizing resource allocation, the country provides women with full life-circle health services.
\nContinuous improvement of the maternal and child healthcare system. China has integrated its maternal and child healthcare network into its national medical and healthcare framework that covers its 1.4 billion people. A service system for maternal and child healthcare has been built, with maternal and child healthcare institutions as the core, community-level medical and healthcare institutions as the foundation, and medium and large hospitals and research institutes as the pillars.
\nFrom 2012 to 2023, the number of health professionals at maternal and child healthcare institutions increased from 277,000 to 537,000, with an annual growth rate of over 6 percent; the actual number of beds rose from 187,000 to 295,000, up by nearly 60 percent. At present, China has 3,081 maternal and child healthcare institutions, 3,491 treatment centers for high-risk and critically ill pregnant and postpartum women, and 3,221 treatment centers for critically ill neonates. More than 2,600 traditional Chinese medicine hospitals at Grade II and above have gynecological departments.
\nThe "internet plus maternal and child healthcare" service model has been developed, and training sessions and guidance for treating pregnant and postpartum women in severe and critical conditions have been provided through 31 provincial-level "cloud-based maternal and child healthcare" telemedicine platforms, making maternal and child healthcare services much more equitable.
\nPanel 5 Five Mechanisms for Maternal and Neonatal Safety Safeguarding the Health of Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Newborns
\nThe five mechanisms for maternal and neonatal safety covers pregnancy risk screening and evaluation, targeted management of high-risk pregnant and postpartum women, emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, maternal mortality case reporting, and admonition of underperforming healthcare providers. Based on the severity of pregnancy risks, pregnant and postpartum women are classified into one of five categories and each is assigned a label: green for low risk, yellow for common risk, orange for relatively high risk, red for high risk, or purple for carrying an infectious disease. Their treatment is then managed according to their category. This general system is supported by a nationwide, tiered network for treating pregnant and postpartum women and neonates in severe and critical conditions, which features coordination between different levels, highly efficient response, and orderly operation. It closely monitors key high-risk groups and strengthens the emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, thereby ensuring the safety of mothers and newborns.
\nBreakthroughs in solving key issues in women's health. China has strengthened its resource coordination to integrate the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B into major public health service programs. In 2024, the rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission in China fell to 1.2 percent, meeting the targets for eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission.
\nChina has promoted the comprehensive prevention and treatment of cervical cancer and breast cancer. Between 2009 and 2024, 342 million free screenings for cervical cancer and 245 million free screenings for breast cancer were carried out nationwide, and between 2012 and 2024, the central government allocated RMB3.01 billion for treatment and support for women with these forms of cancer. HPV vaccination has been incorporated into the government's public welfare initiatives in 18 provinces as of June 2025, benefiting 5 million girls of eligible age annually through free vaccination programs.
\nA group of specialty branches and outpatient departments focusing on women's healthcare have been established, covering the entire process of childbearing and women's full life cycle.
\nA reproductive health promotion campaign has been carried out. By the end of 2024, youth health education services had been provided in more than 10,000 elementary and high schools and more than 1,000 higher education institutions across the country.
\nThe campaign to raise national health awareness, the initiative to build healthy families, the Healthy China: Mother's Action, and other initiatives have been rolled out to guide women to lead their family members and the wider society in raising health awareness and health management capacity.
\nRemarkable improvement in women's health. In 2020, the average life expectancy of women in China rose to 80.9 years.
\nSince 2012, the national hospital delivery rate has remained above 99 percent, and in 2024, the systematic maternal management rate reached 94.9 percent. The maternal mortality rate has dropped by 76.9 percent, from 61.9 per 100,000 in 1995 to 14.3 per 100,000 in 2024 — far below the global average.
\nIn terms of core maternal and child health indicators, namely maternal, infant, and under-five mortality rates, China ranks among the top in global upper-middle-income countries. It has met the relevant targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule and has been recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the 10 high performing countries in maternal and child health outcomes.
\n3. Substantial Increase in Women's Education Level
\nIn building up its strength in education and coordinating integrated reforms of educational, sci-tech and talent systems and mechanisms, China has made tremendous efforts to ensure women's equitable access to education of all categories and levels, raise women's scientific literacy and promote life-long education for them. As a result, women's right to education has been effectively guaranteed.
\nGender divide in basic education has been largely eliminated. China has implemented four consecutive preschool education action plans. In 2024, girls accounted for 47.3 percent of children in kindergartens, totaling 16.94 million.
\nPanel 6 The Spring Bud Project Helps Girls from Impoverished Families Realize Their Dreams Through Schooling
\nThe Spring Bud Project is a public welfare project launched by the China Children and Teenagers' Fund in 1989 to help out-of-school girls from poverty-stricken areas return to school and improve their access to education. In 2019, Prof. Peng Liyuan, special envoy for girls' education under the Spring Bud Project, launched the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project. By carrying out education in health, digital technology, science and technology, music, and other areas, this initiative helps girls from poor households pursue well-rounded development. By the end of 2024, the project had raised RMB3.44 billion of non-governmental funds, providing 4.36 million instances of education assistance and more than 200,000 cases of one-to-one growth support and tailored psychological counseling for girls. This enabled girls to enjoy a more equitable and inclusive education of higher quality. In 2023, the Spring Bud Project won the UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education. In 2024, it was designated as one of the best cases in the Fifth Call of Global Solicitation on Best Poverty Reduction Practices.
\nChina promotes the high-quality and balanced development of compulsory education, and has accelerated efforts to narrow the educational gaps between regions, schools, groups, and between urban and rural areas. The net elementary education enrollment rate of school-age girls stays above 99.9 percent, and in 2024, girls made up 46.98 percent of students of nine-year compulsory education.
\nThe Plan to Popularize Senior High School Education (2017-2020) and the Action Plan to Develop County-level Senior High Schools During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) Period have been implemented nationwide, and the proportion of girls among the senior high school population is continuing to rise, standing at 49.3 percent in 2024.
\nA rough balance between male and female students in higher education has been achieved. China has made sustained efforts to develop the world's largest higher education system, cement and advance accessibility in higher education, and ensure gender equality in the enrollment of regular institutions of higher learning. In 2024, female students in these institutions made up 50.76 percent of the total, 14.15 percentage points higher than in 1995. Among them, female graduate students accounted for 50.01 percent, an increase of 22.43 percentage points from 1995.
\nWomen enjoy higher-quality vocational education and life-long education. China has speeded up its efforts to build a modern vocational education system and offers assistance to eligible students in the form of tuition exemptions, scholarships, grants, and student loans. As a result, women are enjoying more and better access to high-quality vocational education. In 2024, female students accounted for 47.9 percent of higher vocational school students at the undergraduate and junior college levels, and 45.2 percent of secondary vocational school students.
\nThe women's life-long learning system has become more open and flexible, with the establishment of the national smart education platform for life-long education offering a more convenient and accessible channel that meets women's diverse learning needs. The number of women receiving adult education continues to rise steadily year on year, and in 2024, female students at adult education institutions at the undergraduate and junior college levels numbered 5.13 million, 54 percent of the total, representing an increase of 1.96 million compared to 2012. In 2020, the average length of schooling for female citizens at or above the age of 15 reached 9.59 years.
\nWomen's scientific literacy is on the rise. The Chinese government has promulgated the Outline of the Action Plan for Improving Scientific Literacy for All (2021-2035), which covers raising women's scientific literacy.
\nIt has issued the Guidelines for Science Education in Elementary and High Schools, improved the curriculum, textbooks, experimental teaching, teachers' training, and extra-curricular activity programs of these schools, and enhanced the coordination and transformation of science education resources.
\nTo inspire and cultivate female students' interests in science, public-interest programs aimed at female students have been rolled out, including the Science Lovers Program for Female College Students, Science Empowering Girls, Spring Bud InnoGirls Program, STEM Girls, and Her Science.
\nA program for raising the capabilities of female employees has also been implemented, and, in particular, efforts have been made to help them improve digital skills.
\nThanks to these initiatives and more, the gender gap in scientific literacy is continuing to narrow. The female sci-tech talent pool continues to expand in scale, improve in structure, and grow in capability, with female scientists now regularly making outstanding contributions in various fields, including basic theory, applied technology, and engineering. In 2024, female R&D professionals numbered 2.85 million, representing an increase of 1.69 million from that in 2012.
\nPanel 7 STEM Girls Program Kindles Girls' Science Dream
\nIn 2018, the China Women's Development Foundation established the public-interest program of STEM Girls for female high school students aged 12-16 to inspire their enthusiasm and interest in STEM subjects. Through open recruitment and online courses, the program selects outstanding female high school students and sends them to universities and research institutions, including Tsinghua University, Tongji University, the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In the study camps at these institutions, girls can engage in exploration and learning in mechanical engineering, energy sources in architecture, eco-environment, biophysics, and other STEM subjects. They conduct visits, research, and hands-on experiments, form innovative plans, and work for their application. In the seven years since its launch, the program has covered more than 100 high schools in 24 provincial-level administrative units, training more than 8,200 students and helping them embark on a journey of scientific exploration and move forward in steady steps.
\n4. Continuous Improvement in Social Security
\nChina has established the world's largest social security system. Built on the principle of ensuring universal coverage for all eligible individuals, the system aims to narrow urban-rural disparities, improve social security policies for key groups, strengthen support for women in difficulty, and steadily raise benefit levels. As a result of this system, women now enjoy more comprehensive, reliable and equitable social security.
\nMedical and old-age insurance systems achieved full coverage. China's healthcare security system has been continuously improved, supported by increased government subsidies for individual contributions to basic medical insurance among rural and non-working urban residents.
\nIn 2024, 651 million women were covered by basic medical insurance, accounting for 49.1 percent of all participants. Additionally, 260 million women were covered by basic pension insurance for rural and non-working urban residents, representing 48 percent of all enrollees, while 260 million women participated in the basic pension scheme for urban employees, constituting 48.2 percent of the total.
\nMore women are protected against unemployment and work-related injuries. Efforts have been made to safeguard employees' employment security, occupational safety, and health protections. By the end of 2024, approximately 105 million women were enrolled in unemployment insurance, accounting for 42.7 percent of all participants and reflecting a 70 percent increase since 2012. Additionally, about 117 million women were covered by work-related injury insurance, comprising 38.6 percent of all enrollees, and reflecting a 60 percent increase since 2012.
\nSpecific measures have been introduced to ensure that workers in new forms of employment receive effective assistance and compensation in case of occupational injuries. Real-time settlement of medical expenses for work-related injuries incurred outside the provincial-level unit where the patient is insured has been fully implemented, protecting the rights and interests of female workers and better meeting their healthcare needs.
\nMaternity protection for women has improved significantly. The integrated implementation of maternity insurance and basic medical insurance for employees has been fully advanced, and continuous efforts have been made to expand employer participation in maternity insurance and to gradually extend its coverage. Regions with the necessary conditions have been guided to include flexibly employed people in maternity insurance. For unemployed women, the unemployment insurance fund pay their maternity insurance contributions on their behalf during their period of unemployment benefit eligibility, while non-working women are covered for maternity medical benefits through their participation in the basic medical insurance scheme for rural and non-working urban residents. By the end of 2024, 111 million women were covered by maternity insurance. All 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, have included eligible assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in their medical insurance schemes.
\nSocial security for women in need is further strengthened. Subsistence allowance standards have continued to rise, with the national average urban and rural subsistence allowance standards in 2024 140 percent and 240 percent higher than those of 2012, respectively.
\nFinancial assistance or premium payments are provided for women from eligible disadvantaged groups, such as those receiving subsistence allowances or classified as extremely impoverished individuals, to participate in basic medical and pension insurance schemes for rural and non-working urban residents.
\nA comprehensive system of living subsidies for persons with disabilities facing financial difficulties and nursing subsidies for those with severe disabilities has been established. In 2024, about 9.40 million women received these subsidies, accounting for 46 percent of all recipients.
\nTargeted assistance and support initiatives have been implemented for rural stay-behind women in difficult circumstances, including efforts to establish records, ensure basic living standards, promote employment and income generation, and enrich cultural lives.
\n5. Improved Family Lives
\nChina places emphasis on fostering family culture, values, and traditions, recognizing the unique role of women in both social and family life. Efforts continue to be made to leverage women's distinctive contributions in promoting traditional Chinese family virtues and establishing positive family traditions. Policies supporting family development are continuously improved, enhancing families' capacity for development and creating favorable conditions for women to enjoy better family lives.
\nMore equal and harmonious family relations in the new era. Laws and regulations including the Civil Code, the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law have been promulgated to protect women's rights within marriage and the family.
\nA new marital and childbearing culture is widely promoted. Marriage and family counseling services are widely available at marriage registration authorities at or above the county level nationwide. Over 2,000 pilot units are advancing marriage customs reform, and activities such as "bringing new marriage and childbearing norms into households" are continuously carried out to promote values including gender equality, mutual respect, and shared parenting responsibilities between couples.
\nThe Fourth Survey on the Social Status of Women in China shows that 90 percent of married women participate in decision-making on major family matters, an increase of approximately 15 percentage points compared to 2010. The gender gap in time spent on household chores has narrowed, and there is a growing emphasis on marital relationships based on mutual respect and trust.
\nA family-friendly society gradually in shape. To meet the demands of high-quality population development and family wellbeing, measures have been introduced to improve childbirth support policies and develop a childbirth-friendly society.
\nThe childbirth leave system has been enhanced, with local regulations extending maternity leave and paternity leave and introducing parental childcare leave. Special additional deductions for individual income tax have been implemented, covering expenses for under-three children nursing, eldercare, and children's education. A childcare subsidy system has been established and implemented, while free pre-school education has been promoted in a phased way.
\nEmployers are encouraged to create "family-friendly workplaces" by adopting flexible working hours or remote work options after negotiating with employees to support them in both career development and childcare.
\nNursing facilities have been provided. By the end of 2024, 403,000 enterprises and public institutions with trade unions had set up nursing rooms for female employees. The provision of baby care rooms in public places has also been expanded, and design standards such as the Uniform Standard for the Design of Civil Buildings, the Standard for the Design of Office Buildings, and the Code for the Design of Railway Passenger Station Buildings now include requirements for such facilities. By the end of 2024, 1,449 baby care rooms had been established in railway stations; 5,371 in highway service areas (including parking areas); 286 on passenger ships and in port passenger terminals; 2,308 in secondary and above-grade bus stations; 2,599 in urban rail transit stations; and nursing rooms in all civilian airports with an annual passenger throughput of 5,000 or more.
\nPanel 8 The 15-Minute Community Life Circles Benefit Hundreds of Millions of Residents
\nThe 15-minute community life circle is a government initiative to improve people's lives by creating community business districts with diverse services. Residents in such communities should be able to meet their basic daily consumption needs and access quality services within a 15-minute walk.
\nTo address childcare needs, Shanghai has established more than 340 community-based childcare rooms in over 90 percent of its subdistricts and towns, providing temporary childcare services. For eldercare needs, Tianjin has set up 1,852 community canteens for seniors and built daytime care centers for the elderly, offering personalized eldercare services. To meet residents' daily needs, the Kangqiao Garden Community in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, has introduced affordable vegetable stalls, convenient barbershops, and small repair service points, enabling one-stop solutions for various household needs.
\nSince 2021, 4 batches of 210 pilot areas across the country have joined the initiative, building 5,510 community life circles that benefit approximately 125 million residents.
\nMore diverse services to reduce family care burden. A variety of childcare services are provided to families, including full-day, half-day, and temporary care options, and employers are also supported in establishing childcare facilities. By the end of 2024, there were 5.74 million childcare slots nationwide, with 4.08 slots per 1,000 people for children under three.
\nA family education guidance service system covering both urban and rural areas has been established. Relying on over 400,000 parent schools in urban and rural communities and more than 20,000 online new media platforms, family education guidance service teams have worked to organize rich and diverse parent-child activities, bringing scientific family education guidance services directly to households and communities.
\nThe eldercare framework has been optimized, where home care is supported by communities and professional institutions, featuring a combination of medical care and eldercare services. Services such as meal assistance, bathing aid, home modifications for the elderly, and barrier-free renovations for financially difficult families with members with severe disabilities have become more accessible.
\nPanel 9 Family Education in the New Era Strengthens the Foundation of Early Nurturing
\nChina places great importance on family education. The Law on Family Education Promotion has been enacted to strengthen parents' primary responsibility in guardianship, establish a collaborative mechanism for family education work, clarify state support measures for family education, and define the role of social forces in supporting family education. The All-China Women's Federation, the Ministry of Education, and other relevant departments have successively issued six five-year plans for family education, setting periodic targets and measures. The National Family Education Guidance Outline and Basic Behavioral Norms for Parents in Family Education have been formulated and revised to define the content of family education guidance.
\nExploratory efforts are made to establish an undergraduate program on family education in colleges and universities to train professionals for this sector. A life-cycle family guidance curriculum system has been developed, and the "Happy Family" online platform for family education services has been established. Family education instructors have been included as an occupation in the General Code of Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China. All these endeavors will promote the digital and professional development of family education and support families in scientific parenting.
\nThe domestic service sector continues to improve in quality and expand in scale. By the end of 2023, there were approximately 600,000 domestic service entities and 16,000 women-led domestic service community stations. National domestic service vocational skills competitions have been held to encourage skill enhancement among people working in this sector, provide a growth platform for more of them, and deliver high-quality services to families.
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nOn the new journey of Chinese modernization, every individual plays a key role. Connecting their own future with that of the country and the nation, Chinese women have devoted themselves to the building of a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful. They have attained major achievements in the new era, creating a better life through action and hard work.
\n1. Achievements in Promoting High-Quality Economic Development
\nIn promoting high-quality economic development, China is committed to expanding channels for women's participation, improving their capabilities, and stimulating their creativity. Women are "holding up half the sky" and playing an increasingly prominent role.
\nRealizing potential in employment and entrepreneurship. Upholding employment as a priority, China has increased fiscal investment, and implemented initiatives such as the Women's Action for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Action for Promoting Women's Employment and Entrepreneurship. Special recruitment sections and events for women have been held, sponsored by the National Employment Promotion Action and Spring Breeze Action, aiming to help more women find better jobs.
\nGender discrimination in employment has been placed under the scrutiny of labor protection supervision. The System of Special Labor Protection for Female Employees in the Workplace (Reference Text) and the System for Eliminating Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (Reference Text) have been formulated as guidelines for employers to improve their corresponding systems for protecting female employees' lawful rights and interests.
\nBy the end of 2024, RMB640 billion in loans had been provided to support 8.49 million women in realizing their entrepreneurial dreams. Since 2012, women have accounted for about 43 percent of the total employed population. According to the fifth national economic census in 2024, 42.6 percent of the employees in government agencies, public institutions, and state-owned enterprises were women, an increase of 3.6 percentage points compared to the fourth census.
\nPanel 10 Beautiful Crafts Workshops Providing Employment and Income Growth for Women with Disabilities
\nThe Beautiful Crafts Workshops program was jointly launched by China Disabled Persons' Federation and All-China Women's Federation in 2022 to help women with disabilities find employment and increase income. Through collaboration between the government, enterprises, and public service organizations, a full-chain service model integrating training, employment, entrepreneurship and protection has been formulated to ensure that women participating in this program have access to employment opportunities and secure stable incomes through the acquisition of important skills.
\nA total of 125 national-level Beautiful Crafts Workshops now provide disabled women with free training courses in hand knitting, embroidery, and pottery, and support some of them in setting up studios and engaging in live-streaming sales. This program has facilitated flexible home-based employment for 190,000 women with disabilities, doubling their average annual income compared to 2022. The outcomes have been displayed at major events including the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the UN Human Rights Council meetings, and the 10th International Abilympics.
\nThe scale of women's accomplishments is reflected in their significant representation among national honorees: They constitute 34 percent of the National Moral Models and 30.9 percent of the Most Beautiful Souls and National Exemplary Educators. Since 2012, a total of 1,821 women have been awarded the titles of National Model Workers and Advanced Workers, 1,957 have received the National May 1st Labor Medal, 5,001 have been honored as National March 8th Red-Banner Pacesetters, and 6,489 recognized as National Role Models for Women's Achievements.
\nPioneering innovation in science and technology. As part of the efforts to implement the Women's Action for Scientific and Technological Innovation, China has formulated the Measures on Supporting Female Talent to Play a Greater Role in Sci-Tech Innovation, which outline 16 concrete measures, including supporting female scientists to undertake national sci-tech projects and participate in decision-making on sci-tech development, as well as improving evaluation and incentive mechanisms for them.
\nThe National Natural Science Foundation has appropriately relaxed the age limits for female applicants in Categories A, B and C of the Young Scientists Fund, raising the maximum age thresholds by three years, two years, and five years respectively, compared to their male counterparts. Leveraging platforms such as the Zhongguancun Forum, Pujiang Innovation Forum, and World AI Conference, China has launched summits and forums for women working in science and technology, and hosted the Women Technicians Forum and a range of training programs for high-caliber female sci-tech professionals. These actions have created platforms for women in STEM fields to conduct professional exchange and learning, apply their research outcomes, and serve the public.
\nToday, women account for 45.8 percent of all sci-tech researchers in China. They are tackling tough problems and achieving breakthroughs in pioneering fields, overcoming daunting obstacles, and scaling new heights at the forefront of innovation, and making significant contributions to building China into a sci-tech powerhouse with greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology.
\nPanel 11 Glorious Achievements of Female Sci-Tech Workers in China
\nThrough their unwavering dedication and exceptional wisdom, Chinese women have made groundbreaking contributions across diverse fields of science and technology, writing glorious chapters in the nation's rich history of sci-tech innovation.
\nTu Youyou, chief scientist at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and a recipient of the Medal of the Republic, was the first person to discover artemisinin. This class of drugs has significantly reduced the mortality rate of malaria patients and saved millions of lives globally. Tu's pioneering research led to her becoming the first home-grown Chinese scientist to receive a Nobel Prize.
\nLiu Yang, China's first female astronaut, Wang Yaping, the first female taikonaut to walk in space, and Wang Haoze, the first female aerospace flight engineer to board China's space station, each courageously challenged the unknown, demonstrating the strength of Chinese women in aerospace.
\nLiao Hong, professor at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, integrated applied basic research with agricultural production to build up about 20,000 hectares of eco-friendly tea gardens, providing a comprehensive solution to the eco-friendly planting and management of Wuyi rock tea.
\nFor over two decades, Shan Xinghua, recipient of the title Role Model of the Era, has led her team in developing the 12306 China Railway ticketing system into a super-large real-time platform with a world-leading transaction volume, boosting China's strength in transportation.
\nTaking the lead in rural revitalization. Through the Women's Action for Rural Revitalization, China has strengthened quality training to empower women farmers. Since 2017, the High-quality Farmer Training Program has trained over 2.24 million women farmers, and between 2022 and 2024, the project for cultivating leaders for rural industry revitalization trained 12,000 female individuals.
\nThe achievements of women in rural revitalization have been recognized through initiatives like the Double Hundred and Double Thousand Initiative, which recognizes outstanding rural craftspeople, 100 of whom in the first batch were women, accounting for 36.6 percent of the total. In the final round of the first National Farmers' Skills Competition, female participants comprised 69.5 percent of all winners. Furthermore, by the end of 2024, 134,000 female workers responsible for extending agricultural technologies and services had obtained professional titles, representing 35.4 percent of the total.
\nPanel 12 A Small Industrial Incubation Platform Galvanizing Women's Power for Rural Revitalization
\nAs a successful example of the Green Rural Revival Program in Zhejiang, Lizu Village in Yiwu has developed from a backward hamlet to a National Model Village, and women have played a vital role in this transformation.
\nThe village is home to a Shared Prosperity Workshop — an incubation platform for industrial projects that attracts numerous aspiring makers and entrepreneurs. This workshop operates as a women's alliance for shared prosperity, and follows a work mechanism under which community-level service centers introduce promising projects under the leadership of the local executive committee of women's federations. The project has helped local women start their own businesses, increasing their incomes and fostering integration between urban and rural areas.
\nAfter five years, the number of makers and entrepreneurs has increased from over 30 to 272, among which 75 percent are women. The "Homemade by Mom" food street and the Women's Fair have increased women's incomes by over RMB13.7 million, while live-streaming activities to promote agricultural products have generated sales of RMB27 million. This small incubator has created big opportunities for women to embrace prosperity.
\nPursuing excellence in the digital economy. China has issued the Action Plan for Strengthening the Digital Literacy and Skills of the General Public and the Action Plan for Digital Rural Development, which include measures such as carrying out digital literacy education and skills training for women and developing women-led e-commerce brands. Chinese women have answered the call of the digital age, and are committed to developing the digital economy, with 14,147 women obtaining the vocational skills certificates for AI trainers in 2024 alone — comprising 42.3 percent of the yearly total. Women represent over half of the entrepreneurs in the internet sector and about one third of the workforce engaging in new business forms such as digital trade, e-commerce, and live streaming. As the digital economy advances, it is providing more opportunities for women.
\nPanel 13 The \"AI Dou\" Project: Helping Women Excel in the Digital Economy
\nThrough digital empowerment, the China Women's Development Foundation is pioneering innovative pathways for women's development. In 2019, the organization launched the "AI Dou" Project for AI industrial incubation in conjunction with relevant businesses. This project aims to help stay-behind women and returning youth to secure data annotation and similar jobs near home, by introducing digital employment opportunities to underdeveloped counties, carrying out vocational training, and incubating locally operated social enterprises. By the end of 2024, the project had established 16 digital employment centers in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Gansu, Guizhou and Ningxia, providing employment opportunities for over 7,500 women. Among those provided with stable jobs by the project, 70 percent were women.
\n2. Equal Participation in Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nAs China advances whole-process people's democracy, it remains committed to increasing women's participation in the management of state, economic, cultural and social affairs. Women enjoy equal political rights and actively participate in democratic practices, contributing their strengths with great enthusiasm.
\nExercising state power through the people's congresses. The proportion of women in people's congresses at all levels continues to rise. In the 14th NPC convened in 2023, there were 790 women deputies, accounting for 26.5 percent of the total. This represents an increase of 3.1 percentage points from the 12th NPC and 1.6 percentage points from the 13th NPC. At the county and township levels, women constitute 31.64 percent and 32.36 percent of deputies, respectively. These women deputies fulfill their duties in accordance with the law, soliciting and reflecting public opinion from all sectors of society. Between 2018 and 2025, NPC women deputies put forward 29,328 suggestions, criticisms and opinions, accounting for 42.3 percent of the total.
\nPanel 14 Women Deputies to the People's Congresses Practicing Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nZhu Guoping, an outstanding representative of the "neighborhood chiefs" in Shanghai, has been a key figure in her local community for over three decades. She served as a deputy to three consecutive NPCs — the 11th, 12th, and 13th — where she had a particular focus on eldercare, childcare and healthcare. Among her suggestions in these fields, two proposals calling for increased fiscal investment in general practitioners and pediatricians were both adopted by the Ministry of Finance, earning her praise as someone who "bridges national policy decisions with public concerns".
\nHongqiao Subdistrict, where Zhu works, functions as a community-level legislative outreach office, set up by the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee. It has solicited opinions for 97 draft laws, including the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and the Law on the Protection of Minors. The subdistrict has proposed over 3,200 suggestions, with 280 being adopted after review, channeling grassroots legislative input to the Great Hall of the People.
\nDiscussing state affairs and making suggestions at consultative meetings of the CPPCC. The proportion of female members in the CPPCC National Committee and local committees has seen a consistent increase. In 2023, 487 female members served on the National Committee of the 14th CPPCC, accounting for 22.4 percent of the total — an increase of 4.6 percentage points and 2 percentage points from the 12th CPPCC and 13th CPPCC, respectively. In the same year, there were 5,401 female members on the provincial-level committees of the CPPCC, accounting for 27.36 percent of the membership at this level. The female members fulfill their duties in full and play a major role in political consultation, democratic supervision, and the deliberation and administration of state affairs. Since the 14th CPPCC National Committee, female members have submitted 4,282 proposals, representing 26.6 percent of the total.
\nActively engaging in decision-making and administration. China attaches importance to the cultivation and selection of female officials and the recruitment of women into the CPC. It has formulated and implemented outlines for strengthening Party and government leadership teams and on women's development, which set specific quantitative and proportional requirements for the appointment of female officials and female heads of leadership bodies. These goals are expected to be met while strict quality standards are upheld.
\nThe proportions of women among the CPC membership and delegates to the Party congresses are increasing. In 2024, 30.9 percent of CPC members were female, an increase of 7.1 percentage points compared to the 2012 level. Female Party members accounted for 27 percent of the delegates to the 20th CPC National Congress, an increase of 4 percentage points from the Party's 18th National Congress in 2012. Women represent 42.3 percent, 43.78 percent, and 51.5 percent of all the judges, prosecutors and jurors nationwide.
\nExtensively participating in grassroots democracy. Effective measures have been taken in the villagers committee elections to expand women's membership. In 2022, women constituted 26.1 percent of villagers committee members and 54.3 percent of urban residents committee members, an increase of 4 percentage points and 5.5 percentage points, respectively, from 2012 levels.
\nFemale workers play an active role in democratic management in enterprises. In 2023, women employees made up 37.7 percent, 41.9 percent, and 34.2 percent of the boards of directors, boards of supervisors, and workers' congress representatives, increasing by 11.4 percentage points, 14.9 percentage points, and 4.4 percentage points, respectively, compared to 2012. A total of 431,000 councils of women have been established in urban and rural communities, facilitating extensive consultations on public affairs concerning women's immediate interests.
\n3. Excellence in a Flourishing Culture
\nIn developing a thriving socialist culture, China has given full play to women's role in creating cultural wealth and cultivated female talent in the cultural sector. Through innovation and with creativity, women have made a significant contribution to preserving cultural heritage and promoting the best of traditional Chinese culture.
\nDemonstrating vitality at the forefront of culture and communication. Women have become a pillar of cultural prosperity and development and are playing an increasingly important role in cultural creation, communication and studies. Female writers and artists have produced masterpieces that have shaped the image of women in the new era, as varied as the Peking Opera Mother, ballet Yimeng, prose works My Altay, TV series She and Her Girls, movie Huang Wenxiu, documentary Aunt Haiyun, variety shows The Daughters of Chinese Villages and Sisters Who Make Waves 2024, and short drama Got Old Recently.
\nBy the end of 2023, about 456,900 women across the country were employed in the radio, television, and online audio-visual sectors, comprising 43.14 percent of the total employees. In the senior professional title evaluations for the journalism section organized by the National Press and Publication Administration in 2024, women accounted for 44.1 percent of those receiving senior professional titles and 50.6 percent of those gaining associate senior ones.
\nWomen constitute 27.5 percent of participants in key talent initiatives in the field of public communication and culture, including 45.2 percent of successful candidates in the cultural talent program and 42.5 percent in the youth cultural talent program under the National Cultural Talent of Excellence Initiative. Through their work in culture and communication, women have vigorously committed themselves in the promotion and practice of the core socialist values.
\nShowing strengths in preserving and vitalizing ethnic cultures. By passing down traditional crafts and facilitating cultural innovation and dissemination, women are injecting new vitality into ethnic cultures. Among the 3,997 recognized representative bearers of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) items on the national list, 25 percent are women. The research and training program for ICH bearers has provided training for 51,000 people, with women accounting for 57 percent. Under the plan on revitalizing traditional Chinese craftsmanship and the specialized initiatives to revitalize rural areas by promoting ICH, many women have played a leading role in transforming local natural resources and rural cultural assets into cultural products and industries. Handicraft brands such as "Dove Flower: Songtao's Miao Embroidery" in Guizhou and "Weiyuan Tu Ethnic Coiling Embroidery" in Qinghai are shining examples of this transformation.
\nNew business models — often fronted by women — such as "ICH plus guesthouses", "ICH plus cultural products", and "ICH plus study trips" have also been launched in recent years, breathing new life into traditional ethnic cultures. The rise of digital technology has allowed traditional culture to flourish again, and an increasing number of young women now play a central role in promoting the "China-Chic" trend and preserving and vitalizing ICH, facilitating ICH's integration in modern life and helping it reach a global audience.
\nExcelling in both competitive and mass leisure sports. The Outline for Building a Strong Sporting Nation has explicitly set the goal of achieving balanced development between men's and women's events. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games issued a Gender Equality Commitment covering 14 specific areas, including equal participation, gender-equal and fair portrayal, and gender equality in leadership and workforce.
\nPanel 15 Creating Masterpieces and Promoting Civilization with Stitches and Threads
\nFemale embroiders, with needles as brushes and silk threads as ink, create delicate works that embody the resilience, patience, and determination of the Chinese people through every stitch and thread. These artisans are committed to revitalizing ancient techniques in a modern society.
\nSuzhou embroidery is one of the four most celebrated forms of Chinese embroidery. The art form originated in Zhenhu Township, where local women are now encouraged to set up their own embroidery businesses. As a result of this push, over 90 percent of Suzhou embroidery entrepreneurs are women.
\nMiao embroidery is another highly praised technique, celebrated as a "wordless epic created with colorful threads and a living totem worn on the body". Under the Brocade and Embroidery Initiative, Guizhou Province has empowered over 500,000 women working in handicraft industries such as Miao embroidery and batik to create a splendid life through splendid products.
\nWith a history of over 3,000 years, Li brocade is renowned as a "living monument of Chinese textile history". Currently, 18,000 female weavers work to preserve and develop this art. Tibetan carpet making is a skill that boasts thousands of years of history. Tibetan women begin learning the weaving techniques from a young age and pass down this precious craftsmanship through generations. Women in the Chaoshan area in southeastern Guangdong, based on traditional stitching techniques, have pioneered innovations to create 3D double-sided padded embroidery, carrying forward this traditional art in a modern world.
\nThe number of female elite athletes in China has witnessed rapid growth, and the proportion of international-level female athletes has remained above 50 percent. Since 2012, across the four consecutive Summer Olympic Games, female athletes have accounted for over 55 percent of competitors and won over 60 percent of the medals. During the same period across the four Paralympic Games, women have made up 50.22 percent of participants and secured 55.62 percent of the medals. Female athletes fight for their nations, collaborate in unity, and challenge their limits, playing an equal role as their male counterparts in competitive sports. The fighting spirit of the Chinese women's volleyball team has inspired the Chinese people to this day.
\nExtensive fitness-for-all programs are carried out nationwide, and a program of cultivating female community sports instructors in rural areas has provided training for over 65,000 women in 10,000 villages. By the end of 2024, there were about 3.71 million community sports instructors across the country, among which 56.1 percent were women, demonstrating women's leadership and responsibility in advancing China's fitness-for-all initiative in the new era.
\n4. Women's Undertakings in Grassroots Social Governance
\nIn building a grassroots social governance model based on collaboration, participation, and common interests, China has attached great importance to the role of women and women's organizations, expanded the channels for their orderly participation in grassroots governance, and ensured their involvement in managing grassroots-level public affairs and public-interest undertakings in accordance with the law. Chinese women have excelled in these roles, becoming a major force in grassroots governance.
\nThe positive role of family ties, values, and traditions in grassroots governance. China has improved mechanisms that help to foster family virtues, facilitate education cooperation between families, schools and society, deliver more accessible family services, and resolve marital and family disputes, supporting women in nurturing harmony within households, and thus contributing to a more peaceful and harmonious society for all.
\nFamily virtue cultivation activities such as the selection of the "Most Beautiful Families", "Model Families", and "Five-Virtue Families", and initiatives like "Share Your Family Rules, Mottoes, and Values", "Family Virtues in Letters", and "Family Education Cultivates Values and Virtues" have been organized. These activities champion the new socialist family morality and values, emphasizing love for the country and family, mutual care, devotion to progress and kindness, and joint efforts with shared benefits. A total of 1,597 households have been honored as "National Model Families", 6,258 as "National Five-Virtue Families", and 16.48 million as the "Most Beautiful Families". Additionally, more than 500,000 lectures, exhibitions and performances on family values and traditions have been hosted around the country, attracting a combined attendance of 250 million people.
\nPanel 16 Family Points System Contributing to Rural Governance
\nGansu Province has implemented an innovative system, which breaks down key aspects of rural governance into points for households in villages and communities. Clear criteria and scoring standards are established for adding or deducting points. Law-abiding families that demonstrate harmony, mutual support among neighbors, and industriousness can collect points by adopting a green lifestyle, participating in public-interest programs, and discarding outdated customs. These points can then be redeemed locally for a wide range of household goods. The initiative has inspired women and their families to participate more actively in rural governance and efforts to improve their living environment and beautify their villages, driving big impact in grassroots governance with ingenuity.
\nWomen's extensive participation in building a peaceful and harmonious community. Women actively participate in the comprehensive maintenance of public order and contribute to resolving problems and disputes at the grassroots level. Local governments have been exploring a "Women's Federations Plus" mediation model. By the end of 2024, 3,690 mediation commissions above the county level for resolving marriage and family disputes had been established under the leadership of women's federations. Marriage mediation organizations now provide service at comprehensive governance centers, litigation service centers, and community police offices, and marriage mediation offices have been established at the village and community level. Since 2016, nearly 1.36 million cases have been resolved through mediation. In 2023, 295 women mediators were commended by the Ministry of Justice as National Model Mediators, accounting for 29.5 percent of those recognized.
\nWomen also play an active part in patrols for maintaining order and in supervision. The "Jiangdong Aunties" team in Jingkou District, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province has completed 5,000 hours of voluntary patrols and participated in over 1,000 public service activities since its establishment in 2017. The "Xicheng Aunties" in Beijing and women community liaisons in Weinan City, Shaanxi Province, have promptly identified and reported potential risks for social governance, working at the forefront of conflict resolution at the grassroots level. Women acting as community workers, grid managers, and residential building chiefs have made significant contributions to building a peaceful and harmonious community.
\nPanel 17 Mediation Office for Promoting Family Harmony
\nIn 2016, the Women's Federation of Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, established a Marriage and Family Disputes Mediation Office and launched a project to promote marital and family harmony and ensure the legal rights of women and children. A set of operational mechanisms was established, including joint meetings, information sharing, and rotating professionals, and experts in the fields of law, sociology, and psychology were recruited to form a dedicated voluntary service group.
\nBased on practical experience, a mediation method of "four aspects plus three synchronizations" was adopted to mediate disputes, wherein the "four aspects" refer to the psychological, legal, emotional, and rational dimensions, while the "three synchronizations" denote the alignment of answering questions with raising public awareness of the law, providing emotional guidance with teaching life experience, and resolving disputes with protecting rights. At the same time, a four-step method of stabilizing emotions, understanding demands, instilling hope, and establishing support was adopted in solving many family disputes. By the end of July 2025, more than 10,000 cases had been solved through this project, with a success rate of 95 percent, benefiting more than 30,000 individuals.
\nActive engagement in voluntary service and other public-interest programs. China emphasizes the healthy development of voluntary services and social organizations, among which women play an active role. In 2024, there were 24 million women registered as volunteers and 350,000 women volunteer teams. These volunteers play an important role in promoting national strategies, improving the people's wellbeing, and strengthening social governance. They have provided nearly one million voluntary services, covering all 17 goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The number of women in social organizations is on the rise. In 2023, women comprised 42.3 percent of the staff and 26.3 percent of the heads of social organizations respectively, up by 13.3 and 4.9 percentage points from 2012.
\nPanel 18 Wang's Volunteer Group: Inspiring More Women to Serve Their Community
\nIn 2005, Wang Lanhua, a Hui woman, former director on a residents committee in Wuzhong City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region formed a volunteer group with six former colleagues — a group she continues to lead 20 years later. Her voluntary service leaves no stone unturned, reaching every corner of the community to look after left-behind children and elderly people who live alone, while providing conflict resolution services and addressing people's immediate concerns. Wang and her team warm the residents' hearts with their selfless dedication, and their influence in community service has drawn more and more community members to join. These volunteers from different ethnic groups encapsulate the idea of all ethnic groups as one family with their solidarity and mutual help. Now, there are 1,315 registered volunteers in Wang's Volunteer Group, and Wang's dedication has seen her honored as a model for ethnic solidarity.
\n5. Women's Contributions in the Eco-environmental Field
\nChina upholds and acts on the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and promotes modernization based on harmony between humanity and nature by following a path of green development that gives priority to eco-environmental conservation. Women play an important role in building a beautiful China, and are continuing to develop the awareness and skills required to drive forward eco-environmental protection.
\nPanel 19 Princess of the Beavers
\nWomen are emerging as key practitioners in biodiversity protection, and Chu Wenwen represents a new generation of female conservationists committed to protecting local biodiversity. Born in 1994 in Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Chu founded the Altay Nature Conservation Association and launched a series of public-interest projects to protect beavers and other wildlife, including the Beaver Cafeteria, Beaver Guardian, and Beaver Ark initiatives. The Beaver Cafeteria project focuses on restoring shrubs in natural habitats, which provide food for more than 100 species of wild animal. The Beaver Guardian project mobilizes more than 500 herdsmen along the Ulungur River to participate in conservation efforts and serve as voluntary patrols. The Beaver Ark project established a professional wildlife rescue center that has saved over 400 wild animals injured or trapped by human activities. Thanks in part to Chu's efforts, the population of Mongolian-Xinjiang beavers (Castor fiber birulai) has increased by 250 to date, earning her the honorary nickname "Princess of the Beavers".
\nPromoting ecosystem protection and restoration. China pursues the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, grasslands and deserts, with the aim of establishing an overarching framework that extends from the mountaintops to the oceans. Women play a significant role in the nation's ecosystem protection and restoration. Among the 17,000 eco-environmental guardians working at the 190,700 sq km Sanjiangyuan National Park, 33.3 percent are women. The Women Tree-Planting Team in Changjiang Li Autonomous County of Hainan Province has been dedicated to planting more than six million coastal defense trees, establishing a forest spanning over 2,000 hectares in the desert after 30 years of trial and error. The women's militia company for sand control in Shaanxi Province has converted more than 933.33 hectares of barren deserts into oases covered with rows of trees over the past five decades. The women's volunteer team in Helan County of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region conducts regular activities to protect rivers, shoals, and birds, and the Women's Action for the Yangtze River Protection is an ongoing activity in Nanjing City of Jiangsu Province to provide vital protection for China's longest river. Women's perseverance and wisdom are shown in many aspects of eco-environmental protection, from green coverage expansion and desertification prevention and control, to the protection of forests, rivers, and biodiversity.
\nPanel 20 Sci-Tech Courtyard Supporting Green Agriculture
\nThe Sci-Tech Courtyard is a service platform that integrates agricultural scitech innovation, demonstration and promotion, and talent cultivation. In the Dongpo Sci-Tech Courtyard of Agricultural Skill Promotion in Meishan City, Sichuan Province, 33 team members — including 22 women — work on the front line of green agriculture. With women at its core, the team provides comprehensive services in skill training, field production guidance, problem identification and resolution, and industry chain alignment, benefiting more than 50,000 villagers. The Sci-Tech Courtyard also makes targeted efforts in new species selection, cultivation technique research for high-quality and high-yield crops, and the development of green planting and cultivation models. Over the past nine years, comparative trials of more than 400 paddy varieties have been completed, leading to the selection of 40 high-quality and high-yield species that have significantly increased the proportion of such crops in the region. Cultivation of 824,467 hectares of these paddies has generated a net income growth of RMB2.65 billion. In addition, more than 10 new planting techniques have been promoted, and research on green planting and cultivation models has been advanced, increasing crop yield and economic benefits while reducing pesticide use.
\nAccelerating the green transformation of production models. China upholds green and low-carbon development as a fundamental approach to resolving environmental problems, and promotes a sound economic structure that facilitates green, low-carbon, and circular development. Women actively participate in the efforts to promote green development in industry, shift the production model of agriculture, and improve the sustainable level of the service industry. By 2024, the number of companies in the green economy sector invested in by women entrepreneurs had reached 445,000, accounting for 27.4 percent of the total. These companies cover a range of market segments, including clean energy, organic agriculture, and eco-conservation. Scientific management of fertilizer and pesticide use and innovative ecological planting serve to save agricultural resources, improve the eco-environment of agricultural production areas, and supply high-quality green agricultural products, promoting the triple-win of less pesticide use, more income, and better environment. New models of eco-environmental businesses have been established, including urban modern agriculture, leisure agriculture, eco-tourism, high-quality homestays, and rural complexes. By the end of 2024, the number of family farms run by women reached 487,000, and women accounted for 68.6 percent of all holders of vocational skill certificates in rural homestay housekeeping.
\nLiving a green lifestyle. Green development is closely connected to each of our lives. Chinese women advocate the values of eco-civilization and encourage simple, moderate, green, low-carbon, sound and healthy ways of life and consumption by integrating these concepts into everyday routines. They have played a leading role in building green families through saving water and electricity, participating in the "Clear Your Plate" campaign, using green modes of transport, and engaging in waste sorting. Women also actively participate in developing beautiful courtyards and harmonious villages, guided by standards such as tidy rooms, hygienic kitchens and toilets, neat courtyards, abundant greenery, and harmonious families. To date, more than 12 million households have been awarded the title of "Beautiful Courtyard". Women are consistently in the frontline of enhancing public awareness of environmental protection and improving community environment. For example, in Shanghai, a themed campaign was launched to find 10,000 families living a green lifestyle and recruit 100,000 family waste sorting volunteers, creating a good atmosphere for the million families participating in this endeavor.
\nParticipating in disaster prevention and mitigation. China regards people's lives and safety as the primary goal of disaster prevention and mitigation. It boosts public participation and improves the capabilities of the whole society to defend and respond to disasters, and women play a key role in this — particularly in investigation and identification of potential risks and hidden dangers, early warning and treatment, and information reporting. In 2024, women accounted for 23.6 percent of disaster information assistants nationwide, totaling 267,000, and comprised 61.6 percent of national chief meteorological experts. Women actively participate in disaster relief operations and public education on disaster prevention and mitigation, and promote family education in relevant fields. There are 13.71 million registered women fire volunteers nationwide, representing 52.4 percent of the total. The National Natural Disaster Emergency Relief Plan put forward requirements for safeguarding the rights and interests of special groups. Through the collaborative efforts of the government and society, material guarantee for special needs, such as women's hygiene products and supplies for pregnant and postpartum women, has been strengthened.
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nChina upholds the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, aligns with the prevailing global trends towards peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, and actively advances the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. Through close cooperation with other countries, China is helping accelerate the creation of an international environment conducive to women's development and a better world for all.
\n1. Participating in Global Governance on Women's Issues
\nChina plays a leading role in implementing the spirit of the UN Fourth World Conference on Women and advances global governance on women's issues through concrete actions.
\nSupporting the central role of the United Nations. China has co-hosted the Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment with UN Women to encourage countries to fulfill their commitments and inject new momentum into the global advancement of women. At the UN Human Rights Council, China has repeatedly delivered joint statements on promoting and protecting women's rights, pushed for the adoption of relevant resolutions, and called on countries to work together to implement the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action. China consistently sends high-level delegations to the sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and collaborates with UN organizations and agencies to conduct seminars on women's poverty reduction, the digital economy, inclusive finance, technology empowerment, and gender equality amid demographic changes, sharing China's experience in promoting women's development. Since 2015, China has donated US $20 million to UN Women and carried out practical cooperation with multiple UN specialized agencies on women's issues. In partnership with UNESCO, it has established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education and implemented projects in Africa focusing on digital and health education for girls. Chinese women hold important positions and serve as experts in the UN system, contributing their expertise to global governance on women's issues.
\nPanel 21 China and UNESCO Jointly Established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education
\nIn 2015, China partnered with UNESCO to establish the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education, which recognizes institutions and individuals that have made outstanding contributions to advancing education for girls and women. This is the first prize of its kind established by UNESCO. Proposed and funded by the Chinese government, it is awarded annually to two laureates, who each receive US $50,000 to further their work in girls' and women's education. As of 2024, 18 organizations and projects from 18 countries had received the award, including the Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education. This prize has provided an increasing number of girls and women with opportunities to change their lives and pursue their dreams. It has also raised greater awareness of and support for girls' and women's education among more people, thereby galvanizing concerted efforts to advance global gender equality in education.
\nFirmly fulfilling international obligations. China fulfills its obligations under international conventions such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, regularly submits national implementation reports, and actively participates in review processes to promote gender equality and women's development. It actively implements the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, continuously improves women's living conditions and expands their development prospects, and has achieved the poverty reduction and health-related targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule. Through these efforts, China has not only improved the lives of Chinese women, but has also offered the international community its approach to safeguarding women's human rights.
\nLeading and advancing multilateral and regional agendas for women's development. At the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, China proposed the Global AI Governance Initiative, emphasizing the need to avoid gender bias in AI development. The country also facilitated the adoption of the Resolution on Enhancing International Cooperation in Capacity-Building of Artificial Intelligence at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, which underscores ensuring universal benefits from AI, enhancing digital inclusion and achieving gender equality while empowering women and girls. Since 2012, China has hosted 29 women's conferences under frameworks including APEC, G20, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), China-ASEAN, China-Africa, China-Arab States, China-Central Asia, and Lancang-Mekong Cooperation. Through these mechanisms, China has deeply engaged in cooperation on women's issues, focusing on topics including poverty reduction, development, employment, business startup, education empowerment, and pandemic response. These efforts have facilitated targeted experience-sharing, dialogues, and collaborative actions, enabling China to advocate actionable propositions for advancing women's comprehensive development, inclusivity, and sustainable development.
\n2. Deepening Cooperation and Exchanges to Advance Women's Development
\nChina integrates the deepening of women's development cooperation into the frameworks of high-quality Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and South-South cooperation, to jointly promote women's sustainable development.
\nAdvancing women's development in BRI participating countries. China actively promotes high-quality BRI cooperation. Initiatives such as the Silk Road E-commerce have created employment opportunities and pathways for women in these countries, and digital technology enablement program for women in ASEAN countries — alongside other related programs — have supported women in the region in seeking employment and starting businesses. For 10 consecutive years, China and partner countries have jointly hosted a series of events under the theme "Pool Women's Strength for Belt and Road Cooperation", encouraging women in these countries to become supporters, participants, contributors, and beneficiaries of the BRI.
\nSupporting women's poverty reduction and development in South-South cooperation. China supports developing countries in improving women's living conditions and development environment. It has implemented 100 maternal and child health projects and 100 happy campus projects, along with a series of small but effective public wellbeing programs focusing on housing, rural roads, and technology training to empower women and girls. Through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has carried out women-related projects worth nearly US $40 million across over 20 countries. Additionally, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund has allocated RMB12 million to support women's development programs. Through foreign aid training and technical assistance, Juncao technology has helped women in 106 countries gain meaningful employment.
\nPanel 22 Juncao Technology Assistance: Empowering Women in Developing Countries to Realize Their Dreams
\nJuncao technology is a unique Chinese method for cultivating edible and medicinal fungi that uses grass as a substitute for wood. First included in China's foreign aid programs in 1994, it has since been introduced to 106 countries. In Lesotho, a compact 10-square-meter Juncao mushroom cultivation model has enabled impoverished farmers with limited land to produce 1.2 tonnes of fresh Juncao mushrooms annually from a single 10-square-meter plot. In African and Pacific Island nations, women use Juncao as livestock feed to mitigate shortages caused by climate change. Seruwaia Kabukabu from Fiji has led local women in growing Juncao mushrooms, significantly improving the living conditions of families in her community. In recognition of her work, she has been elected as chairperson of the Fiji Mushroom Farmers Association. Juncao has thus become a "grass of happiness" for people in developing countries.
\nDeepening international cooperation in women's capacity building. China continues to strengthen and expand support training programs focused on women and children in developing countries. Since 2018, it has implemented over 100 programs in this domain, including the Seminar on Promoting Maternal and Child Health Under Global Development Initiative, and the Seminar on Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries — Women and Children. Additionally, China has launched degree programs in women's leadership and social development, training nearly 4,000 outstanding professionals in the field of women's development. An exchange and training base for global women's development cooperation has been established in Beijing to design tailored empowerment programs for women in developing countries. Training and exchange centers for Chinese and foreign women have been set up in collaboration with 15 countries, and through international cooperation in vocational education, the Luban Workshops have trained 5,944 female students, who account for 23.25 percent of all participants in the project.
\nSolid progress in people-to-people exchanges in the field of women's affairs. China has actively developed global partnerships and engaged in comprehensive, multi-channel friendly exchanges with women's organizations and institutions from over 140 countries. It has conducted dialogues with foreign female political leaders, spouses of heads of state, and female government ministers, organized high-level delegations for overseas visits, and pioneered new approaches to high-level women's foreign exchanges. China has deepened women's exchanges under its cultural and people-to-people exchange mechanisms with other countries, holding thematic seminars on women's entrepreneurship, economic empowerment, education, anti-domestic violence, and family culture, while strengthening cooperation in areas such as women's rights and interests, bridging the digital gender divide, and promoting women's participation in sci-tech innovation and sustainable development. The Female Diplomats' China Adventures series has been launched to share the practical experiences of Chinese women in economic development and grassroots governance, and exchange insights on promoting gender equality. China supports women's participation in cross-cultural exchanges, with women accounting for 80 percent of dispatched Chinese-language teachers and 90 percent of volunteers in international Chinese language education.
\n3. Actively Addressing Global Challenges
\nChina supports women in playing an active role in maintaining peace and security, and in addressing challenges including climate change, public health crises, and humanitarian disasters.
\nSupporting women's participation in maintaining peace and security. China has taken concrete actions to implement UN Security Council resolutions on "Women, Peace and Security", supporting women's important roles in conflict prevention, peace negotiations, and post-conflict reconstruction. In 2022, the China-UN Peace and Development Trust Fund initiated a training program for senior female talent to promote gender equality in high-level positions within UN peacekeeping operations. China has deployed over 1,200 female peacekeepers and more than 100 female police officers to UN missions, who have participated in medical support, liaison and coordination, mine clearance, patrols and observation, and efforts to advance gender equality and protect women.
\nPanel 23 Chinese Female Peacekeeping Officer Received an Honorary Certificate for UN Military Gender Advocate Award
\nThe UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award was established in 2016 to recognize peacekeepers who have made outstanding contributions to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. On May 29, 2020, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Chinese officer Xin Yuan, a senior mine clearance staff officer at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), received an award in this category in recognition of her exceptional service, becoming the first Chinese service member to win this honor. Xin was the only female staff officer responsible for mine clearance operations in UNIFIL. She assumed significant risks by conducting surveys in minefields alongside clearance teams, developed meticulous clearance plans, and completed mine clearance tasks 34 days ahead of schedule, clearing over 1,500 square meters of minefields. Her efforts earned her special commendation from the UNIFIL headquarters.
\nEmpowering women to address climate change. China has consistently organized training programs on South-South cooperation for climate change response, implementing a gender-balanced enrollment policy. Since 2022, nearly 300 female officials, experts and scholars from developing countries engaged in climate change projects have participated in training programs in China. From 2012 to 2024, China conducted nearly 100 foreign aid training projects in meteorological monitoring, forecasting, and services, with women accounting for 36.72 percent of the trainees. It has donated 5,000 household solar photovoltaic power generation systems and 10,000 clean cooking stoves to Myanmar, reducing indoor air pollution and its associated health risks while supporting the country's low-carbon transition. The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund supported Cambodia in implementing a project on gender mainstreaming in climate action, enhancing rural women's climate adaptability and resilience.
\nAddressing women's needs in international humanitarian assistance. In efforts to alleviate migrant and refugee crises, China has placed high priority on women and children, encouraging women to register as recipients of household assistance supplies and providing special care for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Projects in the Republic of Congo specifically target pregnant and breastfeeding women as beneficiaries, effectively reducing malnutrition rates among women and children. In 2023, China provided over 120,000 hygiene kits, valued at US $1.5 million, to Rohingya women and girls seeking refuge in Bangladesh, benefiting more than 60,000 women and girls.
\nConclusion
\nThe pursuit of gender equality is a great cause. In the new era, the spirit of self-esteem, confidence, independence and self-reliance among Chinese women is demonstrated as the Chinese people forge ahead with resolve under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The glorious journey of women's development in China is deeply integrated into the process of achieving the Two Centenary Goals under the Party's leadership. Never before have Chinese women enjoyed such tremendous opportunities to realize their full potential and achieve their dreams, and never before has the cause of Chinese women borne witness to such broad prospects for development.
\nToday, China is working to build a great country and achieve national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. This requires pooling the strength of hundreds of millions of women and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development at a higher level. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China will unswervingly follow the path of women's development under socialism with Chinese characteristics, adhere to the fundamental national policy of gender equality, and thoroughly implement the Outline of Women's Development in China to enhance women's overall capabilities. Through these efforts, the country will create conditions and platforms for women to participate in economic and social development, protect their legitimate rights and interests, and encourage them to stand at the forefront of the times.
\nIn today's world, promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development presents both opportunities and significant challenges. All countries must strive to create safe and secure environments for women's survival and development, eliminate violence, discrimination and poverty, and effectively address the impact of climate change. It is essential to continuously empower women, ensuring they enjoy more and better opportunities and play more significant roles in the new revolution in science, technology and industry. We must adhere to true multilateralism, honor international obligations, and promote mutual learning and people-to-people exchanges among women worldwide. China is ready to work with countries around the world to expedite actions to create a brighter future for women's development and write a new chapter in the global progress of women.
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\nContents
\nPreface
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nConclusion
\nPreface
\nThroughout history, women have played an essential role in shaping human civilization and have made immense contributions to social progress. But the paths towards gender equality and women's well-rounded development across the world have been long and arduous.
\nSince its founding in 1921, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has remained committed to women's liberation and development and gender equality. The CPC regards women as a major force for advancing all endeavors of the Party and the nation, always places the work concerning women high on its agenda, and leads women in their pursuit of liberation, progress and development. In doing so, the Party has opened a socialist path for women's development with Chinese characteristics.
\nThe 18th CPC National Congress in 2012 marked the beginning of a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In this new era, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has emphasized safeguarding women's lawful rights and interests and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development as integral components of Chinese modernization. Accordingly, it has made a series of major decisions and plans that are pioneering in vision, overarching in scope, and enduring in significance. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, initiated, planned for, supported and chaired the Party's first ever Central Conference on the Party's Work with People's Organizations in 2015, attended the 11th, 12th and 13th national women's congresses in 2013, 2018 and 2023 respectively, and held talks with each newly elected leadership team of the All-China Women's Federation. He has also delivered important speeches on work related to women and children, the role of women's federations, and the significance of family ties, values and traditions, thereby identifying the direction, objectives and guidelines of China's endeavors for women in the new era.
\nUpholding gender equality, among other basic national policies, has been incorporated into the CPC's political program, and promoting women's well-rounded development has been included in the national development plan. The legal system for safeguarding women's rights and interests also continues to improve. China has developed a sound approach to its endeavors concerning women. Chinese women actively participate in government initiatives, serve as advocates of civic virtues, fight for their dreams, and excel across all professions. In the new era, China has delivered numerous historic achievements in its endeavors concerning women. The Chinese socialist path for women's development continues to expand, opening ever-broader opportunities for advancement.
\nWomen around the world have a shared future. China's endeavors concerning women are an integral part of the global cause. In 1995, China hosted the Fourth World Conference on Women, organized by the United Nations. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the conference has since become a milestone for global gender equality. At important occasions such as the 2015 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment and the 2020 high-level meeting on the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, Xi Jinping, in his role as president of China, elaborated on China's propositions on gender equality and women's well-rounded development, and proposed holding another global leaders' meeting on women in 2025.
\nOn the occasion of the 2025 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, the Chinese government is publishing this white paper to present China's philosophy, principles, and innovative practices in promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development in the new era, highlight Chinese women's outstanding achievements and contribution, and affirm China's commitment to join global endeavors for women's advancement.
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nIn the process of Chinese modernization, based on China's realities and the trend of the times, the CPC leads Chinese women in exercising their lawful democratic rights, participating in social and economic development, and sharing the fruits of reform and development, all on the foundation of gender equality.
\n1. Upholding the CPC's Overall Leadership
\nThe CPC's leadership is the fundamental guarantee of China's work related to women. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has approached this work as an integral part of its broader strategic goal of achieving national rejuvenation, incorporating gender equality and women's well-rounded development into the overall architecture of Chinese socialism.
\nUpholding the fundamental national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children have been included into the reports to the 18th, 19th and 20th CPC national congresses, held in 2012, 2017 and 2022 respectively.
\nAt the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2019, the Party called for upholding and improving the systems and mechanisms for promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development and proposed leveraging the important role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance.
\nAt the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2020, upholding the national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children were written into the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, along with the promotion of family ties, values and traditions.
\nAt the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2021, the promotion of family ties, values and traditions and the protection of the rights and interests of women and children were incorporated into the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century.
\nAt the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in 2024, the Party incorporated improving the system for protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children and refining the mechanisms for leveraging the role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance into the overall plan for deeper comprehensive reform.
\nThis evolution in policy-making has ensured that China's endeavors concerning women have progressed smoothly under the CPC's overall leadership.
\n2. Implementing the Fundamental National Policy of Gender Equality
\nHighlighting gender equality as a basic national policy is an innovative practice of the Chinese socialist system and a momentous decision for advancing this cause and women's well-rounded development.
\nChina has improved top-level design and systematic planning accordingly. In formulating laws and policies and making plans and arrangements, the country has taken into full consideration the differences between women and men and the distinctive interests of women. It has promoted gender equality in rights, opportunities and outcomes, safeguarding women's rights and interests in accordance with the law.
\nChina is committed to cultivating a social ethos of respect and care for women, eliminating all forms of discrimination against them, and discarding obsolete ideas and practices that hinder their development. This more inclusive and dynamic social environment has allowed gender equality to truly become a shared social norm and part of the value system.
\n3. Synergizing Women's Development with Social and Economic Progress
\nDevelopment cannot be achieved without women, and its fruits should be shared by all. In this spirit, China has integrated the advancement of gender equality into its broader development process.
\nWomen's development has been incorporated into the Five-sphere Integrated Plan, which promotes coordinated progress in the economic, political, cultural, social and eco-environmental fields. Goals and tasks for women's development have also been embedded in the five-year plans for national economic and social development. The level of women's development is regarded as an essential measurement for social and economic development. With these efforts, China has synergized its endeavors for women with its social and economic progress in terms of planning and implementation, ensuring that modernization brings greater benefits to women in a fairer way, enabling them to enjoy a growing, guaranteed and sustained sense of gain, fulfillment and security.
\n4. Fully Leveraging Women's Proactive Role in National Development
\nWomen constitute a powerful force driving human progress, while at the same time shaping and determining their own futures. Upholding a people-centered philosophy of development, China respects the agency of women and has strengthened relevant institutional safeguards, policy support, and public service supply for their development.
\nChina has carried out programs encouraging women to strive for achievements, which seek to enhance women's overall capabilities, broaden channels for their participation in national development, and fully stimulate their enthusiasm, initiative and creativity, with an ultimate goal of realizing, safeguarding and improving women's vital and immediate interests to the maximum extent.
\nThe country encourages women to integrate their personal aspirations with the undertakings of the Party and the country, and to leverage their individual strengths in implementing the new development philosophy, fostering a new development dynamic, promoting high-quality development, achieving greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology, and advancing rural revitalization across the board. Utilizing their distinctive role in society and family, women are called upon to contribute considerably to the building of China into a great country and the realization of national rejuvenation.
\n5. Joining Global Women in Building a Bright Shared Future
\nHumanity lives in one homeland, and women around the world have a shared future. China upholds the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity, and facilitates the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. It advocates putting the people first, stays committed to results-oriented actions, and contributes Chinese initiatives, solutions and actions to global endeavors for women.
\nChina supports the United Nations in prioritizing women's development, promotes cooperation with the rest of the world in relevant fields, and builds international consensus on gender equality through extensive exchanges and mutual learning. Together with all other countries, China works to shape a global environment conducive to women's development, to safeguard international fairness and justice, and to make its due contribution to moving the world to a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress.
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nWomen's cause is an integral part of state governance. To advance this cause, China has continued to strengthen institutional support and safeguards, fostering the necessary conditions and environment for the comprehensive development of women.
\n1. Improving the Framework for Advancing Women's Cause
\nChina has established a mechanism for the work related to women, under which Party committees exercise leadership, governments assume primary responsibility, working committees on children and women play a coordinating role, women's federations work in collaboration, relevant departments provide support, and the whole of society participates. These concerted efforts have ensured that gender equality is upheld in all areas of economic and social development and all aspects of social life.
\nThe people's congresses have strengthened legislation and supervision. The National People's Congress (NPC) has established the Social Development Affairs Committee to undertake legislation, conduct supervision, and handle proposals and suggestions from NPC deputies concerning the protection of women's rights and interests. It attaches importance to incorporating legal initiatives for promoting women's development and safeguarding women's rights and interests into the legislative plans of its Standing Committee, and to soliciting opinions and accepting feasible proposals from women's federations and women themselves during legislative review and legal supervision.
\nAdditionally, the NPC hears and reviews the State Council's report on combating domestic violence, identifies the protection of female employees' lawful and special rights and interests as an important component of enforcement inspections of the Trade Union Law, and urges relevant departments to perform their statutory duties in protecting women's rights and interests. The people's congresses of 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government have also set up social development affairs committees to formulate local regulations to supplement national laws, thereby strengthening legal safeguards for women's rights and interests.
\nThe Chinese People's Government has effectively fulfilled its primary responsibility. The government has formulated and organized the implementation of outlines for women's development, and convened meetings on work related to children and women. The working committees on children and women have played their role as deliberative and coordinating bodies, and Party institutions, government departments, judicial authorities, and people's organizations have fulfilled their responsibilities in work related to women. The government has strengthened the statistics monitoring mechanism for the outlines for the development of women in China and established a gender statistics monitoring system covering over 2,400 indicators. Furthermore, gender has been incorporated as a key metric into national censuses and time-use surveys, and the fourth Survey on Social Status of Women in China has been conducted to assess women's development across multiple dimensions.
\nThe Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) has strengthened its role in conducting consultations and offering suggestions. CPPCC committees at all levels perform their duties in political consultation, democratic supervision, and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs. They conduct consultations on women's issues through a variety of channels and platforms, including subject-specific, sector-specific and proposal handling consultations, as well as consultative meetings with relevant departments. As one of the 34 sectors defined by the CPPCC, women's federations conduct research and consultations on key issues and major challenges in women's development, such as the protection of women's reproductive and health rights and interests. The National Committee of the CPPCC has conducted consultations and made suggestions to support women's development, addressing issues including fair employment and career development, the strengthening of family ties, values, and traditions, and universal access to childcare services.
\nWomen's federations have served as bridges for connection and communication. The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) is a people's organization of women of all ethnic groups and from all sectors of society in China. It unites women for further emancipation and development under the leadership of the CPC. The ACWF has established an organizational system of women's federations at the national, provincial, prefectural, county, township and village levels, covering government departments, public institutions, new types of economic entities and social organizations, and groups in new forms of employment.
\nWomen's federations at all levels have served as bridges linking the Party and the government with women, and as assistants to the Party. While supporting major national development strategies, they have performed their functions of guiding, serving, and engaging with women, and launched five key initiatives: providing women with political guidance; encouraging them to excel in the workplace; providing guidance and support in family education, family services, and the cultivation of family virtues; offering support for women's rights protection; and improving the problem-solving capability of women's federations and their staff's professional competence.
\nIn addition, women's federations have mobilized resources to support women's development through six practical measures: supporting female volunteers who provide care for children in need; growing the scale and quality of female-dominated family services; improving vocational training for women; developing a system of childcare services that is accessible to all; advancing the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project to help underprivileged schoolgirls; and telling engaging stories about the development of Chinese women. Through these initiatives, they have delivered accessible services and tangible benefits to women, children and families.
\n2. Setting Objectives and Tasks for Women's Development with Overall Planning
\nChina's national development plans have clarified the strategic tasks for women's development. Five-year plans are blueprints and guides of action for China's economic and social development during their designated time frames. The government has incorporated objectives for women's development into these plans for meeting its strategic goal of modernization.
\nThe 12th Five-year Plan (2011-2015) for the first time included a section dedicated specifically to advancing women's all-round development. It also set requirements for developing human resources with a focus on women, strengthening labor protection for women, and resolutely combating violence and crimes against women. The 13th Five-year Plan (2016-2020) further strengthened the protection of women's rights and interests and for the first time devoted a separate chapter to ensuring women's rights and equal access to education, employment, and participation in social affairs, and eliminating discrimination and prejudice against women. It also set the targets for poverty alleviation and reduction among women. The 14th Five-year Plan (2021-2025) outlines further measures to safeguard women's rights and interests in areas including health, education, employment, participation in state governance, and social security. For the first time, it contains a section specifically dedicated to the strengthening of family development which focuses on improving the supporting policies and services for this goal.
\nSpecial plans in related fields have been made to address women's practical development needs. Plans for improving people's wellbeing — including the Outline of Healthy China 2030, the Outline of the Development Plan for Education (2024-2035), and the special plans for boosting employment and the development of civil affairs undertakings during the 14th Five-year Plan period — have put forward policies and measures to improve the health of women and children, safeguard women's equal rights to education, support women's employment, entrepreneurship, and career development, and improve care and services for rural women who stay behind to care for families while their husbands work in cities.
\nThe National Medium — and Long-term Talent Development Plan (2010-2020) has outlined arrangements to promote gender balance in the talent pool and strengthen the training and selection of female talent. The National Action Plan for Scientific Literacy (2021-2035) has made specific arrangements to improve the scientific literacy of rural women. The National Human Rights Action Plan, in all four phases, includes a section on the measures for safeguarding women's rights and interests, covering personal, property, education, employment and health rights.
\nOutlines for women's development have laid out phased targets. Since 1995, China has formulated and implemented four outlines for women's development, each outlining the primary objectives, strategies, and measures for women's development in its corresponding phase.
\nThe Outline of Women's Development in China (2021-2030) contains 75 primary objectives and 93 strategic measures across eight fields: health, education, economy, participation in decision-making and administration, social security, family development, environment, and the legal sector. The document also outlines the 41 Party and government departments and institutions responsible for implementing these strategic measures.
\nNationwide, 31 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, along with over 300 prefectures and cities and more than 2,000 counties and districts, have formulated plans for local women's development based on their actual conditions. The objectives and tasks set in the Outline dovetail with national development plans, align with sector-specific plans, and are integrated across the national, provincial, city and county levels. A comprehensive planning system for advancing women's development is now firmly in place.
\n3. Strengthening Legal Guarantee for Women's Rights and Interests
\nContinuing to improve the legal system. Legal protection of women's rights and interests is an integral part of advancing law-based governance. China has established a legal system anchored in the Constitution and centered on the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, covering over 100 laws and regulations.
\nThe Civil Code was compiled, which includes a Personality Rights section that clarifies the definition of sexual harassment and the responsibilities of employers. Its Marriage and Family section improves mechanisms for the identification and settlement of marital debts, and economic compensation for unpaid domestic work in divorce proceedings.
\nThe Criminal Law has been revised to abolish the crime of "prostitution involving underage girls" and punish such acts as rape, raise the statutory minimum penalty for the crime of child molestation, and introduce harsher punishments for the crime of purchasing abducted and trafficked women. Additionally, the crime of sexual assault by a person with a duty of care has been added to the Criminal Law.
\nThe amended Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests has made more comprehensive and systematic provisions on the system and mechanism for protecting women's rights and interests. China has also formulated the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and created systems of compulsory reporting, admonition, personal safety protection order, and emergent protection.
\nThe revised Law on Land Contract in Rural Areas has improved the legal guarantees for rural women's land rights and interests, ensuring their rightful entitlement to land and corresponding rights. The Law on Rural Collective Economic Organizations has been formulated to provide institutional safeguards ensuring that women do not lose their membership, rights and interests in such organizations due to changes in marital status.
\nIn addition, the Legal Aid Law, the Law on Basic Medical and Health Care and the Promotion of Health, and the Population and Family Planning Law all have provisions for safeguarding women's rights and interests.
\nA gender equality review mechanism has been established at the national level and across all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government. This mechanism conducts assessments of laws and regulations related to women's rights and interests, ensuring that the fundamental national policy of gender equality is implemented in laws and regulations at the source.
\nPanel 1 Revisions to the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests
\nThe Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests was promulgated in 1992, amended in 2005 and 2018, and thoroughly revised in 2022, expanding from 61 articles in nine chapters to 86 articles in ten chapters with the revision.
\nThe Law fully embodies the fundamental national policy of gender equality and has strengthened the comprehensive protection of women's political rights, personal and personality rights and interests, and their rights and interests in culture, education, employment, social security, property, marriage, and family. It has added new provisions on the mechanism for safeguarding women's rights and interests, the mechanism for gender equality assessment of laws and regulations, the system for collecting and publishing gender statistics, and education on gender equality as a basic national policy. It has established legal aid channels, including a public-interest litigation system for safeguarding women's rights and interests, a mechanism for admonishing violators of women's rights and interests in employment and social security, and a nationwide service hotline for protecting women's rights.
\nOverall, the Law has strengthened legal liabilities and reinforced its rigidity.
\nStrengthening law enforcement and judicial protection. China has taken resolute actions to combat criminal and illegal acts that infringe upon women's and girls' personal rights. Since 2013, public security agencies have continued to carry out special operations targeting the abduction and trafficking of women and children. By 2024, the number of such cases had decreased by 95 percent compared with 2013.
\nChina has established an inter-departmental cooperation and consultation mechanism against domestic violence, issued guidelines on the implementation of admonitions against domestic violence and personal protection orders, and promulgated judicial interpretations clarifying specific interventions and prevention measures, and forms of evidence for identifying domestic violence.
\nThe systems and measures for preventing and addressing workplace sexual harassment have been improved, with the addition of "dispute over liability for damages caused by sexual harassment" as an independent cause of action. To strengthen the protection of the personal rights and interests of girls, China has established a compulsory reporting system for cases of offenses against minors, as well as mechanisms for urging parental care and supervision over minors, for preventing violators from engaging in certain occupations, and for providing one-stop judicial support.
\nProcuratorates at all levels have registered and handled 3,810 public-interest cases concerning women's rights and interests. Since 2012, legal aid institutions across China have provided legal assistance for women involved in over 4.2 million cases, and free legal consultations for over 20 million women.
\nRaising public awareness of the rule of law. China continued to formulate and implement the seventh and eighth five-year plans for popularizing legal knowledge, both of which include laws and regulations on protecting women's lawful rights and interests. The country has strengthened law promotion and interpretation efforts, and the NPC Standing Committee has organized press conferences to expound on the principles in formulating and revising the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law, and share their highlights.
\nEfforts have been made to raise public legal awareness through multiple channels and approaches. Since 2012, articles on protecting women's rights and interests published through the official WeChat account for law popularization have been viewed 91.36 million times, and the annual legal knowledge competition has attracted tens of millions of participants. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions has organized legal awareness activities for female employees for 11 consecutive years, and women's federations at all levels across China have held more than 3.76 million events to raise legal awareness and provide legal services since 2016, with the participation of over 400 million women.
\nIn 2024, courts and procuratorates across the country, in conjunction with women's federations, organized more than 4,200 open day events on safeguarding the rights and interests of women and children and released over 3,800 typical cases. A legal education program for rural women reached more than 86 percent of China's rural areas.
\n4. Creating an Equal and Harmonious Social Environment
\nVigorously promoting the fundamental national policy of gender equality. China has carried out targeted public education on gender equality across multiple dimensions and through multiple channels, promoting this basic national policy in government departments, schools, enterprises, urban and rural communities, and families.
\nFor Party and government leaders, the Implementation of Gender Equality as a Basic National Policy has been compiled as a coursebook and incorporated into the curriculum and teaching plans of Party schools. For students, education on gender equality has been promoted in elementary and high schools, as well as in universities, and integrated into textbook planning and regulatory standards, and guides for related courses. Gender balance is emphasized in textbook illustrations, and excellent female writers have seen greater representation in textbooks, to eliminate gender stereotypes in teaching materials.
\nFor the general public, gender equality has been incorporated into cultural and ethical development in both urban and rural communities, into self-regulations and rules for their residents, and into efforts to cultivate good family ties, values, and traditions. Party members and officials, experts, scholars, and those who work in women's affairs have given talks and lectures, and engaged in public communication on gender equality in approachable and popular forms, enabling the public to understand this basic national policy and apply it in their daily lives.
\nPanel 2 Guangdong Promoting Gender Equality Education in Elementary and High Schools
\nSince 2012, Guangdong Province has promoted gender equality education in schools. Targeting students in urban elementary and high schools, three types of courses have been developed, with a focus on cognitive understanding, behavioral norms and attitudinal guidance. These are themed courses on gender equality, integrated courses that incorporate ideas of gender equality into related subjects, and practical courses that engage students in all types of activities. Targeting students in rural elementary and high schools, courses have been developed for students in different grades with a focus on care for left-behind children, physical development during puberty, and prevention of sexual assault among adolescents.
\nBy the first half of 2025, Guangdong had established 661 demonstration elementary and high schools for gender equality education, with a professional teaching staff of over 1,500 members. Assessment results indicate that education on gender equality has generated a positive effect on both male and female students, raising their gender equality awareness, promoting physical and mental health, improving academic performance, and reducing bullying and disciplinary violations.
\nStrengthening the awareness of gender equality in the media. The Advertising Law and other relevant laws, as well as the Outline of Women's Development in China, all stipulate regulations regarding gender equality assessment and supervision in the media, prohibiting reports or advertisements with contents that disparage, undermine, or infringe upon women's dignity.
\nGender equality reviews have been conducted throughout the script development, production, screening, and distribution of films and TV programs. News outlets have issued lists of prohibited and offensive terms to eliminate discriminatory expressions in news reports. Media organizations have implemented a social responsibility reporting system and upheld the professional ethic of safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of women, children, the elderly, and the disabled and protecting their physical and mental health.
\nThe stories of women role models have been told through media coverage, special releases and events in recognition of their contribution, showcasing patriotism, devotion to the people, perseverance and progress in the face of challenges, and commitment to virtue and good deeds. Gender equality has now become a widely accepted social norm.
\nCreating a clean cyberspace. China has issued judicial interpretations, released exemplary cases, and carried out special operations to combat fraud, abduction, trafficking, rape, and other crimes against women and children committed or facilitated through online channels. Offenses that infringe upon women's personality rights, such as the illegal disclosure of personal information, defamation, and malicious online abuse, are strictly punished. Online platforms have taken on greater responsibility by addressing illegal and inappropriate content, including removing articles and short videos that advocate a preference for sons over daughters or exaggerate family disputes.
\nChina has increased the supply of high-quality online content. Special campaigns have been launched to introduce new media products showcasing women in the new era and their commitment to the country, such as the theme song Blooms of China, the women's federation promotional video Together, and the family values promotional video I Love My Family. These products have reached hundreds of millions of women and families, and facilitated new progress in providing theoretical and political guidance to women.
\nEfforts have also been made to improve the digital literacy of the general public, foster responsible internet usage among women, tell engaging stories of China and Chinese women, spread mainstream values, and promote positive energy online.
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nEradicating poverty, improving living standards, and achieving common prosperity are essential tasks of socialism. China has made continuous efforts to ensure people's access to childcare, education, employment, medical services, eldercare, housing, and social assistance, meeting women's expectation for a better life.
\n1. Elimination of Absolute Poverty
\nChina has organized the largest and most intensive poverty alleviation campaign in human history, benefiting the greatest number of people. By the end of 2020, it had successfully eliminated absolute poverty throughout the country, meeting the poverty reduction target of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. On this epic journey of poverty reduction, China has honored its solemn commitment that no one should be left behind, specifically targeting women as a key group to widen their path towards prosperity.
\nTaking targeted measures to guarantee basic living needs. China has adopted a targeted strategy in poverty alleviation. Under this framework, it maintains detailed records on the distribution of impoverished populations, the underlying causes of poverty, the specific categories of poverty, and the expectations of the poor. This approach guarantees the implementation of targeted efforts in six areas: identification of those in need, project arrangement, capital utilization, the introduction of household-specific measures, the dispatch of officials to villages based on local conditions, and the achievement of set goals. As a result, women, who comprise approximately half of the impoverished population, have benefited from targeted resource allocation.
\nThe Health Program for Poverty Alleviation and its health promotion campaigns have guaranteed access to basic medical and health services for impoverished rural women.
\nThrough education initiatives for poverty alleviation, compulsory education in impoverished areas has been steadily improved, ensuring that no school-age girls from poor families drop out of school due to poverty.
\nSocial security systems have been strengthened to ensure eligible women on the list of the registered poor receive subsistence allowances or assistance and support for the extremely poor.
\nRenovation of dilapidated houses in rural areas, particularly in severely impoverished areas, has been subsidized by the government. Relocation projects have helped over 9.6 million people, who originally lived in inhospitable areas, to emerge from poverty and seek development.
\nThe basic food and clothing needs of impoverished women have been guaranteed, and their access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing has been ensured.
\nAfter winning the battle against absolute poverty, the country initiated a five-year transition period during which poverty alleviation support policies remained in effect to buttress areas and populations that had recently emerged from poverty. Based on the stable operation of such policies, a robust dynamic monitoring and assistance mechanism has been established to prevent any relapse into or occurrence of poverty, and support remains in place for women lifted out of poverty and those in low-income areas to participate in the local economy, seek more employment opportunities, and increase incomes.
\nBoosting the economy to create job opportunities for women and raise their income. China is committed to the policy of development-driven poverty alleviation to empower impoverished women.
\nIt has strengthened industrial support by facilitating the gradient transfer of labor-intensive industries such as food processing and clothing manufacturing, benefitting 98.9 percent of poor households. By advancing east-west cooperation in labor services, setting up poverty alleviation workshops, and creating public-interest rural jobs, the country has provided job opportunities for poor women with the will and ability to work. In its efforts to alleviate poverty, China has leveraged new forms of business and industries such as e-commerce programs, photovoltaic technology, and tourism to help impoverished women find good jobs within their local communities. In ethnic minority areas, the transition of the hand-knitting business from a purely traditional craft to a driver of the local economy has transformed the lives of the women embroidery artisans in the Miao and Yi communities.
\nChina has increased fiscal and financial support. In the critical battle against poverty, special supportive polices such as offering subsidized loans requiring no collateral or guarantee and tax reductions or exemptions were introduced. Cumulatively, over RMB450 billion in guaranteed microloans and poverty alleviation microcredit were disbursed to women in need, and 8.7 million impoverished women saw their income increased through entrepreneurship. From 2021 to 2024, the country sustained a flow of microcredit designated for people recently lifted out of poverty, of which RMB76.83 billion were offered to nearly 1.93 million women.
\nEfforts in skills training have been strengthened, with training courses on vocational skills, entrepreneurship, and practical agricultural technology being held through multiple channels, at multiple levels, and in multiple forms. As of 2020, training programs had been organized for a total of 10.21 million impoverished women and female technicians. From 2023 to 2024, the Rain and Dew Program sponsored 632,000 women to receive vocational education, allowing them to continue their march out of poverty.
\nPanel 3 Poverty Alleviation Workshops for Women Help Women Find Jobs and Emerge from Poverty
\nPoverty Alleviation Workshops for Women constitute a targeted model that helps boost employment and incomes among impoverished women. The Guidelines on the Three-Year Action Plan for Winning the Battle Against Poverty issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council required the establishment of poverty alleviation workshops to employ people from poor households near their homes. In line with this document, governments in poor regions adopted measures such as employment subsidies, workspace rental subsidies, and credit assistance to encourage enterprises to establish poverty alleviation workshops for women in poor rural communities, helping them find work in fields such as agricultural products processing and handicrafts weaving. By providing employment opportunities close to home, local governments and enterprises have enabled women to balance earning an additional income with their farming and family duties. During the critical battle against poverty, more than 10,000 such workshops for women have been established nationwide, helping women in need find secure employment in their local areas.
\nIncreasing input to break the bottlenecks constraining women's development. China has advanced infrastructure development, fundamentally solving many of the issues impeding women's development in impoverished areas, such as insufficient access to transport, electricity, water and communications. Where conditions permit, all towns, townships, and administrative villages have been connected to paved roads and provided with bus and postal services. Full coverage of reliable power supply has been largely realized in rural areas. All counties have access to gigabit internet, all townships to 5G services, and all villages to broadband connections. By the end of 2024, 94 percent of the rural population had enjoyed access to tap water.
\nPanel 4 Female National Models for Poverty Alleviation
\nWomen fully performed their role as "half the sky" in the critical battle against poverty. Among the 10 individuals honored as national models for poverty alleviation by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council in 2021, five were women. They include Bai Jingying, who led 26,000 women in shaking off poverty through a new trail — working in the Mongolian broidery industry; Zhang Guimei, who leveraged her expertise in education to found China's first free senior high school for girls, helping more than 2,000 girls from impoverished mountainous areas reach university; Huang Wenxiu, a poverty alleviation official and a resident first Party secretary, and Zhang Xiaojuan, a vice director of a county-level poverty alleviation office, both of whom sacrificed their young lives for poverty elimination while working at the grassroots level to help residents solve difficulties; and Xia Sen, who donated her savings of RMB2,032,000 accumulated through a lifetime of work and frugality to improve schools in poverty-stricken rural areas, including through the provision of grants that have gone on to help 182 students from poor households enroll in university.
\n2. Notable Improvement in Health
\nPrioritizing people's health in its development strategy, China makes all-out efforts to build a healthy China, with women's and children's health the cornerstone of this work. By consolidating and improving institutional arrangements and optimizing resource allocation, the country provides women with full life-circle health services.
\nContinuous improvement of the maternal and child healthcare system. China has integrated its maternal and child healthcare network into its national medical and healthcare framework that covers its 1.4 billion people. A service system for maternal and child healthcare has been built, with maternal and child healthcare institutions as the core, community-level medical and healthcare institutions as the foundation, and medium and large hospitals and research institutes as the pillars.
\nFrom 2012 to 2023, the number of health professionals at maternal and child healthcare institutions increased from 277,000 to 537,000, with an annual growth rate of over 6 percent; the actual number of beds rose from 187,000 to 295,000, up by nearly 60 percent. At present, China has 3,081 maternal and child healthcare institutions, 3,491 treatment centers for high-risk and critically ill pregnant and postpartum women, and 3,221 treatment centers for critically ill neonates. More than 2,600 traditional Chinese medicine hospitals at Grade II and above have gynecological departments.
\nThe "internet plus maternal and child healthcare" service model has been developed, and training sessions and guidance for treating pregnant and postpartum women in severe and critical conditions have been provided through 31 provincial-level "cloud-based maternal and child healthcare" telemedicine platforms, making maternal and child healthcare services much more equitable.
\nPanel 5 Five Mechanisms for Maternal and Neonatal Safety Safeguarding the Health of Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Newborns
\nThe five mechanisms for maternal and neonatal safety covers pregnancy risk screening and evaluation, targeted management of high-risk pregnant and postpartum women, emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, maternal mortality case reporting, and admonition of underperforming healthcare providers. Based on the severity of pregnancy risks, pregnant and postpartum women are classified into one of five categories and each is assigned a label: green for low risk, yellow for common risk, orange for relatively high risk, red for high risk, or purple for carrying an infectious disease. Their treatment is then managed according to their category. This general system is supported by a nationwide, tiered network for treating pregnant and postpartum women and neonates in severe and critical conditions, which features coordination between different levels, highly efficient response, and orderly operation. It closely monitors key high-risk groups and strengthens the emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, thereby ensuring the safety of mothers and newborns.
\nBreakthroughs in solving key issues in women's health. China has strengthened its resource coordination to integrate the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B into major public health service programs. In 2024, the rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission in China fell to 1.2 percent, meeting the targets for eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission.
\nChina has promoted the comprehensive prevention and treatment of cervical cancer and breast cancer. Between 2009 and 2024, 342 million free screenings for cervical cancer and 245 million free screenings for breast cancer were carried out nationwide, and between 2012 and 2024, the central government allocated RMB3.01 billion for treatment and support for women with these forms of cancer. HPV vaccination has been incorporated into the government's public welfare initiatives in 18 provinces as of June 2025, benefiting 5 million girls of eligible age annually through free vaccination programs.
\nA group of specialty branches and outpatient departments focusing on women's healthcare have been established, covering the entire process of childbearing and women's full life cycle.
\nA reproductive health promotion campaign has been carried out. By the end of 2024, youth health education services had been provided in more than 10,000 elementary and high schools and more than 1,000 higher education institutions across the country.
\nThe campaign to raise national health awareness, the initiative to build healthy families, the Healthy China: Mother's Action, and other initiatives have been rolled out to guide women to lead their family members and the wider society in raising health awareness and health management capacity.
\nRemarkable improvement in women's health. In 2020, the average life expectancy of women in China rose to 80.9 years.
\nSince 2012, the national hospital delivery rate has remained above 99 percent, and in 2024, the systematic maternal management rate reached 94.9 percent. The maternal mortality rate has dropped by 76.9 percent, from 61.9 per 100,000 in 1995 to 14.3 per 100,000 in 2024 — far below the global average.
\nIn terms of core maternal and child health indicators, namely maternal, infant, and under-five mortality rates, China ranks among the top in global upper-middle-income countries. It has met the relevant targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule and has been recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the 10 high performing countries in maternal and child health outcomes.
\n3. Substantial Increase in Women's Education Level
\nIn building up its strength in education and coordinating integrated reforms of educational, sci-tech and talent systems and mechanisms, China has made tremendous efforts to ensure women's equitable access to education of all categories and levels, raise women's scientific literacy and promote life-long education for them. As a result, women's right to education has been effectively guaranteed.
\nGender divide in basic education has been largely eliminated. China has implemented four consecutive preschool education action plans. In 2024, girls accounted for 47.3 percent of children in kindergartens, totaling 16.94 million.
\nPanel 6 The Spring Bud Project Helps Girls from Impoverished Families Realize Their Dreams Through Schooling
\nThe Spring Bud Project is a public welfare project launched by the China Children and Teenagers' Fund in 1989 to help out-of-school girls from poverty-stricken areas return to school and improve their access to education. In 2019, Prof. Peng Liyuan, special envoy for girls' education under the Spring Bud Project, launched the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project. By carrying out education in health, digital technology, science and technology, music, and other areas, this initiative helps girls from poor households pursue well-rounded development. By the end of 2024, the project had raised RMB3.44 billion of non-governmental funds, providing 4.36 million instances of education assistance and more than 200,000 cases of one-to-one growth support and tailored psychological counseling for girls. This enabled girls to enjoy a more equitable and inclusive education of higher quality. In 2023, the Spring Bud Project won the UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education. In 2024, it was designated as one of the best cases in the Fifth Call of Global Solicitation on Best Poverty Reduction Practices.
\nChina promotes the high-quality and balanced development of compulsory education, and has accelerated efforts to narrow the educational gaps between regions, schools, groups, and between urban and rural areas. The net elementary education enrollment rate of school-age girls stays above 99.9 percent, and in 2024, girls made up 46.98 percent of students of nine-year compulsory education.
\nThe Plan to Popularize Senior High School Education (2017-2020) and the Action Plan to Develop County-level Senior High Schools During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) Period have been implemented nationwide, and the proportion of girls among the senior high school population is continuing to rise, standing at 49.3 percent in 2024.
\nA rough balance between male and female students in higher education has been achieved. China has made sustained efforts to develop the world's largest higher education system, cement and advance accessibility in higher education, and ensure gender equality in the enrollment of regular institutions of higher learning. In 2024, female students in these institutions made up 50.76 percent of the total, 14.15 percentage points higher than in 1995. Among them, female graduate students accounted for 50.01 percent, an increase of 22.43 percentage points from 1995.
\nWomen enjoy higher-quality vocational education and life-long education. China has speeded up its efforts to build a modern vocational education system and offers assistance to eligible students in the form of tuition exemptions, scholarships, grants, and student loans. As a result, women are enjoying more and better access to high-quality vocational education. In 2024, female students accounted for 47.9 percent of higher vocational school students at the undergraduate and junior college levels, and 45.2 percent of secondary vocational school students.
\nThe women's life-long learning system has become more open and flexible, with the establishment of the national smart education platform for life-long education offering a more convenient and accessible channel that meets women's diverse learning needs. The number of women receiving adult education continues to rise steadily year on year, and in 2024, female students at adult education institutions at the undergraduate and junior college levels numbered 5.13 million, 54 percent of the total, representing an increase of 1.96 million compared to 2012. In 2020, the average length of schooling for female citizens at or above the age of 15 reached 9.59 years.
\nWomen's scientific literacy is on the rise. The Chinese government has promulgated the Outline of the Action Plan for Improving Scientific Literacy for All (2021-2035), which covers raising women's scientific literacy.
\nIt has issued the Guidelines for Science Education in Elementary and High Schools, improved the curriculum, textbooks, experimental teaching, teachers' training, and extra-curricular activity programs of these schools, and enhanced the coordination and transformation of science education resources.
\nTo inspire and cultivate female students' interests in science, public-interest programs aimed at female students have been rolled out, including the Science Lovers Program for Female College Students, Science Empowering Girls, Spring Bud InnoGirls Program, STEM Girls, and Her Science.
\nA program for raising the capabilities of female employees has also been implemented, and, in particular, efforts have been made to help them improve digital skills.
\nThanks to these initiatives and more, the gender gap in scientific literacy is continuing to narrow. The female sci-tech talent pool continues to expand in scale, improve in structure, and grow in capability, with female scientists now regularly making outstanding contributions in various fields, including basic theory, applied technology, and engineering. In 2024, female R&D professionals numbered 2.85 million, representing an increase of 1.69 million from that in 2012.
\nPanel 7 STEM Girls Program Kindles Girls' Science Dream
\nIn 2018, the China Women's Development Foundation established the public-interest program of STEM Girls for female high school students aged 12-16 to inspire their enthusiasm and interest in STEM subjects. Through open recruitment and online courses, the program selects outstanding female high school students and sends them to universities and research institutions, including Tsinghua University, Tongji University, the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In the study camps at these institutions, girls can engage in exploration and learning in mechanical engineering, energy sources in architecture, eco-environment, biophysics, and other STEM subjects. They conduct visits, research, and hands-on experiments, form innovative plans, and work for their application. In the seven years since its launch, the program has covered more than 100 high schools in 24 provincial-level administrative units, training more than 8,200 students and helping them embark on a journey of scientific exploration and move forward in steady steps.
\n4. Continuous Improvement in Social Security
\nChina has established the world's largest social security system. Built on the principle of ensuring universal coverage for all eligible individuals, the system aims to narrow urban-rural disparities, improve social security policies for key groups, strengthen support for women in difficulty, and steadily raise benefit levels. As a result of this system, women now enjoy more comprehensive, reliable and equitable social security.
\nMedical and old-age insurance systems achieved full coverage. China's healthcare security system has been continuously improved, supported by increased government subsidies for individual contributions to basic medical insurance among rural and non-working urban residents.
\nIn 2024, 651 million women were covered by basic medical insurance, accounting for 49.1 percent of all participants. Additionally, 260 million women were covered by basic pension insurance for rural and non-working urban residents, representing 48 percent of all enrollees, while 260 million women participated in the basic pension scheme for urban employees, constituting 48.2 percent of the total.
\nMore women are protected against unemployment and work-related injuries. Efforts have been made to safeguard employees' employment security, occupational safety, and health protections. By the end of 2024, approximately 105 million women were enrolled in unemployment insurance, accounting for 42.7 percent of all participants and reflecting a 70 percent increase since 2012. Additionally, about 117 million women were covered by work-related injury insurance, comprising 38.6 percent of all enrollees, and reflecting a 60 percent increase since 2012.
\nSpecific measures have been introduced to ensure that workers in new forms of employment receive effective assistance and compensation in case of occupational injuries. Real-time settlement of medical expenses for work-related injuries incurred outside the provincial-level unit where the patient is insured has been fully implemented, protecting the rights and interests of female workers and better meeting their healthcare needs.
\nMaternity protection for women has improved significantly. The integrated implementation of maternity insurance and basic medical insurance for employees has been fully advanced, and continuous efforts have been made to expand employer participation in maternity insurance and to gradually extend its coverage. Regions with the necessary conditions have been guided to include flexibly employed people in maternity insurance. For unemployed women, the unemployment insurance fund pay their maternity insurance contributions on their behalf during their period of unemployment benefit eligibility, while non-working women are covered for maternity medical benefits through their participation in the basic medical insurance scheme for rural and non-working urban residents. By the end of 2024, 111 million women were covered by maternity insurance. All 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, have included eligible assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in their medical insurance schemes.
\nSocial security for women in need is further strengthened. Subsistence allowance standards have continued to rise, with the national average urban and rural subsistence allowance standards in 2024 140 percent and 240 percent higher than those of 2012, respectively.
\nFinancial assistance or premium payments are provided for women from eligible disadvantaged groups, such as those receiving subsistence allowances or classified as extremely impoverished individuals, to participate in basic medical and pension insurance schemes for rural and non-working urban residents.
\nA comprehensive system of living subsidies for persons with disabilities facing financial difficulties and nursing subsidies for those with severe disabilities has been established. In 2024, about 9.40 million women received these subsidies, accounting for 46 percent of all recipients.
\nTargeted assistance and support initiatives have been implemented for rural stay-behind women in difficult circumstances, including efforts to establish records, ensure basic living standards, promote employment and income generation, and enrich cultural lives.
\n5. Improved Family Lives
\nChina places emphasis on fostering family culture, values, and traditions, recognizing the unique role of women in both social and family life. Efforts continue to be made to leverage women's distinctive contributions in promoting traditional Chinese family virtues and establishing positive family traditions. Policies supporting family development are continuously improved, enhancing families' capacity for development and creating favorable conditions for women to enjoy better family lives.
\nMore equal and harmonious family relations in the new era. Laws and regulations including the Civil Code, the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law have been promulgated to protect women's rights within marriage and the family.
\nA new marital and childbearing culture is widely promoted. Marriage and family counseling services are widely available at marriage registration authorities at or above the county level nationwide. Over 2,000 pilot units are advancing marriage customs reform, and activities such as "bringing new marriage and childbearing norms into households" are continuously carried out to promote values including gender equality, mutual respect, and shared parenting responsibilities between couples.
\nThe Fourth Survey on the Social Status of Women in China shows that 90 percent of married women participate in decision-making on major family matters, an increase of approximately 15 percentage points compared to 2010. The gender gap in time spent on household chores has narrowed, and there is a growing emphasis on marital relationships based on mutual respect and trust.
\nA family-friendly society gradually in shape. To meet the demands of high-quality population development and family wellbeing, measures have been introduced to improve childbirth support policies and develop a childbirth-friendly society.
\nThe childbirth leave system has been enhanced, with local regulations extending maternity leave and paternity leave and introducing parental childcare leave. Special additional deductions for individual income tax have been implemented, covering expenses for under-three children nursing, eldercare, and children's education. A childcare subsidy system has been established and implemented, while free pre-school education has been promoted in a phased way.
\nEmployers are encouraged to create "family-friendly workplaces" by adopting flexible working hours or remote work options after negotiating with employees to support them in both career development and childcare.
\nNursing facilities have been provided. By the end of 2024, 403,000 enterprises and public institutions with trade unions had set up nursing rooms for female employees. The provision of baby care rooms in public places has also been expanded, and design standards such as the Uniform Standard for the Design of Civil Buildings, the Standard for the Design of Office Buildings, and the Code for the Design of Railway Passenger Station Buildings now include requirements for such facilities. By the end of 2024, 1,449 baby care rooms had been established in railway stations; 5,371 in highway service areas (including parking areas); 286 on passenger ships and in port passenger terminals; 2,308 in secondary and above-grade bus stations; 2,599 in urban rail transit stations; and nursing rooms in all civilian airports with an annual passenger throughput of 5,000 or more.
\nPanel 8 The 15-Minute Community Life Circles Benefit Hundreds of Millions of Residents
\nThe 15-minute community life circle is a government initiative to improve people's lives by creating community business districts with diverse services. Residents in such communities should be able to meet their basic daily consumption needs and access quality services within a 15-minute walk.
\nTo address childcare needs, Shanghai has established more than 340 community-based childcare rooms in over 90 percent of its subdistricts and towns, providing temporary childcare services. For eldercare needs, Tianjin has set up 1,852 community canteens for seniors and built daytime care centers for the elderly, offering personalized eldercare services. To meet residents' daily needs, the Kangqiao Garden Community in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, has introduced affordable vegetable stalls, convenient barbershops, and small repair service points, enabling one-stop solutions for various household needs.
\nSince 2021, 4 batches of 210 pilot areas across the country have joined the initiative, building 5,510 community life circles that benefit approximately 125 million residents.
\nMore diverse services to reduce family care burden. A variety of childcare services are provided to families, including full-day, half-day, and temporary care options, and employers are also supported in establishing childcare facilities. By the end of 2024, there were 5.74 million childcare slots nationwide, with 4.08 slots per 1,000 people for children under three.
\nA family education guidance service system covering both urban and rural areas has been established. Relying on over 400,000 parent schools in urban and rural communities and more than 20,000 online new media platforms, family education guidance service teams have worked to organize rich and diverse parent-child activities, bringing scientific family education guidance services directly to households and communities.
\nThe eldercare framework has been optimized, where home care is supported by communities and professional institutions, featuring a combination of medical care and eldercare services. Services such as meal assistance, bathing aid, home modifications for the elderly, and barrier-free renovations for financially difficult families with members with severe disabilities have become more accessible.
\nPanel 9 Family Education in the New Era Strengthens the Foundation of Early Nurturing
\nChina places great importance on family education. The Law on Family Education Promotion has been enacted to strengthen parents' primary responsibility in guardianship, establish a collaborative mechanism for family education work, clarify state support measures for family education, and define the role of social forces in supporting family education. The All-China Women's Federation, the Ministry of Education, and other relevant departments have successively issued six five-year plans for family education, setting periodic targets and measures. The National Family Education Guidance Outline and Basic Behavioral Norms for Parents in Family Education have been formulated and revised to define the content of family education guidance.
\nExploratory efforts are made to establish an undergraduate program on family education in colleges and universities to train professionals for this sector. A life-cycle family guidance curriculum system has been developed, and the "Happy Family" online platform for family education services has been established. Family education instructors have been included as an occupation in the General Code of Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China. All these endeavors will promote the digital and professional development of family education and support families in scientific parenting.
\nThe domestic service sector continues to improve in quality and expand in scale. By the end of 2023, there were approximately 600,000 domestic service entities and 16,000 women-led domestic service community stations. National domestic service vocational skills competitions have been held to encourage skill enhancement among people working in this sector, provide a growth platform for more of them, and deliver high-quality services to families.
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nOn the new journey of Chinese modernization, every individual plays a key role. Connecting their own future with that of the country and the nation, Chinese women have devoted themselves to the building of a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful. They have attained major achievements in the new era, creating a better life through action and hard work.
\n1. Achievements in Promoting High-Quality Economic Development
\nIn promoting high-quality economic development, China is committed to expanding channels for women's participation, improving their capabilities, and stimulating their creativity. Women are "holding up half the sky" and playing an increasingly prominent role.
\nRealizing potential in employment and entrepreneurship. Upholding employment as a priority, China has increased fiscal investment, and implemented initiatives such as the Women's Action for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Action for Promoting Women's Employment and Entrepreneurship. Special recruitment sections and events for women have been held, sponsored by the National Employment Promotion Action and Spring Breeze Action, aiming to help more women find better jobs.
\nGender discrimination in employment has been placed under the scrutiny of labor protection supervision. The System of Special Labor Protection for Female Employees in the Workplace (Reference Text) and the System for Eliminating Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (Reference Text) have been formulated as guidelines for employers to improve their corresponding systems for protecting female employees' lawful rights and interests.
\nBy the end of 2024, RMB640 billion in loans had been provided to support 8.49 million women in realizing their entrepreneurial dreams. Since 2012, women have accounted for about 43 percent of the total employed population. According to the fifth national economic census in 2024, 42.6 percent of the employees in government agencies, public institutions, and state-owned enterprises were women, an increase of 3.6 percentage points compared to the fourth census.
\nPanel 10 Beautiful Crafts Workshops Providing Employment and Income Growth for Women with Disabilities
\nThe Beautiful Crafts Workshops program was jointly launched by China Disabled Persons' Federation and All-China Women's Federation in 2022 to help women with disabilities find employment and increase income. Through collaboration between the government, enterprises, and public service organizations, a full-chain service model integrating training, employment, entrepreneurship and protection has been formulated to ensure that women participating in this program have access to employment opportunities and secure stable incomes through the acquisition of important skills.
\nA total of 125 national-level Beautiful Crafts Workshops now provide disabled women with free training courses in hand knitting, embroidery, and pottery, and support some of them in setting up studios and engaging in live-streaming sales. This program has facilitated flexible home-based employment for 190,000 women with disabilities, doubling their average annual income compared to 2022. The outcomes have been displayed at major events including the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the UN Human Rights Council meetings, and the 10th International Abilympics.
\nThe scale of women's accomplishments is reflected in their significant representation among national honorees: They constitute 34 percent of the National Moral Models and 30.9 percent of the Most Beautiful Souls and National Exemplary Educators. Since 2012, a total of 1,821 women have been awarded the titles of National Model Workers and Advanced Workers, 1,957 have received the National May 1st Labor Medal, 5,001 have been honored as National March 8th Red-Banner Pacesetters, and 6,489 recognized as National Role Models for Women's Achievements.
\nPioneering innovation in science and technology. As part of the efforts to implement the Women's Action for Scientific and Technological Innovation, China has formulated the Measures on Supporting Female Talent to Play a Greater Role in Sci-Tech Innovation, which outline 16 concrete measures, including supporting female scientists to undertake national sci-tech projects and participate in decision-making on sci-tech development, as well as improving evaluation and incentive mechanisms for them.
\nThe National Natural Science Foundation has appropriately relaxed the age limits for female applicants in Categories A, B and C of the Young Scientists Fund, raising the maximum age thresholds by three years, two years, and five years respectively, compared to their male counterparts. Leveraging platforms such as the Zhongguancun Forum, Pujiang Innovation Forum, and World AI Conference, China has launched summits and forums for women working in science and technology, and hosted the Women Technicians Forum and a range of training programs for high-caliber female sci-tech professionals. These actions have created platforms for women in STEM fields to conduct professional exchange and learning, apply their research outcomes, and serve the public.
\nToday, women account for 45.8 percent of all sci-tech researchers in China. They are tackling tough problems and achieving breakthroughs in pioneering fields, overcoming daunting obstacles, and scaling new heights at the forefront of innovation, and making significant contributions to building China into a sci-tech powerhouse with greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology.
\nPanel 11 Glorious Achievements of Female Sci-Tech Workers in China
\nThrough their unwavering dedication and exceptional wisdom, Chinese women have made groundbreaking contributions across diverse fields of science and technology, writing glorious chapters in the nation's rich history of sci-tech innovation.
\nTu Youyou, chief scientist at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and a recipient of the Medal of the Republic, was the first person to discover artemisinin. This class of drugs has significantly reduced the mortality rate of malaria patients and saved millions of lives globally. Tu's pioneering research led to her becoming the first home-grown Chinese scientist to receive a Nobel Prize.
\nLiu Yang, China's first female astronaut, Wang Yaping, the first female taikonaut to walk in space, and Wang Haoze, the first female aerospace flight engineer to board China's space station, each courageously challenged the unknown, demonstrating the strength of Chinese women in aerospace.
\nLiao Hong, professor at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, integrated applied basic research with agricultural production to build up about 20,000 hectares of eco-friendly tea gardens, providing a comprehensive solution to the eco-friendly planting and management of Wuyi rock tea.
\nFor over two decades, Shan Xinghua, recipient of the title Role Model of the Era, has led her team in developing the 12306 China Railway ticketing system into a super-large real-time platform with a world-leading transaction volume, boosting China's strength in transportation.
\nTaking the lead in rural revitalization. Through the Women's Action for Rural Revitalization, China has strengthened quality training to empower women farmers. Since 2017, the High-quality Farmer Training Program has trained over 2.24 million women farmers, and between 2022 and 2024, the project for cultivating leaders for rural industry revitalization trained 12,000 female individuals.
\nThe achievements of women in rural revitalization have been recognized through initiatives like the Double Hundred and Double Thousand Initiative, which recognizes outstanding rural craftspeople, 100 of whom in the first batch were women, accounting for 36.6 percent of the total. In the final round of the first National Farmers' Skills Competition, female participants comprised 69.5 percent of all winners. Furthermore, by the end of 2024, 134,000 female workers responsible for extending agricultural technologies and services had obtained professional titles, representing 35.4 percent of the total.
\nPanel 12 A Small Industrial Incubation Platform Galvanizing Women's Power for Rural Revitalization
\nAs a successful example of the Green Rural Revival Program in Zhejiang, Lizu Village in Yiwu has developed from a backward hamlet to a National Model Village, and women have played a vital role in this transformation.
\nThe village is home to a Shared Prosperity Workshop — an incubation platform for industrial projects that attracts numerous aspiring makers and entrepreneurs. This workshop operates as a women's alliance for shared prosperity, and follows a work mechanism under which community-level service centers introduce promising projects under the leadership of the local executive committee of women's federations. The project has helped local women start their own businesses, increasing their incomes and fostering integration between urban and rural areas.
\nAfter five years, the number of makers and entrepreneurs has increased from over 30 to 272, among which 75 percent are women. The "Homemade by Mom" food street and the Women's Fair have increased women's incomes by over RMB13.7 million, while live-streaming activities to promote agricultural products have generated sales of RMB27 million. This small incubator has created big opportunities for women to embrace prosperity.
\nPursuing excellence in the digital economy. China has issued the Action Plan for Strengthening the Digital Literacy and Skills of the General Public and the Action Plan for Digital Rural Development, which include measures such as carrying out digital literacy education and skills training for women and developing women-led e-commerce brands. Chinese women have answered the call of the digital age, and are committed to developing the digital economy, with 14,147 women obtaining the vocational skills certificates for AI trainers in 2024 alone — comprising 42.3 percent of the yearly total. Women represent over half of the entrepreneurs in the internet sector and about one third of the workforce engaging in new business forms such as digital trade, e-commerce, and live streaming. As the digital economy advances, it is providing more opportunities for women.
\nPanel 13 The \"AI Dou\" Project: Helping Women Excel in the Digital Economy
\nThrough digital empowerment, the China Women's Development Foundation is pioneering innovative pathways for women's development. In 2019, the organization launched the "AI Dou" Project for AI industrial incubation in conjunction with relevant businesses. This project aims to help stay-behind women and returning youth to secure data annotation and similar jobs near home, by introducing digital employment opportunities to underdeveloped counties, carrying out vocational training, and incubating locally operated social enterprises. By the end of 2024, the project had established 16 digital employment centers in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Gansu, Guizhou and Ningxia, providing employment opportunities for over 7,500 women. Among those provided with stable jobs by the project, 70 percent were women.
\n2. Equal Participation in Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nAs China advances whole-process people's democracy, it remains committed to increasing women's participation in the management of state, economic, cultural and social affairs. Women enjoy equal political rights and actively participate in democratic practices, contributing their strengths with great enthusiasm.
\nExercising state power through the people's congresses. The proportion of women in people's congresses at all levels continues to rise. In the 14th NPC convened in 2023, there were 790 women deputies, accounting for 26.5 percent of the total. This represents an increase of 3.1 percentage points from the 12th NPC and 1.6 percentage points from the 13th NPC. At the county and township levels, women constitute 31.64 percent and 32.36 percent of deputies, respectively. These women deputies fulfill their duties in accordance with the law, soliciting and reflecting public opinion from all sectors of society. Between 2018 and 2025, NPC women deputies put forward 29,328 suggestions, criticisms and opinions, accounting for 42.3 percent of the total.
\nPanel 14 Women Deputies to the People's Congresses Practicing Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nZhu Guoping, an outstanding representative of the "neighborhood chiefs" in Shanghai, has been a key figure in her local community for over three decades. She served as a deputy to three consecutive NPCs — the 11th, 12th, and 13th — where she had a particular focus on eldercare, childcare and healthcare. Among her suggestions in these fields, two proposals calling for increased fiscal investment in general practitioners and pediatricians were both adopted by the Ministry of Finance, earning her praise as someone who "bridges national policy decisions with public concerns".
\nHongqiao Subdistrict, where Zhu works, functions as a community-level legislative outreach office, set up by the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee. It has solicited opinions for 97 draft laws, including the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and the Law on the Protection of Minors. The subdistrict has proposed over 3,200 suggestions, with 280 being adopted after review, channeling grassroots legislative input to the Great Hall of the People.
\nDiscussing state affairs and making suggestions at consultative meetings of the CPPCC. The proportion of female members in the CPPCC National Committee and local committees has seen a consistent increase. In 2023, 487 female members served on the National Committee of the 14th CPPCC, accounting for 22.4 percent of the total — an increase of 4.6 percentage points and 2 percentage points from the 12th CPPCC and 13th CPPCC, respectively. In the same year, there were 5,401 female members on the provincial-level committees of the CPPCC, accounting for 27.36 percent of the membership at this level. The female members fulfill their duties in full and play a major role in political consultation, democratic supervision, and the deliberation and administration of state affairs. Since the 14th CPPCC National Committee, female members have submitted 4,282 proposals, representing 26.6 percent of the total.
\nActively engaging in decision-making and administration. China attaches importance to the cultivation and selection of female officials and the recruitment of women into the CPC. It has formulated and implemented outlines for strengthening Party and government leadership teams and on women's development, which set specific quantitative and proportional requirements for the appointment of female officials and female heads of leadership bodies. These goals are expected to be met while strict quality standards are upheld.
\nThe proportions of women among the CPC membership and delegates to the Party congresses are increasing. In 2024, 30.9 percent of CPC members were female, an increase of 7.1 percentage points compared to the 2012 level. Female Party members accounted for 27 percent of the delegates to the 20th CPC National Congress, an increase of 4 percentage points from the Party's 18th National Congress in 2012. Women represent 42.3 percent, 43.78 percent, and 51.5 percent of all the judges, prosecutors and jurors nationwide.
\nExtensively participating in grassroots democracy. Effective measures have been taken in the villagers committee elections to expand women's membership. In 2022, women constituted 26.1 percent of villagers committee members and 54.3 percent of urban residents committee members, an increase of 4 percentage points and 5.5 percentage points, respectively, from 2012 levels.
\nFemale workers play an active role in democratic management in enterprises. In 2023, women employees made up 37.7 percent, 41.9 percent, and 34.2 percent of the boards of directors, boards of supervisors, and workers' congress representatives, increasing by 11.4 percentage points, 14.9 percentage points, and 4.4 percentage points, respectively, compared to 2012. A total of 431,000 councils of women have been established in urban and rural communities, facilitating extensive consultations on public affairs concerning women's immediate interests.
\n3. Excellence in a Flourishing Culture
\nIn developing a thriving socialist culture, China has given full play to women's role in creating cultural wealth and cultivated female talent in the cultural sector. Through innovation and with creativity, women have made a significant contribution to preserving cultural heritage and promoting the best of traditional Chinese culture.
\nDemonstrating vitality at the forefront of culture and communication. Women have become a pillar of cultural prosperity and development and are playing an increasingly important role in cultural creation, communication and studies. Female writers and artists have produced masterpieces that have shaped the image of women in the new era, as varied as the Peking Opera Mother, ballet Yimeng, prose works My Altay, TV series She and Her Girls, movie Huang Wenxiu, documentary Aunt Haiyun, variety shows The Daughters of Chinese Villages and Sisters Who Make Waves 2024, and short drama Got Old Recently.
\nBy the end of 2023, about 456,900 women across the country were employed in the radio, television, and online audio-visual sectors, comprising 43.14 percent of the total employees. In the senior professional title evaluations for the journalism section organized by the National Press and Publication Administration in 2024, women accounted for 44.1 percent of those receiving senior professional titles and 50.6 percent of those gaining associate senior ones.
\nWomen constitute 27.5 percent of participants in key talent initiatives in the field of public communication and culture, including 45.2 percent of successful candidates in the cultural talent program and 42.5 percent in the youth cultural talent program under the National Cultural Talent of Excellence Initiative. Through their work in culture and communication, women have vigorously committed themselves in the promotion and practice of the core socialist values.
\nShowing strengths in preserving and vitalizing ethnic cultures. By passing down traditional crafts and facilitating cultural innovation and dissemination, women are injecting new vitality into ethnic cultures. Among the 3,997 recognized representative bearers of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) items on the national list, 25 percent are women. The research and training program for ICH bearers has provided training for 51,000 people, with women accounting for 57 percent. Under the plan on revitalizing traditional Chinese craftsmanship and the specialized initiatives to revitalize rural areas by promoting ICH, many women have played a leading role in transforming local natural resources and rural cultural assets into cultural products and industries. Handicraft brands such as "Dove Flower: Songtao's Miao Embroidery" in Guizhou and "Weiyuan Tu Ethnic Coiling Embroidery" in Qinghai are shining examples of this transformation.
\nNew business models — often fronted by women — such as "ICH plus guesthouses", "ICH plus cultural products", and "ICH plus study trips" have also been launched in recent years, breathing new life into traditional ethnic cultures. The rise of digital technology has allowed traditional culture to flourish again, and an increasing number of young women now play a central role in promoting the "China-Chic" trend and preserving and vitalizing ICH, facilitating ICH's integration in modern life and helping it reach a global audience.
\nExcelling in both competitive and mass leisure sports. The Outline for Building a Strong Sporting Nation has explicitly set the goal of achieving balanced development between men's and women's events. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games issued a Gender Equality Commitment covering 14 specific areas, including equal participation, gender-equal and fair portrayal, and gender equality in leadership and workforce.
\nPanel 15 Creating Masterpieces and Promoting Civilization with Stitches and Threads
\nFemale embroiders, with needles as brushes and silk threads as ink, create delicate works that embody the resilience, patience, and determination of the Chinese people through every stitch and thread. These artisans are committed to revitalizing ancient techniques in a modern society.
\nSuzhou embroidery is one of the four most celebrated forms of Chinese embroidery. The art form originated in Zhenhu Township, where local women are now encouraged to set up their own embroidery businesses. As a result of this push, over 90 percent of Suzhou embroidery entrepreneurs are women.
\nMiao embroidery is another highly praised technique, celebrated as a "wordless epic created with colorful threads and a living totem worn on the body". Under the Brocade and Embroidery Initiative, Guizhou Province has empowered over 500,000 women working in handicraft industries such as Miao embroidery and batik to create a splendid life through splendid products.
\nWith a history of over 3,000 years, Li brocade is renowned as a "living monument of Chinese textile history". Currently, 18,000 female weavers work to preserve and develop this art. Tibetan carpet making is a skill that boasts thousands of years of history. Tibetan women begin learning the weaving techniques from a young age and pass down this precious craftsmanship through generations. Women in the Chaoshan area in southeastern Guangdong, based on traditional stitching techniques, have pioneered innovations to create 3D double-sided padded embroidery, carrying forward this traditional art in a modern world.
\nThe number of female elite athletes in China has witnessed rapid growth, and the proportion of international-level female athletes has remained above 50 percent. Since 2012, across the four consecutive Summer Olympic Games, female athletes have accounted for over 55 percent of competitors and won over 60 percent of the medals. During the same period across the four Paralympic Games, women have made up 50.22 percent of participants and secured 55.62 percent of the medals. Female athletes fight for their nations, collaborate in unity, and challenge their limits, playing an equal role as their male counterparts in competitive sports. The fighting spirit of the Chinese women's volleyball team has inspired the Chinese people to this day.
\nExtensive fitness-for-all programs are carried out nationwide, and a program of cultivating female community sports instructors in rural areas has provided training for over 65,000 women in 10,000 villages. By the end of 2024, there were about 3.71 million community sports instructors across the country, among which 56.1 percent were women, demonstrating women's leadership and responsibility in advancing China's fitness-for-all initiative in the new era.
\n4. Women's Undertakings in Grassroots Social Governance
\nIn building a grassroots social governance model based on collaboration, participation, and common interests, China has attached great importance to the role of women and women's organizations, expanded the channels for their orderly participation in grassroots governance, and ensured their involvement in managing grassroots-level public affairs and public-interest undertakings in accordance with the law. Chinese women have excelled in these roles, becoming a major force in grassroots governance.
\nThe positive role of family ties, values, and traditions in grassroots governance. China has improved mechanisms that help to foster family virtues, facilitate education cooperation between families, schools and society, deliver more accessible family services, and resolve marital and family disputes, supporting women in nurturing harmony within households, and thus contributing to a more peaceful and harmonious society for all.
\nFamily virtue cultivation activities such as the selection of the "Most Beautiful Families", "Model Families", and "Five-Virtue Families", and initiatives like "Share Your Family Rules, Mottoes, and Values", "Family Virtues in Letters", and "Family Education Cultivates Values and Virtues" have been organized. These activities champion the new socialist family morality and values, emphasizing love for the country and family, mutual care, devotion to progress and kindness, and joint efforts with shared benefits. A total of 1,597 households have been honored as "National Model Families", 6,258 as "National Five-Virtue Families", and 16.48 million as the "Most Beautiful Families". Additionally, more than 500,000 lectures, exhibitions and performances on family values and traditions have been hosted around the country, attracting a combined attendance of 250 million people.
\nPanel 16 Family Points System Contributing to Rural Governance
\nGansu Province has implemented an innovative system, which breaks down key aspects of rural governance into points for households in villages and communities. Clear criteria and scoring standards are established for adding or deducting points. Law-abiding families that demonstrate harmony, mutual support among neighbors, and industriousness can collect points by adopting a green lifestyle, participating in public-interest programs, and discarding outdated customs. These points can then be redeemed locally for a wide range of household goods. The initiative has inspired women and their families to participate more actively in rural governance and efforts to improve their living environment and beautify their villages, driving big impact in grassroots governance with ingenuity.
\nWomen's extensive participation in building a peaceful and harmonious community. Women actively participate in the comprehensive maintenance of public order and contribute to resolving problems and disputes at the grassroots level. Local governments have been exploring a "Women's Federations Plus" mediation model. By the end of 2024, 3,690 mediation commissions above the county level for resolving marriage and family disputes had been established under the leadership of women's federations. Marriage mediation organizations now provide service at comprehensive governance centers, litigation service centers, and community police offices, and marriage mediation offices have been established at the village and community level. Since 2016, nearly 1.36 million cases have been resolved through mediation. In 2023, 295 women mediators were commended by the Ministry of Justice as National Model Mediators, accounting for 29.5 percent of those recognized.
\nWomen also play an active part in patrols for maintaining order and in supervision. The "Jiangdong Aunties" team in Jingkou District, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province has completed 5,000 hours of voluntary patrols and participated in over 1,000 public service activities since its establishment in 2017. The "Xicheng Aunties" in Beijing and women community liaisons in Weinan City, Shaanxi Province, have promptly identified and reported potential risks for social governance, working at the forefront of conflict resolution at the grassroots level. Women acting as community workers, grid managers, and residential building chiefs have made significant contributions to building a peaceful and harmonious community.
\nPanel 17 Mediation Office for Promoting Family Harmony
\nIn 2016, the Women's Federation of Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, established a Marriage and Family Disputes Mediation Office and launched a project to promote marital and family harmony and ensure the legal rights of women and children. A set of operational mechanisms was established, including joint meetings, information sharing, and rotating professionals, and experts in the fields of law, sociology, and psychology were recruited to form a dedicated voluntary service group.
\nBased on practical experience, a mediation method of "four aspects plus three synchronizations" was adopted to mediate disputes, wherein the "four aspects" refer to the psychological, legal, emotional, and rational dimensions, while the "three synchronizations" denote the alignment of answering questions with raising public awareness of the law, providing emotional guidance with teaching life experience, and resolving disputes with protecting rights. At the same time, a four-step method of stabilizing emotions, understanding demands, instilling hope, and establishing support was adopted in solving many family disputes. By the end of July 2025, more than 10,000 cases had been solved through this project, with a success rate of 95 percent, benefiting more than 30,000 individuals.
\nActive engagement in voluntary service and other public-interest programs. China emphasizes the healthy development of voluntary services and social organizations, among which women play an active role. In 2024, there were 24 million women registered as volunteers and 350,000 women volunteer teams. These volunteers play an important role in promoting national strategies, improving the people's wellbeing, and strengthening social governance. They have provided nearly one million voluntary services, covering all 17 goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The number of women in social organizations is on the rise. In 2023, women comprised 42.3 percent of the staff and 26.3 percent of the heads of social organizations respectively, up by 13.3 and 4.9 percentage points from 2012.
\nPanel 18 Wang's Volunteer Group: Inspiring More Women to Serve Their Community
\nIn 2005, Wang Lanhua, a Hui woman, former director on a residents committee in Wuzhong City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region formed a volunteer group with six former colleagues — a group she continues to lead 20 years later. Her voluntary service leaves no stone unturned, reaching every corner of the community to look after left-behind children and elderly people who live alone, while providing conflict resolution services and addressing people's immediate concerns. Wang and her team warm the residents' hearts with their selfless dedication, and their influence in community service has drawn more and more community members to join. These volunteers from different ethnic groups encapsulate the idea of all ethnic groups as one family with their solidarity and mutual help. Now, there are 1,315 registered volunteers in Wang's Volunteer Group, and Wang's dedication has seen her honored as a model for ethnic solidarity.
\n5. Women's Contributions in the Eco-environmental Field
\nChina upholds and acts on the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and promotes modernization based on harmony between humanity and nature by following a path of green development that gives priority to eco-environmental conservation. Women play an important role in building a beautiful China, and are continuing to develop the awareness and skills required to drive forward eco-environmental protection.
\nPanel 19 Princess of the Beavers
\nWomen are emerging as key practitioners in biodiversity protection, and Chu Wenwen represents a new generation of female conservationists committed to protecting local biodiversity. Born in 1994 in Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Chu founded the Altay Nature Conservation Association and launched a series of public-interest projects to protect beavers and other wildlife, including the Beaver Cafeteria, Beaver Guardian, and Beaver Ark initiatives. The Beaver Cafeteria project focuses on restoring shrubs in natural habitats, which provide food for more than 100 species of wild animal. The Beaver Guardian project mobilizes more than 500 herdsmen along the Ulungur River to participate in conservation efforts and serve as voluntary patrols. The Beaver Ark project established a professional wildlife rescue center that has saved over 400 wild animals injured or trapped by human activities. Thanks in part to Chu's efforts, the population of Mongolian-Xinjiang beavers (Castor fiber birulai) has increased by 250 to date, earning her the honorary nickname "Princess of the Beavers".
\nPromoting ecosystem protection and restoration. China pursues the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, grasslands and deserts, with the aim of establishing an overarching framework that extends from the mountaintops to the oceans. Women play a significant role in the nation's ecosystem protection and restoration. Among the 17,000 eco-environmental guardians working at the 190,700 sq km Sanjiangyuan National Park, 33.3 percent are women. The Women Tree-Planting Team in Changjiang Li Autonomous County of Hainan Province has been dedicated to planting more than six million coastal defense trees, establishing a forest spanning over 2,000 hectares in the desert after 30 years of trial and error. The women's militia company for sand control in Shaanxi Province has converted more than 933.33 hectares of barren deserts into oases covered with rows of trees over the past five decades. The women's volunteer team in Helan County of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region conducts regular activities to protect rivers, shoals, and birds, and the Women's Action for the Yangtze River Protection is an ongoing activity in Nanjing City of Jiangsu Province to provide vital protection for China's longest river. Women's perseverance and wisdom are shown in many aspects of eco-environmental protection, from green coverage expansion and desertification prevention and control, to the protection of forests, rivers, and biodiversity.
\nPanel 20 Sci-Tech Courtyard Supporting Green Agriculture
\nThe Sci-Tech Courtyard is a service platform that integrates agricultural scitech innovation, demonstration and promotion, and talent cultivation. In the Dongpo Sci-Tech Courtyard of Agricultural Skill Promotion in Meishan City, Sichuan Province, 33 team members — including 22 women — work on the front line of green agriculture. With women at its core, the team provides comprehensive services in skill training, field production guidance, problem identification and resolution, and industry chain alignment, benefiting more than 50,000 villagers. The Sci-Tech Courtyard also makes targeted efforts in new species selection, cultivation technique research for high-quality and high-yield crops, and the development of green planting and cultivation models. Over the past nine years, comparative trials of more than 400 paddy varieties have been completed, leading to the selection of 40 high-quality and high-yield species that have significantly increased the proportion of such crops in the region. Cultivation of 824,467 hectares of these paddies has generated a net income growth of RMB2.65 billion. In addition, more than 10 new planting techniques have been promoted, and research on green planting and cultivation models has been advanced, increasing crop yield and economic benefits while reducing pesticide use.
\nAccelerating the green transformation of production models. China upholds green and low-carbon development as a fundamental approach to resolving environmental problems, and promotes a sound economic structure that facilitates green, low-carbon, and circular development. Women actively participate in the efforts to promote green development in industry, shift the production model of agriculture, and improve the sustainable level of the service industry. By 2024, the number of companies in the green economy sector invested in by women entrepreneurs had reached 445,000, accounting for 27.4 percent of the total. These companies cover a range of market segments, including clean energy, organic agriculture, and eco-conservation. Scientific management of fertilizer and pesticide use and innovative ecological planting serve to save agricultural resources, improve the eco-environment of agricultural production areas, and supply high-quality green agricultural products, promoting the triple-win of less pesticide use, more income, and better environment. New models of eco-environmental businesses have been established, including urban modern agriculture, leisure agriculture, eco-tourism, high-quality homestays, and rural complexes. By the end of 2024, the number of family farms run by women reached 487,000, and women accounted for 68.6 percent of all holders of vocational skill certificates in rural homestay housekeeping.
\nLiving a green lifestyle. Green development is closely connected to each of our lives. Chinese women advocate the values of eco-civilization and encourage simple, moderate, green, low-carbon, sound and healthy ways of life and consumption by integrating these concepts into everyday routines. They have played a leading role in building green families through saving water and electricity, participating in the "Clear Your Plate" campaign, using green modes of transport, and engaging in waste sorting. Women also actively participate in developing beautiful courtyards and harmonious villages, guided by standards such as tidy rooms, hygienic kitchens and toilets, neat courtyards, abundant greenery, and harmonious families. To date, more than 12 million households have been awarded the title of "Beautiful Courtyard". Women are consistently in the frontline of enhancing public awareness of environmental protection and improving community environment. For example, in Shanghai, a themed campaign was launched to find 10,000 families living a green lifestyle and recruit 100,000 family waste sorting volunteers, creating a good atmosphere for the million families participating in this endeavor.
\nParticipating in disaster prevention and mitigation. China regards people's lives and safety as the primary goal of disaster prevention and mitigation. It boosts public participation and improves the capabilities of the whole society to defend and respond to disasters, and women play a key role in this — particularly in investigation and identification of potential risks and hidden dangers, early warning and treatment, and information reporting. In 2024, women accounted for 23.6 percent of disaster information assistants nationwide, totaling 267,000, and comprised 61.6 percent of national chief meteorological experts. Women actively participate in disaster relief operations and public education on disaster prevention and mitigation, and promote family education in relevant fields. There are 13.71 million registered women fire volunteers nationwide, representing 52.4 percent of the total. The National Natural Disaster Emergency Relief Plan put forward requirements for safeguarding the rights and interests of special groups. Through the collaborative efforts of the government and society, material guarantee for special needs, such as women's hygiene products and supplies for pregnant and postpartum women, has been strengthened.
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nChina upholds the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, aligns with the prevailing global trends towards peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, and actively advances the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. Through close cooperation with other countries, China is helping accelerate the creation of an international environment conducive to women's development and a better world for all.
\n1. Participating in Global Governance on Women's Issues
\nChina plays a leading role in implementing the spirit of the UN Fourth World Conference on Women and advances global governance on women's issues through concrete actions.
\nSupporting the central role of the United Nations. China has co-hosted the Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment with UN Women to encourage countries to fulfill their commitments and inject new momentum into the global advancement of women. At the UN Human Rights Council, China has repeatedly delivered joint statements on promoting and protecting women's rights, pushed for the adoption of relevant resolutions, and called on countries to work together to implement the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action. China consistently sends high-level delegations to the sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and collaborates with UN organizations and agencies to conduct seminars on women's poverty reduction, the digital economy, inclusive finance, technology empowerment, and gender equality amid demographic changes, sharing China's experience in promoting women's development. Since 2015, China has donated US $20 million to UN Women and carried out practical cooperation with multiple UN specialized agencies on women's issues. In partnership with UNESCO, it has established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education and implemented projects in Africa focusing on digital and health education for girls. Chinese women hold important positions and serve as experts in the UN system, contributing their expertise to global governance on women's issues.
\nPanel 21 China and UNESCO Jointly Established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education
\nIn 2015, China partnered with UNESCO to establish the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education, which recognizes institutions and individuals that have made outstanding contributions to advancing education for girls and women. This is the first prize of its kind established by UNESCO. Proposed and funded by the Chinese government, it is awarded annually to two laureates, who each receive US $50,000 to further their work in girls' and women's education. As of 2024, 18 organizations and projects from 18 countries had received the award, including the Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education. This prize has provided an increasing number of girls and women with opportunities to change their lives and pursue their dreams. It has also raised greater awareness of and support for girls' and women's education among more people, thereby galvanizing concerted efforts to advance global gender equality in education.
\nFirmly fulfilling international obligations. China fulfills its obligations under international conventions such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, regularly submits national implementation reports, and actively participates in review processes to promote gender equality and women's development. It actively implements the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, continuously improves women's living conditions and expands their development prospects, and has achieved the poverty reduction and health-related targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule. Through these efforts, China has not only improved the lives of Chinese women, but has also offered the international community its approach to safeguarding women's human rights.
\nLeading and advancing multilateral and regional agendas for women's development. At the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, China proposed the Global AI Governance Initiative, emphasizing the need to avoid gender bias in AI development. The country also facilitated the adoption of the Resolution on Enhancing International Cooperation in Capacity-Building of Artificial Intelligence at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, which underscores ensuring universal benefits from AI, enhancing digital inclusion and achieving gender equality while empowering women and girls. Since 2012, China has hosted 29 women's conferences under frameworks including APEC, G20, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), China-ASEAN, China-Africa, China-Arab States, China-Central Asia, and Lancang-Mekong Cooperation. Through these mechanisms, China has deeply engaged in cooperation on women's issues, focusing on topics including poverty reduction, development, employment, business startup, education empowerment, and pandemic response. These efforts have facilitated targeted experience-sharing, dialogues, and collaborative actions, enabling China to advocate actionable propositions for advancing women's comprehensive development, inclusivity, and sustainable development.
\n2. Deepening Cooperation and Exchanges to Advance Women's Development
\nChina integrates the deepening of women's development cooperation into the frameworks of high-quality Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and South-South cooperation, to jointly promote women's sustainable development.
\nAdvancing women's development in BRI participating countries. China actively promotes high-quality BRI cooperation. Initiatives such as the Silk Road E-commerce have created employment opportunities and pathways for women in these countries, and digital technology enablement program for women in ASEAN countries — alongside other related programs — have supported women in the region in seeking employment and starting businesses. For 10 consecutive years, China and partner countries have jointly hosted a series of events under the theme "Pool Women's Strength for Belt and Road Cooperation", encouraging women in these countries to become supporters, participants, contributors, and beneficiaries of the BRI.
\nSupporting women's poverty reduction and development in South-South cooperation. China supports developing countries in improving women's living conditions and development environment. It has implemented 100 maternal and child health projects and 100 happy campus projects, along with a series of small but effective public wellbeing programs focusing on housing, rural roads, and technology training to empower women and girls. Through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has carried out women-related projects worth nearly US $40 million across over 20 countries. Additionally, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund has allocated RMB12 million to support women's development programs. Through foreign aid training and technical assistance, Juncao technology has helped women in 106 countries gain meaningful employment.
\nPanel 22 Juncao Technology Assistance: Empowering Women in Developing Countries to Realize Their Dreams
\nJuncao technology is a unique Chinese method for cultivating edible and medicinal fungi that uses grass as a substitute for wood. First included in China's foreign aid programs in 1994, it has since been introduced to 106 countries. In Lesotho, a compact 10-square-meter Juncao mushroom cultivation model has enabled impoverished farmers with limited land to produce 1.2 tonnes of fresh Juncao mushrooms annually from a single 10-square-meter plot. In African and Pacific Island nations, women use Juncao as livestock feed to mitigate shortages caused by climate change. Seruwaia Kabukabu from Fiji has led local women in growing Juncao mushrooms, significantly improving the living conditions of families in her community. In recognition of her work, she has been elected as chairperson of the Fiji Mushroom Farmers Association. Juncao has thus become a "grass of happiness" for people in developing countries.
\nDeepening international cooperation in women's capacity building. China continues to strengthen and expand support training programs focused on women and children in developing countries. Since 2018, it has implemented over 100 programs in this domain, including the Seminar on Promoting Maternal and Child Health Under Global Development Initiative, and the Seminar on Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries — Women and Children. Additionally, China has launched degree programs in women's leadership and social development, training nearly 4,000 outstanding professionals in the field of women's development. An exchange and training base for global women's development cooperation has been established in Beijing to design tailored empowerment programs for women in developing countries. Training and exchange centers for Chinese and foreign women have been set up in collaboration with 15 countries, and through international cooperation in vocational education, the Luban Workshops have trained 5,944 female students, who account for 23.25 percent of all participants in the project.
\nSolid progress in people-to-people exchanges in the field of women's affairs. China has actively developed global partnerships and engaged in comprehensive, multi-channel friendly exchanges with women's organizations and institutions from over 140 countries. It has conducted dialogues with foreign female political leaders, spouses of heads of state, and female government ministers, organized high-level delegations for overseas visits, and pioneered new approaches to high-level women's foreign exchanges. China has deepened women's exchanges under its cultural and people-to-people exchange mechanisms with other countries, holding thematic seminars on women's entrepreneurship, economic empowerment, education, anti-domestic violence, and family culture, while strengthening cooperation in areas such as women's rights and interests, bridging the digital gender divide, and promoting women's participation in sci-tech innovation and sustainable development. The Female Diplomats' China Adventures series has been launched to share the practical experiences of Chinese women in economic development and grassroots governance, and exchange insights on promoting gender equality. China supports women's participation in cross-cultural exchanges, with women accounting for 80 percent of dispatched Chinese-language teachers and 90 percent of volunteers in international Chinese language education.
\n3. Actively Addressing Global Challenges
\nChina supports women in playing an active role in maintaining peace and security, and in addressing challenges including climate change, public health crises, and humanitarian disasters.
\nSupporting women's participation in maintaining peace and security. China has taken concrete actions to implement UN Security Council resolutions on "Women, Peace and Security", supporting women's important roles in conflict prevention, peace negotiations, and post-conflict reconstruction. In 2022, the China-UN Peace and Development Trust Fund initiated a training program for senior female talent to promote gender equality in high-level positions within UN peacekeeping operations. China has deployed over 1,200 female peacekeepers and more than 100 female police officers to UN missions, who have participated in medical support, liaison and coordination, mine clearance, patrols and observation, and efforts to advance gender equality and protect women.
\nPanel 23 Chinese Female Peacekeeping Officer Received an Honorary Certificate for UN Military Gender Advocate Award
\nThe UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award was established in 2016 to recognize peacekeepers who have made outstanding contributions to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. On May 29, 2020, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Chinese officer Xin Yuan, a senior mine clearance staff officer at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), received an award in this category in recognition of her exceptional service, becoming the first Chinese service member to win this honor. Xin was the only female staff officer responsible for mine clearance operations in UNIFIL. She assumed significant risks by conducting surveys in minefields alongside clearance teams, developed meticulous clearance plans, and completed mine clearance tasks 34 days ahead of schedule, clearing over 1,500 square meters of minefields. Her efforts earned her special commendation from the UNIFIL headquarters.
\nEmpowering women to address climate change. China has consistently organized training programs on South-South cooperation for climate change response, implementing a gender-balanced enrollment policy. Since 2022, nearly 300 female officials, experts and scholars from developing countries engaged in climate change projects have participated in training programs in China. From 2012 to 2024, China conducted nearly 100 foreign aid training projects in meteorological monitoring, forecasting, and services, with women accounting for 36.72 percent of the trainees. It has donated 5,000 household solar photovoltaic power generation systems and 10,000 clean cooking stoves to Myanmar, reducing indoor air pollution and its associated health risks while supporting the country's low-carbon transition. The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund supported Cambodia in implementing a project on gender mainstreaming in climate action, enhancing rural women's climate adaptability and resilience.
\nAddressing women's needs in international humanitarian assistance. In efforts to alleviate migrant and refugee crises, China has placed high priority on women and children, encouraging women to register as recipients of household assistance supplies and providing special care for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Projects in the Republic of Congo specifically target pregnant and breastfeeding women as beneficiaries, effectively reducing malnutrition rates among women and children. In 2023, China provided over 120,000 hygiene kits, valued at US $1.5 million, to Rohingya women and girls seeking refuge in Bangladesh, benefiting more than 60,000 women and girls.
\nConclusion
\nThe pursuit of gender equality is a great cause. In the new era, the spirit of self-esteem, confidence, independence and self-reliance among Chinese women is demonstrated as the Chinese people forge ahead with resolve under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The glorious journey of women's development in China is deeply integrated into the process of achieving the Two Centenary Goals under the Party's leadership. Never before have Chinese women enjoyed such tremendous opportunities to realize their full potential and achieve their dreams, and never before has the cause of Chinese women borne witness to such broad prospects for development.
\nToday, China is working to build a great country and achieve national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. This requires pooling the strength of hundreds of millions of women and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development at a higher level. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China will unswervingly follow the path of women's development under socialism with Chinese characteristics, adhere to the fundamental national policy of gender equality, and thoroughly implement the Outline of Women's Development in China to enhance women's overall capabilities. Through these efforts, the country will create conditions and platforms for women to participate in economic and social development, protect their legitimate rights and interests, and encourage them to stand at the forefront of the times.
\nIn today's world, promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development presents both opportunities and significant challenges. All countries must strive to create safe and secure environments for women's survival and development, eliminate violence, discrimination and poverty, and effectively address the impact of climate change. It is essential to continuously empower women, ensuring they enjoy more and better opportunities and play more significant roles in the new revolution in science, technology and industry. We must adhere to true multilateralism, honor international obligations, and promote mutual learning and people-to-people exchanges among women worldwide. China is ready to work with countries around the world to expedite actions to create a brighter future for women's development and write a new chapter in the global progress of women.
\n\n\n\n\nContents
\nPreface
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nConclusion
\nPreface
\nThroughout history, women have played an essential role in shaping human civilization and have made immense contributions to social progress. But the paths towards gender equality and women's well-rounded development across the world have been long and arduous.
\nSince its founding in 1921, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has remained committed to women's liberation and development and gender equality. The CPC regards women as a major force for advancing all endeavors of the Party and the nation, always places the work concerning women high on its agenda, and leads women in their pursuit of liberation, progress and development. In doing so, the Party has opened a socialist path for women's development with Chinese characteristics.
\nThe 18th CPC National Congress in 2012 marked the beginning of a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In this new era, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has emphasized safeguarding women's lawful rights and interests and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development as integral components of Chinese modernization. Accordingly, it has made a series of major decisions and plans that are pioneering in vision, overarching in scope, and enduring in significance. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, initiated, planned for, supported and chaired the Party's first ever Central Conference on the Party's Work with People's Organizations in 2015, attended the 11th, 12th and 13th national women's congresses in 2013, 2018 and 2023 respectively, and held talks with each newly elected leadership team of the All-China Women's Federation. He has also delivered important speeches on work related to women and children, the role of women's federations, and the significance of family ties, values and traditions, thereby identifying the direction, objectives and guidelines of China's endeavors for women in the new era.
\nUpholding gender equality, among other basic national policies, has been incorporated into the CPC's political program, and promoting women's well-rounded development has been included in the national development plan. The legal system for safeguarding women's rights and interests also continues to improve. China has developed a sound approach to its endeavors concerning women. Chinese women actively participate in government initiatives, serve as advocates of civic virtues, fight for their dreams, and excel across all professions. In the new era, China has delivered numerous historic achievements in its endeavors concerning women. The Chinese socialist path for women's development continues to expand, opening ever-broader opportunities for advancement.
\nWomen around the world have a shared future. China's endeavors concerning women are an integral part of the global cause. In 1995, China hosted the Fourth World Conference on Women, organized by the United Nations. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the conference has since become a milestone for global gender equality. At important occasions such as the 2015 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment and the 2020 high-level meeting on the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, Xi Jinping, in his role as president of China, elaborated on China's propositions on gender equality and women's well-rounded development, and proposed holding another global leaders' meeting on women in 2025.
\nOn the occasion of the 2025 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, the Chinese government is publishing this white paper to present China's philosophy, principles, and innovative practices in promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development in the new era, highlight Chinese women's outstanding achievements and contribution, and affirm China's commitment to join global endeavors for women's advancement.
\nI. Development of China's Endeavors Concerning Women
\nIn the process of Chinese modernization, based on China's realities and the trend of the times, the CPC leads Chinese women in exercising their lawful democratic rights, participating in social and economic development, and sharing the fruits of reform and development, all on the foundation of gender equality.
\n1. Upholding the CPC's Overall Leadership
\nThe CPC's leadership is the fundamental guarantee of China's work related to women. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has approached this work as an integral part of its broader strategic goal of achieving national rejuvenation, incorporating gender equality and women's well-rounded development into the overall architecture of Chinese socialism.
\nUpholding the fundamental national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children have been included into the reports to the 18th, 19th and 20th CPC national congresses, held in 2012, 2017 and 2022 respectively.
\nAt the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2019, the Party called for upholding and improving the systems and mechanisms for promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development and proposed leveraging the important role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance.
\nAt the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2020, upholding the national policy of gender equality and protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children were written into the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, along with the promotion of family ties, values and traditions.
\nAt the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2021, the promotion of family ties, values and traditions and the protection of the rights and interests of women and children were incorporated into the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century.
\nAt the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in 2024, the Party incorporated improving the system for protecting the lawful rights and interests of women and children and refining the mechanisms for leveraging the role of family ties, values and traditions in community-level social governance into the overall plan for deeper comprehensive reform.
\nThis evolution in policy-making has ensured that China's endeavors concerning women have progressed smoothly under the CPC's overall leadership.
\n2. Implementing the Fundamental National Policy of Gender Equality
\nHighlighting gender equality as a basic national policy is an innovative practice of the Chinese socialist system and a momentous decision for advancing this cause and women's well-rounded development.
\nChina has improved top-level design and systematic planning accordingly. In formulating laws and policies and making plans and arrangements, the country has taken into full consideration the differences between women and men and the distinctive interests of women. It has promoted gender equality in rights, opportunities and outcomes, safeguarding women's rights and interests in accordance with the law.
\nChina is committed to cultivating a social ethos of respect and care for women, eliminating all forms of discrimination against them, and discarding obsolete ideas and practices that hinder their development. This more inclusive and dynamic social environment has allowed gender equality to truly become a shared social norm and part of the value system.
\n3. Synergizing Women's Development with Social and Economic Progress
\nDevelopment cannot be achieved without women, and its fruits should be shared by all. In this spirit, China has integrated the advancement of gender equality into its broader development process.
\nWomen's development has been incorporated into the Five-sphere Integrated Plan, which promotes coordinated progress in the economic, political, cultural, social and eco-environmental fields. Goals and tasks for women's development have also been embedded in the five-year plans for national economic and social development. The level of women's development is regarded as an essential measurement for social and economic development. With these efforts, China has synergized its endeavors for women with its social and economic progress in terms of planning and implementation, ensuring that modernization brings greater benefits to women in a fairer way, enabling them to enjoy a growing, guaranteed and sustained sense of gain, fulfillment and security.
\n4. Fully Leveraging Women's Proactive Role in National Development
\nWomen constitute a powerful force driving human progress, while at the same time shaping and determining their own futures. Upholding a people-centered philosophy of development, China respects the agency of women and has strengthened relevant institutional safeguards, policy support, and public service supply for their development.
\nChina has carried out programs encouraging women to strive for achievements, which seek to enhance women's overall capabilities, broaden channels for their participation in national development, and fully stimulate their enthusiasm, initiative and creativity, with an ultimate goal of realizing, safeguarding and improving women's vital and immediate interests to the maximum extent.
\nThe country encourages women to integrate their personal aspirations with the undertakings of the Party and the country, and to leverage their individual strengths in implementing the new development philosophy, fostering a new development dynamic, promoting high-quality development, achieving greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology, and advancing rural revitalization across the board. Utilizing their distinctive role in society and family, women are called upon to contribute considerably to the building of China into a great country and the realization of national rejuvenation.
\n5. Joining Global Women in Building a Bright Shared Future
\nHumanity lives in one homeland, and women around the world have a shared future. China upholds the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity, and facilitates the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. It advocates putting the people first, stays committed to results-oriented actions, and contributes Chinese initiatives, solutions and actions to global endeavors for women.
\nChina supports the United Nations in prioritizing women's development, promotes cooperation with the rest of the world in relevant fields, and builds international consensus on gender equality through extensive exchanges and mutual learning. Together with all other countries, China works to shape a global environment conducive to women's development, to safeguard international fairness and justice, and to make its due contribution to moving the world to a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress.
\nII. Boosting the Well-Rounded Development of Women as a National Campaign
\nWomen's cause is an integral part of state governance. To advance this cause, China has continued to strengthen institutional support and safeguards, fostering the necessary conditions and environment for the comprehensive development of women.
\n1. Improving the Framework for Advancing Women's Cause
\nChina has established a mechanism for the work related to women, under which Party committees exercise leadership, governments assume primary responsibility, working committees on children and women play a coordinating role, women's federations work in collaboration, relevant departments provide support, and the whole of society participates. These concerted efforts have ensured that gender equality is upheld in all areas of economic and social development and all aspects of social life.
\nThe people's congresses have strengthened legislation and supervision. The National People's Congress (NPC) has established the Social Development Affairs Committee to undertake legislation, conduct supervision, and handle proposals and suggestions from NPC deputies concerning the protection of women's rights and interests. It attaches importance to incorporating legal initiatives for promoting women's development and safeguarding women's rights and interests into the legislative plans of its Standing Committee, and to soliciting opinions and accepting feasible proposals from women's federations and women themselves during legislative review and legal supervision.
\nAdditionally, the NPC hears and reviews the State Council's report on combating domestic violence, identifies the protection of female employees' lawful and special rights and interests as an important component of enforcement inspections of the Trade Union Law, and urges relevant departments to perform their statutory duties in protecting women's rights and interests. The people's congresses of 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government have also set up social development affairs committees to formulate local regulations to supplement national laws, thereby strengthening legal safeguards for women's rights and interests.
\nThe Chinese People's Government has effectively fulfilled its primary responsibility. The government has formulated and organized the implementation of outlines for women's development, and convened meetings on work related to children and women. The working committees on children and women have played their role as deliberative and coordinating bodies, and Party institutions, government departments, judicial authorities, and people's organizations have fulfilled their responsibilities in work related to women. The government has strengthened the statistics monitoring mechanism for the outlines for the development of women in China and established a gender statistics monitoring system covering over 2,400 indicators. Furthermore, gender has been incorporated as a key metric into national censuses and time-use surveys, and the fourth Survey on Social Status of Women in China has been conducted to assess women's development across multiple dimensions.
\nThe Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) has strengthened its role in conducting consultations and offering suggestions. CPPCC committees at all levels perform their duties in political consultation, democratic supervision, and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs. They conduct consultations on women's issues through a variety of channels and platforms, including subject-specific, sector-specific and proposal handling consultations, as well as consultative meetings with relevant departments. As one of the 34 sectors defined by the CPPCC, women's federations conduct research and consultations on key issues and major challenges in women's development, such as the protection of women's reproductive and health rights and interests. The National Committee of the CPPCC has conducted consultations and made suggestions to support women's development, addressing issues including fair employment and career development, the strengthening of family ties, values, and traditions, and universal access to childcare services.
\nWomen's federations have served as bridges for connection and communication. The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) is a people's organization of women of all ethnic groups and from all sectors of society in China. It unites women for further emancipation and development under the leadership of the CPC. The ACWF has established an organizational system of women's federations at the national, provincial, prefectural, county, township and village levels, covering government departments, public institutions, new types of economic entities and social organizations, and groups in new forms of employment.
\nWomen's federations at all levels have served as bridges linking the Party and the government with women, and as assistants to the Party. While supporting major national development strategies, they have performed their functions of guiding, serving, and engaging with women, and launched five key initiatives: providing women with political guidance; encouraging them to excel in the workplace; providing guidance and support in family education, family services, and the cultivation of family virtues; offering support for women's rights protection; and improving the problem-solving capability of women's federations and their staff's professional competence.
\nIn addition, women's federations have mobilized resources to support women's development through six practical measures: supporting female volunteers who provide care for children in need; growing the scale and quality of female-dominated family services; improving vocational training for women; developing a system of childcare services that is accessible to all; advancing the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project to help underprivileged schoolgirls; and telling engaging stories about the development of Chinese women. Through these initiatives, they have delivered accessible services and tangible benefits to women, children and families.
\n2. Setting Objectives and Tasks for Women's Development with Overall Planning
\nChina's national development plans have clarified the strategic tasks for women's development. Five-year plans are blueprints and guides of action for China's economic and social development during their designated time frames. The government has incorporated objectives for women's development into these plans for meeting its strategic goal of modernization.
\nThe 12th Five-year Plan (2011-2015) for the first time included a section dedicated specifically to advancing women's all-round development. It also set requirements for developing human resources with a focus on women, strengthening labor protection for women, and resolutely combating violence and crimes against women. The 13th Five-year Plan (2016-2020) further strengthened the protection of women's rights and interests and for the first time devoted a separate chapter to ensuring women's rights and equal access to education, employment, and participation in social affairs, and eliminating discrimination and prejudice against women. It also set the targets for poverty alleviation and reduction among women. The 14th Five-year Plan (2021-2025) outlines further measures to safeguard women's rights and interests in areas including health, education, employment, participation in state governance, and social security. For the first time, it contains a section specifically dedicated to the strengthening of family development which focuses on improving the supporting policies and services for this goal.
\nSpecial plans in related fields have been made to address women's practical development needs. Plans for improving people's wellbeing — including the Outline of Healthy China 2030, the Outline of the Development Plan for Education (2024-2035), and the special plans for boosting employment and the development of civil affairs undertakings during the 14th Five-year Plan period — have put forward policies and measures to improve the health of women and children, safeguard women's equal rights to education, support women's employment, entrepreneurship, and career development, and improve care and services for rural women who stay behind to care for families while their husbands work in cities.
\nThe National Medium — and Long-term Talent Development Plan (2010-2020) has outlined arrangements to promote gender balance in the talent pool and strengthen the training and selection of female talent. The National Action Plan for Scientific Literacy (2021-2035) has made specific arrangements to improve the scientific literacy of rural women. The National Human Rights Action Plan, in all four phases, includes a section on the measures for safeguarding women's rights and interests, covering personal, property, education, employment and health rights.
\nOutlines for women's development have laid out phased targets. Since 1995, China has formulated and implemented four outlines for women's development, each outlining the primary objectives, strategies, and measures for women's development in its corresponding phase.
\nThe Outline of Women's Development in China (2021-2030) contains 75 primary objectives and 93 strategic measures across eight fields: health, education, economy, participation in decision-making and administration, social security, family development, environment, and the legal sector. The document also outlines the 41 Party and government departments and institutions responsible for implementing these strategic measures.
\nNationwide, 31 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, along with over 300 prefectures and cities and more than 2,000 counties and districts, have formulated plans for local women's development based on their actual conditions. The objectives and tasks set in the Outline dovetail with national development plans, align with sector-specific plans, and are integrated across the national, provincial, city and county levels. A comprehensive planning system for advancing women's development is now firmly in place.
\n3. Strengthening Legal Guarantee for Women's Rights and Interests
\nContinuing to improve the legal system. Legal protection of women's rights and interests is an integral part of advancing law-based governance. China has established a legal system anchored in the Constitution and centered on the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, covering over 100 laws and regulations.
\nThe Civil Code was compiled, which includes a Personality Rights section that clarifies the definition of sexual harassment and the responsibilities of employers. Its Marriage and Family section improves mechanisms for the identification and settlement of marital debts, and economic compensation for unpaid domestic work in divorce proceedings.
\nThe Criminal Law has been revised to abolish the crime of "prostitution involving underage girls" and punish such acts as rape, raise the statutory minimum penalty for the crime of child molestation, and introduce harsher punishments for the crime of purchasing abducted and trafficked women. Additionally, the crime of sexual assault by a person with a duty of care has been added to the Criminal Law.
\nThe amended Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests has made more comprehensive and systematic provisions on the system and mechanism for protecting women's rights and interests. China has also formulated the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and created systems of compulsory reporting, admonition, personal safety protection order, and emergent protection.
\nThe revised Law on Land Contract in Rural Areas has improved the legal guarantees for rural women's land rights and interests, ensuring their rightful entitlement to land and corresponding rights. The Law on Rural Collective Economic Organizations has been formulated to provide institutional safeguards ensuring that women do not lose their membership, rights and interests in such organizations due to changes in marital status.
\nIn addition, the Legal Aid Law, the Law on Basic Medical and Health Care and the Promotion of Health, and the Population and Family Planning Law all have provisions for safeguarding women's rights and interests.
\nA gender equality review mechanism has been established at the national level and across all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government. This mechanism conducts assessments of laws and regulations related to women's rights and interests, ensuring that the fundamental national policy of gender equality is implemented in laws and regulations at the source.
\nPanel 1 Revisions to the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests
\nThe Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests was promulgated in 1992, amended in 2005 and 2018, and thoroughly revised in 2022, expanding from 61 articles in nine chapters to 86 articles in ten chapters with the revision.
\nThe Law fully embodies the fundamental national policy of gender equality and has strengthened the comprehensive protection of women's political rights, personal and personality rights and interests, and their rights and interests in culture, education, employment, social security, property, marriage, and family. It has added new provisions on the mechanism for safeguarding women's rights and interests, the mechanism for gender equality assessment of laws and regulations, the system for collecting and publishing gender statistics, and education on gender equality as a basic national policy. It has established legal aid channels, including a public-interest litigation system for safeguarding women's rights and interests, a mechanism for admonishing violators of women's rights and interests in employment and social security, and a nationwide service hotline for protecting women's rights.
\nOverall, the Law has strengthened legal liabilities and reinforced its rigidity.
\nStrengthening law enforcement and judicial protection. China has taken resolute actions to combat criminal and illegal acts that infringe upon women's and girls' personal rights. Since 2013, public security agencies have continued to carry out special operations targeting the abduction and trafficking of women and children. By 2024, the number of such cases had decreased by 95 percent compared with 2013.
\nChina has established an inter-departmental cooperation and consultation mechanism against domestic violence, issued guidelines on the implementation of admonitions against domestic violence and personal protection orders, and promulgated judicial interpretations clarifying specific interventions and prevention measures, and forms of evidence for identifying domestic violence.
\nThe systems and measures for preventing and addressing workplace sexual harassment have been improved, with the addition of "dispute over liability for damages caused by sexual harassment" as an independent cause of action. To strengthen the protection of the personal rights and interests of girls, China has established a compulsory reporting system for cases of offenses against minors, as well as mechanisms for urging parental care and supervision over minors, for preventing violators from engaging in certain occupations, and for providing one-stop judicial support.
\nProcuratorates at all levels have registered and handled 3,810 public-interest cases concerning women's rights and interests. Since 2012, legal aid institutions across China have provided legal assistance for women involved in over 4.2 million cases, and free legal consultations for over 20 million women.
\nRaising public awareness of the rule of law. China continued to formulate and implement the seventh and eighth five-year plans for popularizing legal knowledge, both of which include laws and regulations on protecting women's lawful rights and interests. The country has strengthened law promotion and interpretation efforts, and the NPC Standing Committee has organized press conferences to expound on the principles in formulating and revising the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law, and share their highlights.
\nEfforts have been made to raise public legal awareness through multiple channels and approaches. Since 2012, articles on protecting women's rights and interests published through the official WeChat account for law popularization have been viewed 91.36 million times, and the annual legal knowledge competition has attracted tens of millions of participants. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions has organized legal awareness activities for female employees for 11 consecutive years, and women's federations at all levels across China have held more than 3.76 million events to raise legal awareness and provide legal services since 2016, with the participation of over 400 million women.
\nIn 2024, courts and procuratorates across the country, in conjunction with women's federations, organized more than 4,200 open day events on safeguarding the rights and interests of women and children and released over 3,800 typical cases. A legal education program for rural women reached more than 86 percent of China's rural areas.
\n4. Creating an Equal and Harmonious Social Environment
\nVigorously promoting the fundamental national policy of gender equality. China has carried out targeted public education on gender equality across multiple dimensions and through multiple channels, promoting this basic national policy in government departments, schools, enterprises, urban and rural communities, and families.
\nFor Party and government leaders, the Implementation of Gender Equality as a Basic National Policy has been compiled as a coursebook and incorporated into the curriculum and teaching plans of Party schools. For students, education on gender equality has been promoted in elementary and high schools, as well as in universities, and integrated into textbook planning and regulatory standards, and guides for related courses. Gender balance is emphasized in textbook illustrations, and excellent female writers have seen greater representation in textbooks, to eliminate gender stereotypes in teaching materials.
\nFor the general public, gender equality has been incorporated into cultural and ethical development in both urban and rural communities, into self-regulations and rules for their residents, and into efforts to cultivate good family ties, values, and traditions. Party members and officials, experts, scholars, and those who work in women's affairs have given talks and lectures, and engaged in public communication on gender equality in approachable and popular forms, enabling the public to understand this basic national policy and apply it in their daily lives.
\nPanel 2 Guangdong Promoting Gender Equality Education in Elementary and High Schools
\nSince 2012, Guangdong Province has promoted gender equality education in schools. Targeting students in urban elementary and high schools, three types of courses have been developed, with a focus on cognitive understanding, behavioral norms and attitudinal guidance. These are themed courses on gender equality, integrated courses that incorporate ideas of gender equality into related subjects, and practical courses that engage students in all types of activities. Targeting students in rural elementary and high schools, courses have been developed for students in different grades with a focus on care for left-behind children, physical development during puberty, and prevention of sexual assault among adolescents.
\nBy the first half of 2025, Guangdong had established 661 demonstration elementary and high schools for gender equality education, with a professional teaching staff of over 1,500 members. Assessment results indicate that education on gender equality has generated a positive effect on both male and female students, raising their gender equality awareness, promoting physical and mental health, improving academic performance, and reducing bullying and disciplinary violations.
\nStrengthening the awareness of gender equality in the media. The Advertising Law and other relevant laws, as well as the Outline of Women's Development in China, all stipulate regulations regarding gender equality assessment and supervision in the media, prohibiting reports or advertisements with contents that disparage, undermine, or infringe upon women's dignity.
\nGender equality reviews have been conducted throughout the script development, production, screening, and distribution of films and TV programs. News outlets have issued lists of prohibited and offensive terms to eliminate discriminatory expressions in news reports. Media organizations have implemented a social responsibility reporting system and upheld the professional ethic of safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of women, children, the elderly, and the disabled and protecting their physical and mental health.
\nThe stories of women role models have been told through media coverage, special releases and events in recognition of their contribution, showcasing patriotism, devotion to the people, perseverance and progress in the face of challenges, and commitment to virtue and good deeds. Gender equality has now become a widely accepted social norm.
\nCreating a clean cyberspace. China has issued judicial interpretations, released exemplary cases, and carried out special operations to combat fraud, abduction, trafficking, rape, and other crimes against women and children committed or facilitated through online channels. Offenses that infringe upon women's personality rights, such as the illegal disclosure of personal information, defamation, and malicious online abuse, are strictly punished. Online platforms have taken on greater responsibility by addressing illegal and inappropriate content, including removing articles and short videos that advocate a preference for sons over daughters or exaggerate family disputes.
\nChina has increased the supply of high-quality online content. Special campaigns have been launched to introduce new media products showcasing women in the new era and their commitment to the country, such as the theme song Blooms of China, the women's federation promotional video Together, and the family values promotional video I Love My Family. These products have reached hundreds of millions of women and families, and facilitated new progress in providing theoretical and political guidance to women.
\nEfforts have also been made to improve the digital literacy of the general public, foster responsible internet usage among women, tell engaging stories of China and Chinese women, spread mainstream values, and promote positive energy online.
\nIII. Sharing in the Fruits of Modernization
\nEradicating poverty, improving living standards, and achieving common prosperity are essential tasks of socialism. China has made continuous efforts to ensure people's access to childcare, education, employment, medical services, eldercare, housing, and social assistance, meeting women's expectation for a better life.
\n1. Elimination of Absolute Poverty
\nChina has organized the largest and most intensive poverty alleviation campaign in human history, benefiting the greatest number of people. By the end of 2020, it had successfully eliminated absolute poverty throughout the country, meeting the poverty reduction target of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. On this epic journey of poverty reduction, China has honored its solemn commitment that no one should be left behind, specifically targeting women as a key group to widen their path towards prosperity.
\nTaking targeted measures to guarantee basic living needs. China has adopted a targeted strategy in poverty alleviation. Under this framework, it maintains detailed records on the distribution of impoverished populations, the underlying causes of poverty, the specific categories of poverty, and the expectations of the poor. This approach guarantees the implementation of targeted efforts in six areas: identification of those in need, project arrangement, capital utilization, the introduction of household-specific measures, the dispatch of officials to villages based on local conditions, and the achievement of set goals. As a result, women, who comprise approximately half of the impoverished population, have benefited from targeted resource allocation.
\nThe Health Program for Poverty Alleviation and its health promotion campaigns have guaranteed access to basic medical and health services for impoverished rural women.
\nThrough education initiatives for poverty alleviation, compulsory education in impoverished areas has been steadily improved, ensuring that no school-age girls from poor families drop out of school due to poverty.
\nSocial security systems have been strengthened to ensure eligible women on the list of the registered poor receive subsistence allowances or assistance and support for the extremely poor.
\nRenovation of dilapidated houses in rural areas, particularly in severely impoverished areas, has been subsidized by the government. Relocation projects have helped over 9.6 million people, who originally lived in inhospitable areas, to emerge from poverty and seek development.
\nThe basic food and clothing needs of impoverished women have been guaranteed, and their access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing has been ensured.
\nAfter winning the battle against absolute poverty, the country initiated a five-year transition period during which poverty alleviation support policies remained in effect to buttress areas and populations that had recently emerged from poverty. Based on the stable operation of such policies, a robust dynamic monitoring and assistance mechanism has been established to prevent any relapse into or occurrence of poverty, and support remains in place for women lifted out of poverty and those in low-income areas to participate in the local economy, seek more employment opportunities, and increase incomes.
\nBoosting the economy to create job opportunities for women and raise their income. China is committed to the policy of development-driven poverty alleviation to empower impoverished women.
\nIt has strengthened industrial support by facilitating the gradient transfer of labor-intensive industries such as food processing and clothing manufacturing, benefitting 98.9 percent of poor households. By advancing east-west cooperation in labor services, setting up poverty alleviation workshops, and creating public-interest rural jobs, the country has provided job opportunities for poor women with the will and ability to work. In its efforts to alleviate poverty, China has leveraged new forms of business and industries such as e-commerce programs, photovoltaic technology, and tourism to help impoverished women find good jobs within their local communities. In ethnic minority areas, the transition of the hand-knitting business from a purely traditional craft to a driver of the local economy has transformed the lives of the women embroidery artisans in the Miao and Yi communities.
\nChina has increased fiscal and financial support. In the critical battle against poverty, special supportive polices such as offering subsidized loans requiring no collateral or guarantee and tax reductions or exemptions were introduced. Cumulatively, over RMB450 billion in guaranteed microloans and poverty alleviation microcredit were disbursed to women in need, and 8.7 million impoverished women saw their income increased through entrepreneurship. From 2021 to 2024, the country sustained a flow of microcredit designated for people recently lifted out of poverty, of which RMB76.83 billion were offered to nearly 1.93 million women.
\nEfforts in skills training have been strengthened, with training courses on vocational skills, entrepreneurship, and practical agricultural technology being held through multiple channels, at multiple levels, and in multiple forms. As of 2020, training programs had been organized for a total of 10.21 million impoverished women and female technicians. From 2023 to 2024, the Rain and Dew Program sponsored 632,000 women to receive vocational education, allowing them to continue their march out of poverty.
\nPanel 3 Poverty Alleviation Workshops for Women Help Women Find Jobs and Emerge from Poverty
\nPoverty Alleviation Workshops for Women constitute a targeted model that helps boost employment and incomes among impoverished women. The Guidelines on the Three-Year Action Plan for Winning the Battle Against Poverty issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council required the establishment of poverty alleviation workshops to employ people from poor households near their homes. In line with this document, governments in poor regions adopted measures such as employment subsidies, workspace rental subsidies, and credit assistance to encourage enterprises to establish poverty alleviation workshops for women in poor rural communities, helping them find work in fields such as agricultural products processing and handicrafts weaving. By providing employment opportunities close to home, local governments and enterprises have enabled women to balance earning an additional income with their farming and family duties. During the critical battle against poverty, more than 10,000 such workshops for women have been established nationwide, helping women in need find secure employment in their local areas.
\nIncreasing input to break the bottlenecks constraining women's development. China has advanced infrastructure development, fundamentally solving many of the issues impeding women's development in impoverished areas, such as insufficient access to transport, electricity, water and communications. Where conditions permit, all towns, townships, and administrative villages have been connected to paved roads and provided with bus and postal services. Full coverage of reliable power supply has been largely realized in rural areas. All counties have access to gigabit internet, all townships to 5G services, and all villages to broadband connections. By the end of 2024, 94 percent of the rural population had enjoyed access to tap water.
\nPanel 4 Female National Models for Poverty Alleviation
\nWomen fully performed their role as "half the sky" in the critical battle against poverty. Among the 10 individuals honored as national models for poverty alleviation by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council in 2021, five were women. They include Bai Jingying, who led 26,000 women in shaking off poverty through a new trail — working in the Mongolian broidery industry; Zhang Guimei, who leveraged her expertise in education to found China's first free senior high school for girls, helping more than 2,000 girls from impoverished mountainous areas reach university; Huang Wenxiu, a poverty alleviation official and a resident first Party secretary, and Zhang Xiaojuan, a vice director of a county-level poverty alleviation office, both of whom sacrificed their young lives for poverty elimination while working at the grassroots level to help residents solve difficulties; and Xia Sen, who donated her savings of RMB2,032,000 accumulated through a lifetime of work and frugality to improve schools in poverty-stricken rural areas, including through the provision of grants that have gone on to help 182 students from poor households enroll in university.
\n2. Notable Improvement in Health
\nPrioritizing people's health in its development strategy, China makes all-out efforts to build a healthy China, with women's and children's health the cornerstone of this work. By consolidating and improving institutional arrangements and optimizing resource allocation, the country provides women with full life-circle health services.
\nContinuous improvement of the maternal and child healthcare system. China has integrated its maternal and child healthcare network into its national medical and healthcare framework that covers its 1.4 billion people. A service system for maternal and child healthcare has been built, with maternal and child healthcare institutions as the core, community-level medical and healthcare institutions as the foundation, and medium and large hospitals and research institutes as the pillars.
\nFrom 2012 to 2023, the number of health professionals at maternal and child healthcare institutions increased from 277,000 to 537,000, with an annual growth rate of over 6 percent; the actual number of beds rose from 187,000 to 295,000, up by nearly 60 percent. At present, China has 3,081 maternal and child healthcare institutions, 3,491 treatment centers for high-risk and critically ill pregnant and postpartum women, and 3,221 treatment centers for critically ill neonates. More than 2,600 traditional Chinese medicine hospitals at Grade II and above have gynecological departments.
\nThe "internet plus maternal and child healthcare" service model has been developed, and training sessions and guidance for treating pregnant and postpartum women in severe and critical conditions have been provided through 31 provincial-level "cloud-based maternal and child healthcare" telemedicine platforms, making maternal and child healthcare services much more equitable.
\nPanel 5 Five Mechanisms for Maternal and Neonatal Safety Safeguarding the Health of Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Newborns
\nThe five mechanisms for maternal and neonatal safety covers pregnancy risk screening and evaluation, targeted management of high-risk pregnant and postpartum women, emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, maternal mortality case reporting, and admonition of underperforming healthcare providers. Based on the severity of pregnancy risks, pregnant and postpartum women are classified into one of five categories and each is assigned a label: green for low risk, yellow for common risk, orange for relatively high risk, red for high risk, or purple for carrying an infectious disease. Their treatment is then managed according to their category. This general system is supported by a nationwide, tiered network for treating pregnant and postpartum women and neonates in severe and critical conditions, which features coordination between different levels, highly efficient response, and orderly operation. It closely monitors key high-risk groups and strengthens the emergency treatment of critical and severe cases, thereby ensuring the safety of mothers and newborns.
\nBreakthroughs in solving key issues in women's health. China has strengthened its resource coordination to integrate the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B into major public health service programs. In 2024, the rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission in China fell to 1.2 percent, meeting the targets for eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission.
\nChina has promoted the comprehensive prevention and treatment of cervical cancer and breast cancer. Between 2009 and 2024, 342 million free screenings for cervical cancer and 245 million free screenings for breast cancer were carried out nationwide, and between 2012 and 2024, the central government allocated RMB3.01 billion for treatment and support for women with these forms of cancer. HPV vaccination has been incorporated into the government's public welfare initiatives in 18 provinces as of June 2025, benefiting 5 million girls of eligible age annually through free vaccination programs.
\nA group of specialty branches and outpatient departments focusing on women's healthcare have been established, covering the entire process of childbearing and women's full life cycle.
\nA reproductive health promotion campaign has been carried out. By the end of 2024, youth health education services had been provided in more than 10,000 elementary and high schools and more than 1,000 higher education institutions across the country.
\nThe campaign to raise national health awareness, the initiative to build healthy families, the Healthy China: Mother's Action, and other initiatives have been rolled out to guide women to lead their family members and the wider society in raising health awareness and health management capacity.
\nRemarkable improvement in women's health. In 2020, the average life expectancy of women in China rose to 80.9 years.
\nSince 2012, the national hospital delivery rate has remained above 99 percent, and in 2024, the systematic maternal management rate reached 94.9 percent. The maternal mortality rate has dropped by 76.9 percent, from 61.9 per 100,000 in 1995 to 14.3 per 100,000 in 2024 — far below the global average.
\nIn terms of core maternal and child health indicators, namely maternal, infant, and under-five mortality rates, China ranks among the top in global upper-middle-income countries. It has met the relevant targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule and has been recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the 10 high performing countries in maternal and child health outcomes.
\n3. Substantial Increase in Women's Education Level
\nIn building up its strength in education and coordinating integrated reforms of educational, sci-tech and talent systems and mechanisms, China has made tremendous efforts to ensure women's equitable access to education of all categories and levels, raise women's scientific literacy and promote life-long education for them. As a result, women's right to education has been effectively guaranteed.
\nGender divide in basic education has been largely eliminated. China has implemented four consecutive preschool education action plans. In 2024, girls accounted for 47.3 percent of children in kindergartens, totaling 16.94 million.
\nPanel 6 The Spring Bud Project Helps Girls from Impoverished Families Realize Their Dreams Through Schooling
\nThe Spring Bud Project is a public welfare project launched by the China Children and Teenagers' Fund in 1989 to help out-of-school girls from poverty-stricken areas return to school and improve their access to education. In 2019, Prof. Peng Liyuan, special envoy for girls' education under the Spring Bud Project, launched the Dream of the Future action of the Spring Bud Project. By carrying out education in health, digital technology, science and technology, music, and other areas, this initiative helps girls from poor households pursue well-rounded development. By the end of 2024, the project had raised RMB3.44 billion of non-governmental funds, providing 4.36 million instances of education assistance and more than 200,000 cases of one-to-one growth support and tailored psychological counseling for girls. This enabled girls to enjoy a more equitable and inclusive education of higher quality. In 2023, the Spring Bud Project won the UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education. In 2024, it was designated as one of the best cases in the Fifth Call of Global Solicitation on Best Poverty Reduction Practices.
\nChina promotes the high-quality and balanced development of compulsory education, and has accelerated efforts to narrow the educational gaps between regions, schools, groups, and between urban and rural areas. The net elementary education enrollment rate of school-age girls stays above 99.9 percent, and in 2024, girls made up 46.98 percent of students of nine-year compulsory education.
\nThe Plan to Popularize Senior High School Education (2017-2020) and the Action Plan to Develop County-level Senior High Schools During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) Period have been implemented nationwide, and the proportion of girls among the senior high school population is continuing to rise, standing at 49.3 percent in 2024.
\nA rough balance between male and female students in higher education has been achieved. China has made sustained efforts to develop the world's largest higher education system, cement and advance accessibility in higher education, and ensure gender equality in the enrollment of regular institutions of higher learning. In 2024, female students in these institutions made up 50.76 percent of the total, 14.15 percentage points higher than in 1995. Among them, female graduate students accounted for 50.01 percent, an increase of 22.43 percentage points from 1995.
\nWomen enjoy higher-quality vocational education and life-long education. China has speeded up its efforts to build a modern vocational education system and offers assistance to eligible students in the form of tuition exemptions, scholarships, grants, and student loans. As a result, women are enjoying more and better access to high-quality vocational education. In 2024, female students accounted for 47.9 percent of higher vocational school students at the undergraduate and junior college levels, and 45.2 percent of secondary vocational school students.
\nThe women's life-long learning system has become more open and flexible, with the establishment of the national smart education platform for life-long education offering a more convenient and accessible channel that meets women's diverse learning needs. The number of women receiving adult education continues to rise steadily year on year, and in 2024, female students at adult education institutions at the undergraduate and junior college levels numbered 5.13 million, 54 percent of the total, representing an increase of 1.96 million compared to 2012. In 2020, the average length of schooling for female citizens at or above the age of 15 reached 9.59 years.
\nWomen's scientific literacy is on the rise. The Chinese government has promulgated the Outline of the Action Plan for Improving Scientific Literacy for All (2021-2035), which covers raising women's scientific literacy.
\nIt has issued the Guidelines for Science Education in Elementary and High Schools, improved the curriculum, textbooks, experimental teaching, teachers' training, and extra-curricular activity programs of these schools, and enhanced the coordination and transformation of science education resources.
\nTo inspire and cultivate female students' interests in science, public-interest programs aimed at female students have been rolled out, including the Science Lovers Program for Female College Students, Science Empowering Girls, Spring Bud InnoGirls Program, STEM Girls, and Her Science.
\nA program for raising the capabilities of female employees has also been implemented, and, in particular, efforts have been made to help them improve digital skills.
\nThanks to these initiatives and more, the gender gap in scientific literacy is continuing to narrow. The female sci-tech talent pool continues to expand in scale, improve in structure, and grow in capability, with female scientists now regularly making outstanding contributions in various fields, including basic theory, applied technology, and engineering. In 2024, female R&D professionals numbered 2.85 million, representing an increase of 1.69 million from that in 2012.
\nPanel 7 STEM Girls Program Kindles Girls' Science Dream
\nIn 2018, the China Women's Development Foundation established the public-interest program of STEM Girls for female high school students aged 12-16 to inspire their enthusiasm and interest in STEM subjects. Through open recruitment and online courses, the program selects outstanding female high school students and sends them to universities and research institutions, including Tsinghua University, Tongji University, the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In the study camps at these institutions, girls can engage in exploration and learning in mechanical engineering, energy sources in architecture, eco-environment, biophysics, and other STEM subjects. They conduct visits, research, and hands-on experiments, form innovative plans, and work for their application. In the seven years since its launch, the program has covered more than 100 high schools in 24 provincial-level administrative units, training more than 8,200 students and helping them embark on a journey of scientific exploration and move forward in steady steps.
\n4. Continuous Improvement in Social Security
\nChina has established the world's largest social security system. Built on the principle of ensuring universal coverage for all eligible individuals, the system aims to narrow urban-rural disparities, improve social security policies for key groups, strengthen support for women in difficulty, and steadily raise benefit levels. As a result of this system, women now enjoy more comprehensive, reliable and equitable social security.
\nMedical and old-age insurance systems achieved full coverage. China's healthcare security system has been continuously improved, supported by increased government subsidies for individual contributions to basic medical insurance among rural and non-working urban residents.
\nIn 2024, 651 million women were covered by basic medical insurance, accounting for 49.1 percent of all participants. Additionally, 260 million women were covered by basic pension insurance for rural and non-working urban residents, representing 48 percent of all enrollees, while 260 million women participated in the basic pension scheme for urban employees, constituting 48.2 percent of the total.
\nMore women are protected against unemployment and work-related injuries. Efforts have been made to safeguard employees' employment security, occupational safety, and health protections. By the end of 2024, approximately 105 million women were enrolled in unemployment insurance, accounting for 42.7 percent of all participants and reflecting a 70 percent increase since 2012. Additionally, about 117 million women were covered by work-related injury insurance, comprising 38.6 percent of all enrollees, and reflecting a 60 percent increase since 2012.
\nSpecific measures have been introduced to ensure that workers in new forms of employment receive effective assistance and compensation in case of occupational injuries. Real-time settlement of medical expenses for work-related injuries incurred outside the provincial-level unit where the patient is insured has been fully implemented, protecting the rights and interests of female workers and better meeting their healthcare needs.
\nMaternity protection for women has improved significantly. The integrated implementation of maternity insurance and basic medical insurance for employees has been fully advanced, and continuous efforts have been made to expand employer participation in maternity insurance and to gradually extend its coverage. Regions with the necessary conditions have been guided to include flexibly employed people in maternity insurance. For unemployed women, the unemployment insurance fund pay their maternity insurance contributions on their behalf during their period of unemployment benefit eligibility, while non-working women are covered for maternity medical benefits through their participation in the basic medical insurance scheme for rural and non-working urban residents. By the end of 2024, 111 million women were covered by maternity insurance. All 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, have included eligible assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in their medical insurance schemes.
\nSocial security for women in need is further strengthened. Subsistence allowance standards have continued to rise, with the national average urban and rural subsistence allowance standards in 2024 140 percent and 240 percent higher than those of 2012, respectively.
\nFinancial assistance or premium payments are provided for women from eligible disadvantaged groups, such as those receiving subsistence allowances or classified as extremely impoverished individuals, to participate in basic medical and pension insurance schemes for rural and non-working urban residents.
\nA comprehensive system of living subsidies for persons with disabilities facing financial difficulties and nursing subsidies for those with severe disabilities has been established. In 2024, about 9.40 million women received these subsidies, accounting for 46 percent of all recipients.
\nTargeted assistance and support initiatives have been implemented for rural stay-behind women in difficult circumstances, including efforts to establish records, ensure basic living standards, promote employment and income generation, and enrich cultural lives.
\n5. Improved Family Lives
\nChina places emphasis on fostering family culture, values, and traditions, recognizing the unique role of women in both social and family life. Efforts continue to be made to leverage women's distinctive contributions in promoting traditional Chinese family virtues and establishing positive family traditions. Policies supporting family development are continuously improved, enhancing families' capacity for development and creating favorable conditions for women to enjoy better family lives.
\nMore equal and harmonious family relations in the new era. Laws and regulations including the Civil Code, the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests, and the Anti-Domestic Violence Law have been promulgated to protect women's rights within marriage and the family.
\nA new marital and childbearing culture is widely promoted. Marriage and family counseling services are widely available at marriage registration authorities at or above the county level nationwide. Over 2,000 pilot units are advancing marriage customs reform, and activities such as "bringing new marriage and childbearing norms into households" are continuously carried out to promote values including gender equality, mutual respect, and shared parenting responsibilities between couples.
\nThe Fourth Survey on the Social Status of Women in China shows that 90 percent of married women participate in decision-making on major family matters, an increase of approximately 15 percentage points compared to 2010. The gender gap in time spent on household chores has narrowed, and there is a growing emphasis on marital relationships based on mutual respect and trust.
\nA family-friendly society gradually in shape. To meet the demands of high-quality population development and family wellbeing, measures have been introduced to improve childbirth support policies and develop a childbirth-friendly society.
\nThe childbirth leave system has been enhanced, with local regulations extending maternity leave and paternity leave and introducing parental childcare leave. Special additional deductions for individual income tax have been implemented, covering expenses for under-three children nursing, eldercare, and children's education. A childcare subsidy system has been established and implemented, while free pre-school education has been promoted in a phased way.
\nEmployers are encouraged to create "family-friendly workplaces" by adopting flexible working hours or remote work options after negotiating with employees to support them in both career development and childcare.
\nNursing facilities have been provided. By the end of 2024, 403,000 enterprises and public institutions with trade unions had set up nursing rooms for female employees. The provision of baby care rooms in public places has also been expanded, and design standards such as the Uniform Standard for the Design of Civil Buildings, the Standard for the Design of Office Buildings, and the Code for the Design of Railway Passenger Station Buildings now include requirements for such facilities. By the end of 2024, 1,449 baby care rooms had been established in railway stations; 5,371 in highway service areas (including parking areas); 286 on passenger ships and in port passenger terminals; 2,308 in secondary and above-grade bus stations; 2,599 in urban rail transit stations; and nursing rooms in all civilian airports with an annual passenger throughput of 5,000 or more.
\nPanel 8 The 15-Minute Community Life Circles Benefit Hundreds of Millions of Residents
\nThe 15-minute community life circle is a government initiative to improve people's lives by creating community business districts with diverse services. Residents in such communities should be able to meet their basic daily consumption needs and access quality services within a 15-minute walk.
\nTo address childcare needs, Shanghai has established more than 340 community-based childcare rooms in over 90 percent of its subdistricts and towns, providing temporary childcare services. For eldercare needs, Tianjin has set up 1,852 community canteens for seniors and built daytime care centers for the elderly, offering personalized eldercare services. To meet residents' daily needs, the Kangqiao Garden Community in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, has introduced affordable vegetable stalls, convenient barbershops, and small repair service points, enabling one-stop solutions for various household needs.
\nSince 2021, 4 batches of 210 pilot areas across the country have joined the initiative, building 5,510 community life circles that benefit approximately 125 million residents.
\nMore diverse services to reduce family care burden. A variety of childcare services are provided to families, including full-day, half-day, and temporary care options, and employers are also supported in establishing childcare facilities. By the end of 2024, there were 5.74 million childcare slots nationwide, with 4.08 slots per 1,000 people for children under three.
\nA family education guidance service system covering both urban and rural areas has been established. Relying on over 400,000 parent schools in urban and rural communities and more than 20,000 online new media platforms, family education guidance service teams have worked to organize rich and diverse parent-child activities, bringing scientific family education guidance services directly to households and communities.
\nThe eldercare framework has been optimized, where home care is supported by communities and professional institutions, featuring a combination of medical care and eldercare services. Services such as meal assistance, bathing aid, home modifications for the elderly, and barrier-free renovations for financially difficult families with members with severe disabilities have become more accessible.
\nPanel 9 Family Education in the New Era Strengthens the Foundation of Early Nurturing
\nChina places great importance on family education. The Law on Family Education Promotion has been enacted to strengthen parents' primary responsibility in guardianship, establish a collaborative mechanism for family education work, clarify state support measures for family education, and define the role of social forces in supporting family education. The All-China Women's Federation, the Ministry of Education, and other relevant departments have successively issued six five-year plans for family education, setting periodic targets and measures. The National Family Education Guidance Outline and Basic Behavioral Norms for Parents in Family Education have been formulated and revised to define the content of family education guidance.
\nExploratory efforts are made to establish an undergraduate program on family education in colleges and universities to train professionals for this sector. A life-cycle family guidance curriculum system has been developed, and the "Happy Family" online platform for family education services has been established. Family education instructors have been included as an occupation in the General Code of Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China. All these endeavors will promote the digital and professional development of family education and support families in scientific parenting.
\nThe domestic service sector continues to improve in quality and expand in scale. By the end of 2023, there were approximately 600,000 domestic service entities and 16,000 women-led domestic service community stations. National domestic service vocational skills competitions have been held to encourage skill enhancement among people working in this sector, provide a growth platform for more of them, and deliver high-quality services to families.
\nIV. Advancing Women's Development to the Forefront of the Times
\nOn the new journey of Chinese modernization, every individual plays a key role. Connecting their own future with that of the country and the nation, Chinese women have devoted themselves to the building of a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful. They have attained major achievements in the new era, creating a better life through action and hard work.
\n1. Achievements in Promoting High-Quality Economic Development
\nIn promoting high-quality economic development, China is committed to expanding channels for women's participation, improving their capabilities, and stimulating their creativity. Women are "holding up half the sky" and playing an increasingly prominent role.
\nRealizing potential in employment and entrepreneurship. Upholding employment as a priority, China has increased fiscal investment, and implemented initiatives such as the Women's Action for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Action for Promoting Women's Employment and Entrepreneurship. Special recruitment sections and events for women have been held, sponsored by the National Employment Promotion Action and Spring Breeze Action, aiming to help more women find better jobs.
\nGender discrimination in employment has been placed under the scrutiny of labor protection supervision. The System of Special Labor Protection for Female Employees in the Workplace (Reference Text) and the System for Eliminating Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (Reference Text) have been formulated as guidelines for employers to improve their corresponding systems for protecting female employees' lawful rights and interests.
\nBy the end of 2024, RMB640 billion in loans had been provided to support 8.49 million women in realizing their entrepreneurial dreams. Since 2012, women have accounted for about 43 percent of the total employed population. According to the fifth national economic census in 2024, 42.6 percent of the employees in government agencies, public institutions, and state-owned enterprises were women, an increase of 3.6 percentage points compared to the fourth census.
\nPanel 10 Beautiful Crafts Workshops Providing Employment and Income Growth for Women with Disabilities
\nThe Beautiful Crafts Workshops program was jointly launched by China Disabled Persons' Federation and All-China Women's Federation in 2022 to help women with disabilities find employment and increase income. Through collaboration between the government, enterprises, and public service organizations, a full-chain service model integrating training, employment, entrepreneurship and protection has been formulated to ensure that women participating in this program have access to employment opportunities and secure stable incomes through the acquisition of important skills.
\nA total of 125 national-level Beautiful Crafts Workshops now provide disabled women with free training courses in hand knitting, embroidery, and pottery, and support some of them in setting up studios and engaging in live-streaming sales. This program has facilitated flexible home-based employment for 190,000 women with disabilities, doubling their average annual income compared to 2022. The outcomes have been displayed at major events including the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the UN Human Rights Council meetings, and the 10th International Abilympics.
\nThe scale of women's accomplishments is reflected in their significant representation among national honorees: They constitute 34 percent of the National Moral Models and 30.9 percent of the Most Beautiful Souls and National Exemplary Educators. Since 2012, a total of 1,821 women have been awarded the titles of National Model Workers and Advanced Workers, 1,957 have received the National May 1st Labor Medal, 5,001 have been honored as National March 8th Red-Banner Pacesetters, and 6,489 recognized as National Role Models for Women's Achievements.
\nPioneering innovation in science and technology. As part of the efforts to implement the Women's Action for Scientific and Technological Innovation, China has formulated the Measures on Supporting Female Talent to Play a Greater Role in Sci-Tech Innovation, which outline 16 concrete measures, including supporting female scientists to undertake national sci-tech projects and participate in decision-making on sci-tech development, as well as improving evaluation and incentive mechanisms for them.
\nThe National Natural Science Foundation has appropriately relaxed the age limits for female applicants in Categories A, B and C of the Young Scientists Fund, raising the maximum age thresholds by three years, two years, and five years respectively, compared to their male counterparts. Leveraging platforms such as the Zhongguancun Forum, Pujiang Innovation Forum, and World AI Conference, China has launched summits and forums for women working in science and technology, and hosted the Women Technicians Forum and a range of training programs for high-caliber female sci-tech professionals. These actions have created platforms for women in STEM fields to conduct professional exchange and learning, apply their research outcomes, and serve the public.
\nToday, women account for 45.8 percent of all sci-tech researchers in China. They are tackling tough problems and achieving breakthroughs in pioneering fields, overcoming daunting obstacles, and scaling new heights at the forefront of innovation, and making significant contributions to building China into a sci-tech powerhouse with greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology.
\nPanel 11 Glorious Achievements of Female Sci-Tech Workers in China
\nThrough their unwavering dedication and exceptional wisdom, Chinese women have made groundbreaking contributions across diverse fields of science and technology, writing glorious chapters in the nation's rich history of sci-tech innovation.
\nTu Youyou, chief scientist at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and a recipient of the Medal of the Republic, was the first person to discover artemisinin. This class of drugs has significantly reduced the mortality rate of malaria patients and saved millions of lives globally. Tu's pioneering research led to her becoming the first home-grown Chinese scientist to receive a Nobel Prize.
\nLiu Yang, China's first female astronaut, Wang Yaping, the first female taikonaut to walk in space, and Wang Haoze, the first female aerospace flight engineer to board China's space station, each courageously challenged the unknown, demonstrating the strength of Chinese women in aerospace.
\nLiao Hong, professor at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, integrated applied basic research with agricultural production to build up about 20,000 hectares of eco-friendly tea gardens, providing a comprehensive solution to the eco-friendly planting and management of Wuyi rock tea.
\nFor over two decades, Shan Xinghua, recipient of the title Role Model of the Era, has led her team in developing the 12306 China Railway ticketing system into a super-large real-time platform with a world-leading transaction volume, boosting China's strength in transportation.
\nTaking the lead in rural revitalization. Through the Women's Action for Rural Revitalization, China has strengthened quality training to empower women farmers. Since 2017, the High-quality Farmer Training Program has trained over 2.24 million women farmers, and between 2022 and 2024, the project for cultivating leaders for rural industry revitalization trained 12,000 female individuals.
\nThe achievements of women in rural revitalization have been recognized through initiatives like the Double Hundred and Double Thousand Initiative, which recognizes outstanding rural craftspeople, 100 of whom in the first batch were women, accounting for 36.6 percent of the total. In the final round of the first National Farmers' Skills Competition, female participants comprised 69.5 percent of all winners. Furthermore, by the end of 2024, 134,000 female workers responsible for extending agricultural technologies and services had obtained professional titles, representing 35.4 percent of the total.
\nPanel 12 A Small Industrial Incubation Platform Galvanizing Women's Power for Rural Revitalization
\nAs a successful example of the Green Rural Revival Program in Zhejiang, Lizu Village in Yiwu has developed from a backward hamlet to a National Model Village, and women have played a vital role in this transformation.
\nThe village is home to a Shared Prosperity Workshop — an incubation platform for industrial projects that attracts numerous aspiring makers and entrepreneurs. This workshop operates as a women's alliance for shared prosperity, and follows a work mechanism under which community-level service centers introduce promising projects under the leadership of the local executive committee of women's federations. The project has helped local women start their own businesses, increasing their incomes and fostering integration between urban and rural areas.
\nAfter five years, the number of makers and entrepreneurs has increased from over 30 to 272, among which 75 percent are women. The "Homemade by Mom" food street and the Women's Fair have increased women's incomes by over RMB13.7 million, while live-streaming activities to promote agricultural products have generated sales of RMB27 million. This small incubator has created big opportunities for women to embrace prosperity.
\nPursuing excellence in the digital economy. China has issued the Action Plan for Strengthening the Digital Literacy and Skills of the General Public and the Action Plan for Digital Rural Development, which include measures such as carrying out digital literacy education and skills training for women and developing women-led e-commerce brands. Chinese women have answered the call of the digital age, and are committed to developing the digital economy, with 14,147 women obtaining the vocational skills certificates for AI trainers in 2024 alone — comprising 42.3 percent of the yearly total. Women represent over half of the entrepreneurs in the internet sector and about one third of the workforce engaging in new business forms such as digital trade, e-commerce, and live streaming. As the digital economy advances, it is providing more opportunities for women.
\nPanel 13 The \"AI Dou\" Project: Helping Women Excel in the Digital Economy
\nThrough digital empowerment, the China Women's Development Foundation is pioneering innovative pathways for women's development. In 2019, the organization launched the "AI Dou" Project for AI industrial incubation in conjunction with relevant businesses. This project aims to help stay-behind women and returning youth to secure data annotation and similar jobs near home, by introducing digital employment opportunities to underdeveloped counties, carrying out vocational training, and incubating locally operated social enterprises. By the end of 2024, the project had established 16 digital employment centers in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Gansu, Guizhou and Ningxia, providing employment opportunities for over 7,500 women. Among those provided with stable jobs by the project, 70 percent were women.
\n2. Equal Participation in Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nAs China advances whole-process people's democracy, it remains committed to increasing women's participation in the management of state, economic, cultural and social affairs. Women enjoy equal political rights and actively participate in democratic practices, contributing their strengths with great enthusiasm.
\nExercising state power through the people's congresses. The proportion of women in people's congresses at all levels continues to rise. In the 14th NPC convened in 2023, there were 790 women deputies, accounting for 26.5 percent of the total. This represents an increase of 3.1 percentage points from the 12th NPC and 1.6 percentage points from the 13th NPC. At the county and township levels, women constitute 31.64 percent and 32.36 percent of deputies, respectively. These women deputies fulfill their duties in accordance with the law, soliciting and reflecting public opinion from all sectors of society. Between 2018 and 2025, NPC women deputies put forward 29,328 suggestions, criticisms and opinions, accounting for 42.3 percent of the total.
\nPanel 14 Women Deputies to the People's Congresses Practicing Whole-Process People's Democracy
\nZhu Guoping, an outstanding representative of the "neighborhood chiefs" in Shanghai, has been a key figure in her local community for over three decades. She served as a deputy to three consecutive NPCs — the 11th, 12th, and 13th — where she had a particular focus on eldercare, childcare and healthcare. Among her suggestions in these fields, two proposals calling for increased fiscal investment in general practitioners and pediatricians were both adopted by the Ministry of Finance, earning her praise as someone who "bridges national policy decisions with public concerns".
\nHongqiao Subdistrict, where Zhu works, functions as a community-level legislative outreach office, set up by the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee. It has solicited opinions for 97 draft laws, including the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and the Law on the Protection of Minors. The subdistrict has proposed over 3,200 suggestions, with 280 being adopted after review, channeling grassroots legislative input to the Great Hall of the People.
\nDiscussing state affairs and making suggestions at consultative meetings of the CPPCC. The proportion of female members in the CPPCC National Committee and local committees has seen a consistent increase. In 2023, 487 female members served on the National Committee of the 14th CPPCC, accounting for 22.4 percent of the total — an increase of 4.6 percentage points and 2 percentage points from the 12th CPPCC and 13th CPPCC, respectively. In the same year, there were 5,401 female members on the provincial-level committees of the CPPCC, accounting for 27.36 percent of the membership at this level. The female members fulfill their duties in full and play a major role in political consultation, democratic supervision, and the deliberation and administration of state affairs. Since the 14th CPPCC National Committee, female members have submitted 4,282 proposals, representing 26.6 percent of the total.
\nActively engaging in decision-making and administration. China attaches importance to the cultivation and selection of female officials and the recruitment of women into the CPC. It has formulated and implemented outlines for strengthening Party and government leadership teams and on women's development, which set specific quantitative and proportional requirements for the appointment of female officials and female heads of leadership bodies. These goals are expected to be met while strict quality standards are upheld.
\nThe proportions of women among the CPC membership and delegates to the Party congresses are increasing. In 2024, 30.9 percent of CPC members were female, an increase of 7.1 percentage points compared to the 2012 level. Female Party members accounted for 27 percent of the delegates to the 20th CPC National Congress, an increase of 4 percentage points from the Party's 18th National Congress in 2012. Women represent 42.3 percent, 43.78 percent, and 51.5 percent of all the judges, prosecutors and jurors nationwide.
\nExtensively participating in grassroots democracy. Effective measures have been taken in the villagers committee elections to expand women's membership. In 2022, women constituted 26.1 percent of villagers committee members and 54.3 percent of urban residents committee members, an increase of 4 percentage points and 5.5 percentage points, respectively, from 2012 levels.
\nFemale workers play an active role in democratic management in enterprises. In 2023, women employees made up 37.7 percent, 41.9 percent, and 34.2 percent of the boards of directors, boards of supervisors, and workers' congress representatives, increasing by 11.4 percentage points, 14.9 percentage points, and 4.4 percentage points, respectively, compared to 2012. A total of 431,000 councils of women have been established in urban and rural communities, facilitating extensive consultations on public affairs concerning women's immediate interests.
\n3. Excellence in a Flourishing Culture
\nIn developing a thriving socialist culture, China has given full play to women's role in creating cultural wealth and cultivated female talent in the cultural sector. Through innovation and with creativity, women have made a significant contribution to preserving cultural heritage and promoting the best of traditional Chinese culture.
\nDemonstrating vitality at the forefront of culture and communication. Women have become a pillar of cultural prosperity and development and are playing an increasingly important role in cultural creation, communication and studies. Female writers and artists have produced masterpieces that have shaped the image of women in the new era, as varied as the Peking Opera Mother, ballet Yimeng, prose works My Altay, TV series She and Her Girls, movie Huang Wenxiu, documentary Aunt Haiyun, variety shows The Daughters of Chinese Villages and Sisters Who Make Waves 2024, and short drama Got Old Recently.
\nBy the end of 2023, about 456,900 women across the country were employed in the radio, television, and online audio-visual sectors, comprising 43.14 percent of the total employees. In the senior professional title evaluations for the journalism section organized by the National Press and Publication Administration in 2024, women accounted for 44.1 percent of those receiving senior professional titles and 50.6 percent of those gaining associate senior ones.
\nWomen constitute 27.5 percent of participants in key talent initiatives in the field of public communication and culture, including 45.2 percent of successful candidates in the cultural talent program and 42.5 percent in the youth cultural talent program under the National Cultural Talent of Excellence Initiative. Through their work in culture and communication, women have vigorously committed themselves in the promotion and practice of the core socialist values.
\nShowing strengths in preserving and vitalizing ethnic cultures. By passing down traditional crafts and facilitating cultural innovation and dissemination, women are injecting new vitality into ethnic cultures. Among the 3,997 recognized representative bearers of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) items on the national list, 25 percent are women. The research and training program for ICH bearers has provided training for 51,000 people, with women accounting for 57 percent. Under the plan on revitalizing traditional Chinese craftsmanship and the specialized initiatives to revitalize rural areas by promoting ICH, many women have played a leading role in transforming local natural resources and rural cultural assets into cultural products and industries. Handicraft brands such as "Dove Flower: Songtao's Miao Embroidery" in Guizhou and "Weiyuan Tu Ethnic Coiling Embroidery" in Qinghai are shining examples of this transformation.
\nNew business models — often fronted by women — such as "ICH plus guesthouses", "ICH plus cultural products", and "ICH plus study trips" have also been launched in recent years, breathing new life into traditional ethnic cultures. The rise of digital technology has allowed traditional culture to flourish again, and an increasing number of young women now play a central role in promoting the "China-Chic" trend and preserving and vitalizing ICH, facilitating ICH's integration in modern life and helping it reach a global audience.
\nExcelling in both competitive and mass leisure sports. The Outline for Building a Strong Sporting Nation has explicitly set the goal of achieving balanced development between men's and women's events. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games issued a Gender Equality Commitment covering 14 specific areas, including equal participation, gender-equal and fair portrayal, and gender equality in leadership and workforce.
\nPanel 15 Creating Masterpieces and Promoting Civilization with Stitches and Threads
\nFemale embroiders, with needles as brushes and silk threads as ink, create delicate works that embody the resilience, patience, and determination of the Chinese people through every stitch and thread. These artisans are committed to revitalizing ancient techniques in a modern society.
\nSuzhou embroidery is one of the four most celebrated forms of Chinese embroidery. The art form originated in Zhenhu Township, where local women are now encouraged to set up their own embroidery businesses. As a result of this push, over 90 percent of Suzhou embroidery entrepreneurs are women.
\nMiao embroidery is another highly praised technique, celebrated as a "wordless epic created with colorful threads and a living totem worn on the body". Under the Brocade and Embroidery Initiative, Guizhou Province has empowered over 500,000 women working in handicraft industries such as Miao embroidery and batik to create a splendid life through splendid products.
\nWith a history of over 3,000 years, Li brocade is renowned as a "living monument of Chinese textile history". Currently, 18,000 female weavers work to preserve and develop this art. Tibetan carpet making is a skill that boasts thousands of years of history. Tibetan women begin learning the weaving techniques from a young age and pass down this precious craftsmanship through generations. Women in the Chaoshan area in southeastern Guangdong, based on traditional stitching techniques, have pioneered innovations to create 3D double-sided padded embroidery, carrying forward this traditional art in a modern world.
\nThe number of female elite athletes in China has witnessed rapid growth, and the proportion of international-level female athletes has remained above 50 percent. Since 2012, across the four consecutive Summer Olympic Games, female athletes have accounted for over 55 percent of competitors and won over 60 percent of the medals. During the same period across the four Paralympic Games, women have made up 50.22 percent of participants and secured 55.62 percent of the medals. Female athletes fight for their nations, collaborate in unity, and challenge their limits, playing an equal role as their male counterparts in competitive sports. The fighting spirit of the Chinese women's volleyball team has inspired the Chinese people to this day.
\nExtensive fitness-for-all programs are carried out nationwide, and a program of cultivating female community sports instructors in rural areas has provided training for over 65,000 women in 10,000 villages. By the end of 2024, there were about 3.71 million community sports instructors across the country, among which 56.1 percent were women, demonstrating women's leadership and responsibility in advancing China's fitness-for-all initiative in the new era.
\n4. Women's Undertakings in Grassroots Social Governance
\nIn building a grassroots social governance model based on collaboration, participation, and common interests, China has attached great importance to the role of women and women's organizations, expanded the channels for their orderly participation in grassroots governance, and ensured their involvement in managing grassroots-level public affairs and public-interest undertakings in accordance with the law. Chinese women have excelled in these roles, becoming a major force in grassroots governance.
\nThe positive role of family ties, values, and traditions in grassroots governance. China has improved mechanisms that help to foster family virtues, facilitate education cooperation between families, schools and society, deliver more accessible family services, and resolve marital and family disputes, supporting women in nurturing harmony within households, and thus contributing to a more peaceful and harmonious society for all.
\nFamily virtue cultivation activities such as the selection of the "Most Beautiful Families", "Model Families", and "Five-Virtue Families", and initiatives like "Share Your Family Rules, Mottoes, and Values", "Family Virtues in Letters", and "Family Education Cultivates Values and Virtues" have been organized. These activities champion the new socialist family morality and values, emphasizing love for the country and family, mutual care, devotion to progress and kindness, and joint efforts with shared benefits. A total of 1,597 households have been honored as "National Model Families", 6,258 as "National Five-Virtue Families", and 16.48 million as the "Most Beautiful Families". Additionally, more than 500,000 lectures, exhibitions and performances on family values and traditions have been hosted around the country, attracting a combined attendance of 250 million people.
\nPanel 16 Family Points System Contributing to Rural Governance
\nGansu Province has implemented an innovative system, which breaks down key aspects of rural governance into points for households in villages and communities. Clear criteria and scoring standards are established for adding or deducting points. Law-abiding families that demonstrate harmony, mutual support among neighbors, and industriousness can collect points by adopting a green lifestyle, participating in public-interest programs, and discarding outdated customs. These points can then be redeemed locally for a wide range of household goods. The initiative has inspired women and their families to participate more actively in rural governance and efforts to improve their living environment and beautify their villages, driving big impact in grassroots governance with ingenuity.
\nWomen's extensive participation in building a peaceful and harmonious community. Women actively participate in the comprehensive maintenance of public order and contribute to resolving problems and disputes at the grassroots level. Local governments have been exploring a "Women's Federations Plus" mediation model. By the end of 2024, 3,690 mediation commissions above the county level for resolving marriage and family disputes had been established under the leadership of women's federations. Marriage mediation organizations now provide service at comprehensive governance centers, litigation service centers, and community police offices, and marriage mediation offices have been established at the village and community level. Since 2016, nearly 1.36 million cases have been resolved through mediation. In 2023, 295 women mediators were commended by the Ministry of Justice as National Model Mediators, accounting for 29.5 percent of those recognized.
\nWomen also play an active part in patrols for maintaining order and in supervision. The "Jiangdong Aunties" team in Jingkou District, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province has completed 5,000 hours of voluntary patrols and participated in over 1,000 public service activities since its establishment in 2017. The "Xicheng Aunties" in Beijing and women community liaisons in Weinan City, Shaanxi Province, have promptly identified and reported potential risks for social governance, working at the forefront of conflict resolution at the grassroots level. Women acting as community workers, grid managers, and residential building chiefs have made significant contributions to building a peaceful and harmonious community.
\nPanel 17 Mediation Office for Promoting Family Harmony
\nIn 2016, the Women's Federation of Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, established a Marriage and Family Disputes Mediation Office and launched a project to promote marital and family harmony and ensure the legal rights of women and children. A set of operational mechanisms was established, including joint meetings, information sharing, and rotating professionals, and experts in the fields of law, sociology, and psychology were recruited to form a dedicated voluntary service group.
\nBased on practical experience, a mediation method of "four aspects plus three synchronizations" was adopted to mediate disputes, wherein the "four aspects" refer to the psychological, legal, emotional, and rational dimensions, while the "three synchronizations" denote the alignment of answering questions with raising public awareness of the law, providing emotional guidance with teaching life experience, and resolving disputes with protecting rights. At the same time, a four-step method of stabilizing emotions, understanding demands, instilling hope, and establishing support was adopted in solving many family disputes. By the end of July 2025, more than 10,000 cases had been solved through this project, with a success rate of 95 percent, benefiting more than 30,000 individuals.
\nActive engagement in voluntary service and other public-interest programs. China emphasizes the healthy development of voluntary services and social organizations, among which women play an active role. In 2024, there were 24 million women registered as volunteers and 350,000 women volunteer teams. These volunteers play an important role in promoting national strategies, improving the people's wellbeing, and strengthening social governance. They have provided nearly one million voluntary services, covering all 17 goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The number of women in social organizations is on the rise. In 2023, women comprised 42.3 percent of the staff and 26.3 percent of the heads of social organizations respectively, up by 13.3 and 4.9 percentage points from 2012.
\nPanel 18 Wang's Volunteer Group: Inspiring More Women to Serve Their Community
\nIn 2005, Wang Lanhua, a Hui woman, former director on a residents committee in Wuzhong City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region formed a volunteer group with six former colleagues — a group she continues to lead 20 years later. Her voluntary service leaves no stone unturned, reaching every corner of the community to look after left-behind children and elderly people who live alone, while providing conflict resolution services and addressing people's immediate concerns. Wang and her team warm the residents' hearts with their selfless dedication, and their influence in community service has drawn more and more community members to join. These volunteers from different ethnic groups encapsulate the idea of all ethnic groups as one family with their solidarity and mutual help. Now, there are 1,315 registered volunteers in Wang's Volunteer Group, and Wang's dedication has seen her honored as a model for ethnic solidarity.
\n5. Women's Contributions in the Eco-environmental Field
\nChina upholds and acts on the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and promotes modernization based on harmony between humanity and nature by following a path of green development that gives priority to eco-environmental conservation. Women play an important role in building a beautiful China, and are continuing to develop the awareness and skills required to drive forward eco-environmental protection.
\nPanel 19 Princess of the Beavers
\nWomen are emerging as key practitioners in biodiversity protection, and Chu Wenwen represents a new generation of female conservationists committed to protecting local biodiversity. Born in 1994 in Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Chu founded the Altay Nature Conservation Association and launched a series of public-interest projects to protect beavers and other wildlife, including the Beaver Cafeteria, Beaver Guardian, and Beaver Ark initiatives. The Beaver Cafeteria project focuses on restoring shrubs in natural habitats, which provide food for more than 100 species of wild animal. The Beaver Guardian project mobilizes more than 500 herdsmen along the Ulungur River to participate in conservation efforts and serve as voluntary patrols. The Beaver Ark project established a professional wildlife rescue center that has saved over 400 wild animals injured or trapped by human activities. Thanks in part to Chu's efforts, the population of Mongolian-Xinjiang beavers (Castor fiber birulai) has increased by 250 to date, earning her the honorary nickname "Princess of the Beavers".
\nPromoting ecosystem protection and restoration. China pursues the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, grasslands and deserts, with the aim of establishing an overarching framework that extends from the mountaintops to the oceans. Women play a significant role in the nation's ecosystem protection and restoration. Among the 17,000 eco-environmental guardians working at the 190,700 sq km Sanjiangyuan National Park, 33.3 percent are women. The Women Tree-Planting Team in Changjiang Li Autonomous County of Hainan Province has been dedicated to planting more than six million coastal defense trees, establishing a forest spanning over 2,000 hectares in the desert after 30 years of trial and error. The women's militia company for sand control in Shaanxi Province has converted more than 933.33 hectares of barren deserts into oases covered with rows of trees over the past five decades. The women's volunteer team in Helan County of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region conducts regular activities to protect rivers, shoals, and birds, and the Women's Action for the Yangtze River Protection is an ongoing activity in Nanjing City of Jiangsu Province to provide vital protection for China's longest river. Women's perseverance and wisdom are shown in many aspects of eco-environmental protection, from green coverage expansion and desertification prevention and control, to the protection of forests, rivers, and biodiversity.
\nPanel 20 Sci-Tech Courtyard Supporting Green Agriculture
\nThe Sci-Tech Courtyard is a service platform that integrates agricultural scitech innovation, demonstration and promotion, and talent cultivation. In the Dongpo Sci-Tech Courtyard of Agricultural Skill Promotion in Meishan City, Sichuan Province, 33 team members — including 22 women — work on the front line of green agriculture. With women at its core, the team provides comprehensive services in skill training, field production guidance, problem identification and resolution, and industry chain alignment, benefiting more than 50,000 villagers. The Sci-Tech Courtyard also makes targeted efforts in new species selection, cultivation technique research for high-quality and high-yield crops, and the development of green planting and cultivation models. Over the past nine years, comparative trials of more than 400 paddy varieties have been completed, leading to the selection of 40 high-quality and high-yield species that have significantly increased the proportion of such crops in the region. Cultivation of 824,467 hectares of these paddies has generated a net income growth of RMB2.65 billion. In addition, more than 10 new planting techniques have been promoted, and research on green planting and cultivation models has been advanced, increasing crop yield and economic benefits while reducing pesticide use.
\nAccelerating the green transformation of production models. China upholds green and low-carbon development as a fundamental approach to resolving environmental problems, and promotes a sound economic structure that facilitates green, low-carbon, and circular development. Women actively participate in the efforts to promote green development in industry, shift the production model of agriculture, and improve the sustainable level of the service industry. By 2024, the number of companies in the green economy sector invested in by women entrepreneurs had reached 445,000, accounting for 27.4 percent of the total. These companies cover a range of market segments, including clean energy, organic agriculture, and eco-conservation. Scientific management of fertilizer and pesticide use and innovative ecological planting serve to save agricultural resources, improve the eco-environment of agricultural production areas, and supply high-quality green agricultural products, promoting the triple-win of less pesticide use, more income, and better environment. New models of eco-environmental businesses have been established, including urban modern agriculture, leisure agriculture, eco-tourism, high-quality homestays, and rural complexes. By the end of 2024, the number of family farms run by women reached 487,000, and women accounted for 68.6 percent of all holders of vocational skill certificates in rural homestay housekeeping.
\nLiving a green lifestyle. Green development is closely connected to each of our lives. Chinese women advocate the values of eco-civilization and encourage simple, moderate, green, low-carbon, sound and healthy ways of life and consumption by integrating these concepts into everyday routines. They have played a leading role in building green families through saving water and electricity, participating in the "Clear Your Plate" campaign, using green modes of transport, and engaging in waste sorting. Women also actively participate in developing beautiful courtyards and harmonious villages, guided by standards such as tidy rooms, hygienic kitchens and toilets, neat courtyards, abundant greenery, and harmonious families. To date, more than 12 million households have been awarded the title of "Beautiful Courtyard". Women are consistently in the frontline of enhancing public awareness of environmental protection and improving community environment. For example, in Shanghai, a themed campaign was launched to find 10,000 families living a green lifestyle and recruit 100,000 family waste sorting volunteers, creating a good atmosphere for the million families participating in this endeavor.
\nParticipating in disaster prevention and mitigation. China regards people's lives and safety as the primary goal of disaster prevention and mitigation. It boosts public participation and improves the capabilities of the whole society to defend and respond to disasters, and women play a key role in this — particularly in investigation and identification of potential risks and hidden dangers, early warning and treatment, and information reporting. In 2024, women accounted for 23.6 percent of disaster information assistants nationwide, totaling 267,000, and comprised 61.6 percent of national chief meteorological experts. Women actively participate in disaster relief operations and public education on disaster prevention and mitigation, and promote family education in relevant fields. There are 13.71 million registered women fire volunteers nationwide, representing 52.4 percent of the total. The National Natural Disaster Emergency Relief Plan put forward requirements for safeguarding the rights and interests of special groups. Through the collaborative efforts of the government and society, material guarantee for special needs, such as women's hygiene products and supplies for pregnant and postpartum women, has been strengthened.
\nV. Contributing to the Global Advancement of Women
\nChina upholds the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, aligns with the prevailing global trends towards peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, and actively advances the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. Through close cooperation with other countries, China is helping accelerate the creation of an international environment conducive to women's development and a better world for all.
\n1. Participating in Global Governance on Women's Issues
\nChina plays a leading role in implementing the spirit of the UN Fourth World Conference on Women and advances global governance on women's issues through concrete actions.
\nSupporting the central role of the United Nations. China has co-hosted the Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment with UN Women to encourage countries to fulfill their commitments and inject new momentum into the global advancement of women. At the UN Human Rights Council, China has repeatedly delivered joint statements on promoting and protecting women's rights, pushed for the adoption of relevant resolutions, and called on countries to work together to implement the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action. China consistently sends high-level delegations to the sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and collaborates with UN organizations and agencies to conduct seminars on women's poverty reduction, the digital economy, inclusive finance, technology empowerment, and gender equality amid demographic changes, sharing China's experience in promoting women's development. Since 2015, China has donated US $20 million to UN Women and carried out practical cooperation with multiple UN specialized agencies on women's issues. In partnership with UNESCO, it has established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education and implemented projects in Africa focusing on digital and health education for girls. Chinese women hold important positions and serve as experts in the UN system, contributing their expertise to global governance on women's issues.
\nPanel 21 China and UNESCO Jointly Established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education
\nIn 2015, China partnered with UNESCO to establish the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education, which recognizes institutions and individuals that have made outstanding contributions to advancing education for girls and women. This is the first prize of its kind established by UNESCO. Proposed and funded by the Chinese government, it is awarded annually to two laureates, who each receive US $50,000 to further their work in girls' and women's education. As of 2024, 18 organizations and projects from 18 countries had received the award, including the Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education. This prize has provided an increasing number of girls and women with opportunities to change their lives and pursue their dreams. It has also raised greater awareness of and support for girls' and women's education among more people, thereby galvanizing concerted efforts to advance global gender equality in education.
\nFirmly fulfilling international obligations. China fulfills its obligations under international conventions such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, regularly submits national implementation reports, and actively participates in review processes to promote gender equality and women's development. It actively implements the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, continuously improves women's living conditions and expands their development prospects, and has achieved the poverty reduction and health-related targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule. Through these efforts, China has not only improved the lives of Chinese women, but has also offered the international community its approach to safeguarding women's human rights.
\nLeading and advancing multilateral and regional agendas for women's development. At the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, China proposed the Global AI Governance Initiative, emphasizing the need to avoid gender bias in AI development. The country also facilitated the adoption of the Resolution on Enhancing International Cooperation in Capacity-Building of Artificial Intelligence at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, which underscores ensuring universal benefits from AI, enhancing digital inclusion and achieving gender equality while empowering women and girls. Since 2012, China has hosted 29 women's conferences under frameworks including APEC, G20, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), China-ASEAN, China-Africa, China-Arab States, China-Central Asia, and Lancang-Mekong Cooperation. Through these mechanisms, China has deeply engaged in cooperation on women's issues, focusing on topics including poverty reduction, development, employment, business startup, education empowerment, and pandemic response. These efforts have facilitated targeted experience-sharing, dialogues, and collaborative actions, enabling China to advocate actionable propositions for advancing women's comprehensive development, inclusivity, and sustainable development.
\n2. Deepening Cooperation and Exchanges to Advance Women's Development
\nChina integrates the deepening of women's development cooperation into the frameworks of high-quality Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and South-South cooperation, to jointly promote women's sustainable development.
\nAdvancing women's development in BRI participating countries. China actively promotes high-quality BRI cooperation. Initiatives such as the Silk Road E-commerce have created employment opportunities and pathways for women in these countries, and digital technology enablement program for women in ASEAN countries — alongside other related programs — have supported women in the region in seeking employment and starting businesses. For 10 consecutive years, China and partner countries have jointly hosted a series of events under the theme "Pool Women's Strength for Belt and Road Cooperation", encouraging women in these countries to become supporters, participants, contributors, and beneficiaries of the BRI.
\nSupporting women's poverty reduction and development in South-South cooperation. China supports developing countries in improving women's living conditions and development environment. It has implemented 100 maternal and child health projects and 100 happy campus projects, along with a series of small but effective public wellbeing programs focusing on housing, rural roads, and technology training to empower women and girls. Through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has carried out women-related projects worth nearly US $40 million across over 20 countries. Additionally, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund has allocated RMB12 million to support women's development programs. Through foreign aid training and technical assistance, Juncao technology has helped women in 106 countries gain meaningful employment.
\nPanel 22 Juncao Technology Assistance: Empowering Women in Developing Countries to Realize Their Dreams
\nJuncao technology is a unique Chinese method for cultivating edible and medicinal fungi that uses grass as a substitute for wood. First included in China's foreign aid programs in 1994, it has since been introduced to 106 countries. In Lesotho, a compact 10-square-meter Juncao mushroom cultivation model has enabled impoverished farmers with limited land to produce 1.2 tonnes of fresh Juncao mushrooms annually from a single 10-square-meter plot. In African and Pacific Island nations, women use Juncao as livestock feed to mitigate shortages caused by climate change. Seruwaia Kabukabu from Fiji has led local women in growing Juncao mushrooms, significantly improving the living conditions of families in her community. In recognition of her work, she has been elected as chairperson of the Fiji Mushroom Farmers Association. Juncao has thus become a "grass of happiness" for people in developing countries.
\nDeepening international cooperation in women's capacity building. China continues to strengthen and expand support training programs focused on women and children in developing countries. Since 2018, it has implemented over 100 programs in this domain, including the Seminar on Promoting Maternal and Child Health Under Global Development Initiative, and the Seminar on Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries — Women and Children. Additionally, China has launched degree programs in women's leadership and social development, training nearly 4,000 outstanding professionals in the field of women's development. An exchange and training base for global women's development cooperation has been established in Beijing to design tailored empowerment programs for women in developing countries. Training and exchange centers for Chinese and foreign women have been set up in collaboration with 15 countries, and through international cooperation in vocational education, the Luban Workshops have trained 5,944 female students, who account for 23.25 percent of all participants in the project.
\nSolid progress in people-to-people exchanges in the field of women's affairs. China has actively developed global partnerships and engaged in comprehensive, multi-channel friendly exchanges with women's organizations and institutions from over 140 countries. It has conducted dialogues with foreign female political leaders, spouses of heads of state, and female government ministers, organized high-level delegations for overseas visits, and pioneered new approaches to high-level women's foreign exchanges. China has deepened women's exchanges under its cultural and people-to-people exchange mechanisms with other countries, holding thematic seminars on women's entrepreneurship, economic empowerment, education, anti-domestic violence, and family culture, while strengthening cooperation in areas such as women's rights and interests, bridging the digital gender divide, and promoting women's participation in sci-tech innovation and sustainable development. The Female Diplomats' China Adventures series has been launched to share the practical experiences of Chinese women in economic development and grassroots governance, and exchange insights on promoting gender equality. China supports women's participation in cross-cultural exchanges, with women accounting for 80 percent of dispatched Chinese-language teachers and 90 percent of volunteers in international Chinese language education.
\n3. Actively Addressing Global Challenges
\nChina supports women in playing an active role in maintaining peace and security, and in addressing challenges including climate change, public health crises, and humanitarian disasters.
\nSupporting women's participation in maintaining peace and security. China has taken concrete actions to implement UN Security Council resolutions on "Women, Peace and Security", supporting women's important roles in conflict prevention, peace negotiations, and post-conflict reconstruction. In 2022, the China-UN Peace and Development Trust Fund initiated a training program for senior female talent to promote gender equality in high-level positions within UN peacekeeping operations. China has deployed over 1,200 female peacekeepers and more than 100 female police officers to UN missions, who have participated in medical support, liaison and coordination, mine clearance, patrols and observation, and efforts to advance gender equality and protect women.
\nPanel 23 Chinese Female Peacekeeping Officer Received an Honorary Certificate for UN Military Gender Advocate Award
\nThe UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award was established in 2016 to recognize peacekeepers who have made outstanding contributions to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. On May 29, 2020, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Chinese officer Xin Yuan, a senior mine clearance staff officer at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), received an award in this category in recognition of her exceptional service, becoming the first Chinese service member to win this honor. Xin was the only female staff officer responsible for mine clearance operations in UNIFIL. She assumed significant risks by conducting surveys in minefields alongside clearance teams, developed meticulous clearance plans, and completed mine clearance tasks 34 days ahead of schedule, clearing over 1,500 square meters of minefields. Her efforts earned her special commendation from the UNIFIL headquarters.
\nEmpowering women to address climate change. China has consistently organized training programs on South-South cooperation for climate change response, implementing a gender-balanced enrollment policy. Since 2022, nearly 300 female officials, experts and scholars from developing countries engaged in climate change projects have participated in training programs in China. From 2012 to 2024, China conducted nearly 100 foreign aid training projects in meteorological monitoring, forecasting, and services, with women accounting for 36.72 percent of the trainees. It has donated 5,000 household solar photovoltaic power generation systems and 10,000 clean cooking stoves to Myanmar, reducing indoor air pollution and its associated health risks while supporting the country's low-carbon transition. The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund supported Cambodia in implementing a project on gender mainstreaming in climate action, enhancing rural women's climate adaptability and resilience.
\nAddressing women's needs in international humanitarian assistance. In efforts to alleviate migrant and refugee crises, China has placed high priority on women and children, encouraging women to register as recipients of household assistance supplies and providing special care for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Projects in the Republic of Congo specifically target pregnant and breastfeeding women as beneficiaries, effectively reducing malnutrition rates among women and children. In 2023, China provided over 120,000 hygiene kits, valued at US $1.5 million, to Rohingya women and girls seeking refuge in Bangladesh, benefiting more than 60,000 women and girls.
\nConclusion
\nThe pursuit of gender equality is a great cause. In the new era, the spirit of self-esteem, confidence, independence and self-reliance among Chinese women is demonstrated as the Chinese people forge ahead with resolve under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The glorious journey of women's development in China is deeply integrated into the process of achieving the Two Centenary Goals under the Party's leadership. Never before have Chinese women enjoyed such tremendous opportunities to realize their full potential and achieve their dreams, and never before has the cause of Chinese women borne witness to such broad prospects for development.
\nToday, China is working to build a great country and achieve national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. This requires pooling the strength of hundreds of millions of women and promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development at a higher level. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China will unswervingly follow the path of women's development under socialism with Chinese characteristics, adhere to the fundamental national policy of gender equality, and thoroughly implement the Outline of Women's Development in China to enhance women's overall capabilities. Through these efforts, the country will create conditions and platforms for women to participate in economic and social development, protect their legitimate rights and interests, and encourage them to stand at the forefront of the times.
\nIn today's world, promoting gender equality and women's well-rounded development presents both opportunities and significant challenges. All countries must strive to create safe and secure environments for women's survival and development, eliminate violence, discrimination and poverty, and effectively address the impact of climate change. It is essential to continuously empower women, ensuring they enjoy more and better opportunities and play more significant roles in the new revolution in science, technology and industry. We must adhere to true multilateralism, honor international obligations, and promote mutual learning and people-to-people exchanges among women worldwide. China is ready to work with countries around the world to expedite actions to create a brighter future for women's development and write a new chapter in the global progress of women.
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MAP OF THE ANCIENT SILK ROAD
\nIn the Gobi Desert of Northwest China, there is a place that appeals to all hearts: Dunhuang. Those who have visited often express a desire to return.
\nThe renowned scholar Ji Xianlin once said there are four major cultural systems in the world: China, India, Greece, and Islam. There is no fifth. And there is only one place where these four cultural systems converge: Dunhuang and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. There is no other.
\nA trip to Dunhuang can be a journey through history, a pilgrimage for art, or a retreat for the soul. Every visitor leaves with memories to treasure.
\nSilk Road
\nDuring the reign of Emperor Wu in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), envoy Zhang Qian was sent on missions to the western regions twice. He pioneered a land route that started from Chang'an (today's Xi'an), passed through the Hexi Corridor and Dunhuang, crossed the Tianshan Mountains, and continued to Central Asia, West Asia, and eventually the Mediterranean coast. This trade and cultural corridor linking East and West was later named the ancient Silk Road. From then on, the deep integration of technology, culture, art, and religion among the diverse nations along this route influenced the entire globe.
\nOn this vital route, two essential thoroughfares for merchants and envoys traveling to and from the western regions — the Yangguan and Yumen passes — served as thriving hubs. These two passes faced each other across the desert, jointly guarding the western end of the Hexi Corridor. Silk and tea were transported westward, while grapes, alfalfa, and fine horses were introduced eastward. Notably, the route through Yangguan Pass was relatively flat, had more water sources, and was less obstructed by desert sands, making it easier to traverse. It was thus metaphorically referred to by ancient people as the "bright and smooth path". Gradually, the term "Yangguan Avenue" became widely used in Chinese folk vocabulary.
\nThe Xuanquan Posthouse, a World Cultural Heritage Site in Dunhuang, was first opened to the public on May 1. Originally a crucial postal and courier station on the Silk Road over 2,100 years ago, it aided the delivery of official documents and hosted traveling envoys and officials. More than 70,000 relics, including bamboo or wooden slips, silk books, paper documents, crops, farming tools, and domestic animal bones, were unearthed from the site. Like keys unlocking the door to history, these artifacts showcase the daily lives of people from that era, offering a glimpse into the bustling activity and intricate details of Silk Road exchanges.
\nThe Sogdians emerged as the dominant commercial force along the ancient Silk Road from the fourth to eighth centuries with their distinctive organizational models and trade wisdom. Relying on family ties and homeland connections, they formed tightly coordinated caravans. They used Sassanian silver coins for transactions and established way stations in key cities like Dunhuang and Liangzhou. In Dunhuang's markets, Sassanian silver coins were exchanged for Chinese products, creating a vibrant trading scene on the ancient Silk Road.
\nGallery in desert
\nAmid the flourishing East-West trade, diverse civilizations converged in Dunhuang. Here lies one of the world's oldest and largest artistic treasures: the Mogao Caves. Dating back about 1,600 years, it is known as the "art gallery in the desert".
\nIn the fourth century, a virtuous monk named Lezun (or Yuezun) arrived at Mingsha Mountain and saw a burst of golden lights with the image of thousands of Buddhas inside. Inspired by this, he constructed the first cave on the cliff. Subsequently, artists and craftsmen from diverse dynasties continued to expand the caves. During the Sui Dynasty (581-618), artists blended previous styles with bold innovations, creating more harmonious color and painting schemes. This laid the foundation for the peak of Dunhuang art in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), whose murals are renowned for their vibrant colors, rich compositions, and lifelike figures, demonstrating highly advanced artistry and technical skills.
\nThe exquisite murals and painted sculptures in the Mogao Caves carry the cultural legacy of Buddhism's spread eastward. At the same time, figures from traditional Chinese mythology, such as Fuxi and Nyuwa — believed to be the creators of the Chinese people — also appear in Dunhuang's murals.
\nIn several Mogao Caves, the motif of Three Hares Sharing Ears appears. Three hares, each sharing one ear with another, run in a circle and are connected by the head. Yet, from all angles, each hare appears to have two ears. This design reflects the traditional Chinese creative concept of symbiosis. Hares, known for their strong reproductive ability, symbolize fertility and endless vitality. The number three in traditional Chinese culture represents auspiciousness and infinity. The three hares may also symbolize the Buddhist concepts of "past life", "present life" and "future life", embodying the ideas of reincarnation.
\nThe motif first appeared in Dunhuang in the sixth century and later spread along the ancient Silk Road to Central Asia, West Asia, Egypt, and Europe. It appeared on items such as metal plates in Afghanistan and church clocks in Germany, serving as a microcosm of cultural exchange.
\nAs a unique form of Buddhist art, the flying apsaras depicted in Dunhuang murals captivate viewers with their graceful and ethereal dance poses. The apsaras are shown playing the pipa lute with controlled and delicate hand movements, and their attire and makeup reflect women's fashion of that era. Breaking free from traditional conventions, the artists employed exaggerated techniques and dynamic lines, creating some of the most enchanting images in the caves.
\nOn the walls of the corridor in Cave 61 of the Mogao Caves, amid colorful clouds, the 28 constellations are depicted. Interspersed with 12 circular patterns, they showcase the images of the 12 zodiac signs. Although these zodiac images originated in the West, they coexist in the Mogao murals with the 28 constellations from Taoist and Confucian cultural elements.
\nBeyond this, Greek deities appear as guardian figures in the Mogao murals, while Indian mythological stories are woven into the narratives of the sutra illustrations. Exotic elements in diet, clothing, and music were all adapted in Dunhuang, ultimately creating a scene of "each culture showcases its beauty and all beauties are admired".
\nCultural bond
\nDunhuang culture is not only a crystallization of exchanges and mutual learning among multiple civilizations but a testament to the continuity and inclusiveness of Chinese civilization. It stands as a quiet testament to history.
\nIn the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), the smooth operation of the ancient Silk Road was repeatedly challenged by the fight against the nomadic Xiongnu people. During this turbulent time, diplomat Ban Chao embarked on a mission to the western regions, where he remained for over 30 years. In his later years, however, Ban, with silver hair, missed his hometown deeply. He worried that physical weakness would stop him from pacifying the western regions. After careful consideration, he wrote to the imperial court: "I do not dare to hope to return to the heartland of China's Central Plains. I only wish to step into the Yumen Pass alive and see my homeland once more." These words convey the yearning of an elderly man who had spent half his life away from home. The Yumen Pass, standing at the western end of the Hexi Corridor, was an emotional landmark separating "hometown" from "foreign land" in the hearts of border defenders.
\nThe art of the Dunhuang Caves is a valuable source for modern cultural and artistic creations. These cultural elements have been widely applied in urban symbols, brand logos, craft design, fashion design, as well as films and television shows, providing inspiration to countless Chinese and international artists.
\nIn Cave 257 in the Mogao Caves, the painting The Deer King Jataka might evoke childhood memories for many born in the 1980s and 1990s. The animated film The Nine-Colored Deer, produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio in 1981, drew inspiration from this mural, bringing millennium-old Dunhuang art to modern audiences. Through the kindness and compassion of the nine-colored deer, the dishonesty of the king, and the greed of the queen, the story promotes virtues such as integrity and kindness. Looking at the eyes of the nine-colored deer in the mural, many children can see the emotion of benevolence and justice.
\nThe sacred canopy above a bodhisattva in the Dunhuang murals symbolizes the protection offered by bodhisattvas to all beings. The patterns of the sacred canopy in the Dunhuang murals did not follow a fixed style but continuously evolved with each dynasty. Later, when designing decorations for temples or cultural venues, artists drew on the form of the sacred canopy to create ceilings or decorative structures. Today, tourists can buy refrigerator magnets in the shape of the sacred canopy, inviting good wishes from Dunhuang into their own homes.
\nliyou@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "content": "\nMAP OF THE ANCIENT SILK ROAD
\nIn the Gobi Desert of Northwest China, there is a place that appeals to all hearts: Dunhuang. Those who have visited often express a desire to return.
\nThe renowned scholar Ji Xianlin once said there are four major cultural systems in the world: China, India, Greece, and Islam. There is no fifth. And there is only one place where these four cultural systems converge: Dunhuang and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. There is no other.
\nA trip to Dunhuang can be a journey through history, a pilgrimage for art, or a retreat for the soul. Every visitor leaves with memories to treasure.
\nSilk Road
\nDuring the reign of Emperor Wu in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), envoy Zhang Qian was sent on missions to the western regions twice. He pioneered a land route that started from Chang'an (today's Xi'an), passed through the Hexi Corridor and Dunhuang, crossed the Tianshan Mountains, and continued to Central Asia, West Asia, and eventually the Mediterranean coast. This trade and cultural corridor linking East and West was later named the ancient Silk Road. From then on, the deep integration of technology, culture, art, and religion among the diverse nations along this route influenced the entire globe.
\nOn this vital route, two essential thoroughfares for merchants and envoys traveling to and from the western regions — the Yangguan and Yumen passes — served as thriving hubs. These two passes faced each other across the desert, jointly guarding the western end of the Hexi Corridor. Silk and tea were transported westward, while grapes, alfalfa, and fine horses were introduced eastward. Notably, the route through Yangguan Pass was relatively flat, had more water sources, and was less obstructed by desert sands, making it easier to traverse. It was thus metaphorically referred to by ancient people as the "bright and smooth path". Gradually, the term "Yangguan Avenue" became widely used in Chinese folk vocabulary.
\nThe Xuanquan Posthouse, a World Cultural Heritage Site in Dunhuang, was first opened to the public on May 1. Originally a crucial postal and courier station on the Silk Road over 2,100 years ago, it aided the delivery of official documents and hosted traveling envoys and officials. More than 70,000 relics, including bamboo or wooden slips, silk books, paper documents, crops, farming tools, and domestic animal bones, were unearthed from the site. Like keys unlocking the door to history, these artifacts showcase the daily lives of people from that era, offering a glimpse into the bustling activity and intricate details of Silk Road exchanges.
\nThe Sogdians emerged as the dominant commercial force along the ancient Silk Road from the fourth to eighth centuries with their distinctive organizational models and trade wisdom. Relying on family ties and homeland connections, they formed tightly coordinated caravans. They used Sassanian silver coins for transactions and established way stations in key cities like Dunhuang and Liangzhou. In Dunhuang's markets, Sassanian silver coins were exchanged for Chinese products, creating a vibrant trading scene on the ancient Silk Road.
\nGallery in desert
\nAmid the flourishing East-West trade, diverse civilizations converged in Dunhuang. Here lies one of the world's oldest and largest artistic treasures: the Mogao Caves. Dating back about 1,600 years, it is known as the "art gallery in the desert".
\nIn the fourth century, a virtuous monk named Lezun (or Yuezun) arrived at Mingsha Mountain and saw a burst of golden lights with the image of thousands of Buddhas inside. Inspired by this, he constructed the first cave on the cliff. Subsequently, artists and craftsmen from diverse dynasties continued to expand the caves. During the Sui Dynasty (581-618), artists blended previous styles with bold innovations, creating more harmonious color and painting schemes. This laid the foundation for the peak of Dunhuang art in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), whose murals are renowned for their vibrant colors, rich compositions, and lifelike figures, demonstrating highly advanced artistry and technical skills.
\nThe exquisite murals and painted sculptures in the Mogao Caves carry the cultural legacy of Buddhism's spread eastward. At the same time, figures from traditional Chinese mythology, such as Fuxi and Nyuwa — believed to be the creators of the Chinese people — also appear in Dunhuang's murals.
\nIn several Mogao Caves, the motif of Three Hares Sharing Ears appears. Three hares, each sharing one ear with another, run in a circle and are connected by the head. Yet, from all angles, each hare appears to have two ears. This design reflects the traditional Chinese creative concept of symbiosis. Hares, known for their strong reproductive ability, symbolize fertility and endless vitality. The number three in traditional Chinese culture represents auspiciousness and infinity. The three hares may also symbolize the Buddhist concepts of "past life", "present life" and "future life", embodying the ideas of reincarnation.
\nThe motif first appeared in Dunhuang in the sixth century and later spread along the ancient Silk Road to Central Asia, West Asia, Egypt, and Europe. It appeared on items such as metal plates in Afghanistan and church clocks in Germany, serving as a microcosm of cultural exchange.
\nAs a unique form of Buddhist art, the flying apsaras depicted in Dunhuang murals captivate viewers with their graceful and ethereal dance poses. The apsaras are shown playing the pipa lute with controlled and delicate hand movements, and their attire and makeup reflect women's fashion of that era. Breaking free from traditional conventions, the artists employed exaggerated techniques and dynamic lines, creating some of the most enchanting images in the caves.
\nOn the walls of the corridor in Cave 61 of the Mogao Caves, amid colorful clouds, the 28 constellations are depicted. Interspersed with 12 circular patterns, they showcase the images of the 12 zodiac signs. Although these zodiac images originated in the West, they coexist in the Mogao murals with the 28 constellations from Taoist and Confucian cultural elements.
\nBeyond this, Greek deities appear as guardian figures in the Mogao murals, while Indian mythological stories are woven into the narratives of the sutra illustrations. Exotic elements in diet, clothing, and music were all adapted in Dunhuang, ultimately creating a scene of "each culture showcases its beauty and all beauties are admired".
\nCultural bond
\nDunhuang culture is not only a crystallization of exchanges and mutual learning among multiple civilizations but a testament to the continuity and inclusiveness of Chinese civilization. It stands as a quiet testament to history.
\nIn the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), the smooth operation of the ancient Silk Road was repeatedly challenged by the fight against the nomadic Xiongnu people. During this turbulent time, diplomat Ban Chao embarked on a mission to the western regions, where he remained for over 30 years. In his later years, however, Ban, with silver hair, missed his hometown deeply. He worried that physical weakness would stop him from pacifying the western regions. After careful consideration, he wrote to the imperial court: "I do not dare to hope to return to the heartland of China's Central Plains. I only wish to step into the Yumen Pass alive and see my homeland once more." These words convey the yearning of an elderly man who had spent half his life away from home. The Yumen Pass, standing at the western end of the Hexi Corridor, was an emotional landmark separating "hometown" from "foreign land" in the hearts of border defenders.
\nThe art of the Dunhuang Caves is a valuable source for modern cultural and artistic creations. These cultural elements have been widely applied in urban symbols, brand logos, craft design, fashion design, as well as films and television shows, providing inspiration to countless Chinese and international artists.
\nIn Cave 257 in the Mogao Caves, the painting The Deer King Jataka might evoke childhood memories for many born in the 1980s and 1990s. The animated film The Nine-Colored Deer, produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio in 1981, drew inspiration from this mural, bringing millennium-old Dunhuang art to modern audiences. Through the kindness and compassion of the nine-colored deer, the dishonesty of the king, and the greed of the queen, the story promotes virtues such as integrity and kindness. Looking at the eyes of the nine-colored deer in the mural, many children can see the emotion of benevolence and justice.
\nThe sacred canopy above a bodhisattva in the Dunhuang murals symbolizes the protection offered by bodhisattvas to all beings. The patterns of the sacred canopy in the Dunhuang murals did not follow a fixed style but continuously evolved with each dynasty. Later, when designing decorations for temples or cultural venues, artists drew on the form of the sacred canopy to create ceilings or decorative structures. Today, tourists can buy refrigerator magnets in the shape of the sacred canopy, inviting good wishes from Dunhuang into their own homes.
\nliyou@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_013_68cdd40ced50ccabe1519e57.htm#013SUPPLEMENT", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:07 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "6011d2dc17b075c15403e5533656fb2a", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "014SUPPLEMENT - DUN HUANG A PLACE THAT APPEALS TO ALL HEARTS", + "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/014/20250920_013_01_1.png\")
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/014/20250920_013_01_13.png\")
MAP OF THE ANCIENT SILK ROAD
\nIn the Gobi Desert of Northwest China, there is a place that appeals to all hearts: Dunhuang. Those who have visited often express a desire to return.
\nThe renowned scholar Ji Xianlin once said there are four major cultural systems in the world: China, India, Greece, and Islam. There is no fifth. And there is only one place where these four cultural systems converge: Dunhuang and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. There is no other.
\nA trip to Dunhuang can be a journey through history, a pilgrimage for art, or a retreat for the soul. Every visitor leaves with memories to treasure.
\nSilk Road
\nDuring the reign of Emperor Wu in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), envoy Zhang Qian was sent on missions to the western regions twice. He pioneered a land route that started from Chang'an (today's Xi'an), passed through the Hexi Corridor and Dunhuang, crossed the Tianshan Mountains, and continued to Central Asia, West Asia, and eventually the Mediterranean coast. This trade and cultural corridor linking East and West was later named the ancient Silk Road. From then on, the deep integration of technology, culture, art, and religion among the diverse nations along this route influenced the entire globe.
\nOn this vital route, two essential thoroughfares for merchants and envoys traveling to and from the western regions — the Yangguan and Yumen passes — served as thriving hubs. These two passes faced each other across the desert, jointly guarding the western end of the Hexi Corridor. Silk and tea were transported westward, while grapes, alfalfa, and fine horses were introduced eastward. Notably, the route through Yangguan Pass was relatively flat, had more water sources, and was less obstructed by desert sands, making it easier to traverse. It was thus metaphorically referred to by ancient people as the "bright and smooth path". Gradually, the term "Yangguan Avenue" became widely used in Chinese folk vocabulary.
\nThe Xuanquan Posthouse, a World Cultural Heritage Site in Dunhuang, was first opened to the public on May 1. Originally a crucial postal and courier station on the Silk Road over 2,100 years ago, it aided the delivery of official documents and hosted traveling envoys and officials. More than 70,000 relics, including bamboo or wooden slips, silk books, paper documents, crops, farming tools, and domestic animal bones, were unearthed from the site. Like keys unlocking the door to history, these artifacts showcase the daily lives of people from that era, offering a glimpse into the bustling activity and intricate details of Silk Road exchanges.
\nThe Sogdians emerged as the dominant commercial force along the ancient Silk Road from the fourth to eighth centuries with their distinctive organizational models and trade wisdom. Relying on family ties and homeland connections, they formed tightly coordinated caravans. They used Sassanian silver coins for transactions and established way stations in key cities like Dunhuang and Liangzhou. In Dunhuang's markets, Sassanian silver coins were exchanged for Chinese products, creating a vibrant trading scene on the ancient Silk Road.
\nGallery in desert
\nAmid the flourishing East-West trade, diverse civilizations converged in Dunhuang. Here lies one of the world's oldest and largest artistic treasures: the Mogao Caves. Dating back about 1,600 years, it is known as the "art gallery in the desert".
\nIn the fourth century, a virtuous monk named Lezun (or Yuezun) arrived at Mingsha Mountain and saw a burst of golden lights with the image of thousands of Buddhas inside. Inspired by this, he constructed the first cave on the cliff. Subsequently, artists and craftsmen from diverse dynasties continued to expand the caves. During the Sui Dynasty (581-618), artists blended previous styles with bold innovations, creating more harmonious color and painting schemes. This laid the foundation for the peak of Dunhuang art in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), whose murals are renowned for their vibrant colors, rich compositions, and lifelike figures, demonstrating highly advanced artistry and technical skills.
\nThe exquisite murals and painted sculptures in the Mogao Caves carry the cultural legacy of Buddhism's spread eastward. At the same time, figures from traditional Chinese mythology, such as Fuxi and Nyuwa — believed to be the creators of the Chinese people — also appear in Dunhuang's murals.
\nIn several Mogao Caves, the motif of Three Hares Sharing Ears appears. Three hares, each sharing one ear with another, run in a circle and are connected by the head. Yet, from all angles, each hare appears to have two ears. This design reflects the traditional Chinese creative concept of symbiosis. Hares, known for their strong reproductive ability, symbolize fertility and endless vitality. The number three in traditional Chinese culture represents auspiciousness and infinity. The three hares may also symbolize the Buddhist concepts of "past life", "present life" and "future life", embodying the ideas of reincarnation.
\nThe motif first appeared in Dunhuang in the sixth century and later spread along the ancient Silk Road to Central Asia, West Asia, Egypt, and Europe. It appeared on items such as metal plates in Afghanistan and church clocks in Germany, serving as a microcosm of cultural exchange.
\nAs a unique form of Buddhist art, the flying apsaras depicted in Dunhuang murals captivate viewers with their graceful and ethereal dance poses. The apsaras are shown playing the pipa lute with controlled and delicate hand movements, and their attire and makeup reflect women's fashion of that era. Breaking free from traditional conventions, the artists employed exaggerated techniques and dynamic lines, creating some of the most enchanting images in the caves.
\nOn the walls of the corridor in Cave 61 of the Mogao Caves, amid colorful clouds, the 28 constellations are depicted. Interspersed with 12 circular patterns, they showcase the images of the 12 zodiac signs. Although these zodiac images originated in the West, they coexist in the Mogao murals with the 28 constellations from Taoist and Confucian cultural elements.
\nBeyond this, Greek deities appear as guardian figures in the Mogao murals, while Indian mythological stories are woven into the narratives of the sutra illustrations. Exotic elements in diet, clothing, and music were all adapted in Dunhuang, ultimately creating a scene of "each culture showcases its beauty and all beauties are admired".
\nCultural bond
\nDunhuang culture is not only a crystallization of exchanges and mutual learning among multiple civilizations but a testament to the continuity and inclusiveness of Chinese civilization. It stands as a quiet testament to history.
\nIn the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), the smooth operation of the ancient Silk Road was repeatedly challenged by the fight against the nomadic Xiongnu people. During this turbulent time, diplomat Ban Chao embarked on a mission to the western regions, where he remained for over 30 years. In his later years, however, Ban, with silver hair, missed his hometown deeply. He worried that physical weakness would stop him from pacifying the western regions. After careful consideration, he wrote to the imperial court: "I do not dare to hope to return to the heartland of China's Central Plains. I only wish to step into the Yumen Pass alive and see my homeland once more." These words convey the yearning of an elderly man who had spent half his life away from home. The Yumen Pass, standing at the western end of the Hexi Corridor, was an emotional landmark separating "hometown" from "foreign land" in the hearts of border defenders.
\nThe art of the Dunhuang Caves is a valuable source for modern cultural and artistic creations. These cultural elements have been widely applied in urban symbols, brand logos, craft design, fashion design, as well as films and television shows, providing inspiration to countless Chinese and international artists.
\nIn Cave 257 in the Mogao Caves, the painting The Deer King Jataka might evoke childhood memories for many born in the 1980s and 1990s. The animated film The Nine-Colored Deer, produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio in 1981, drew inspiration from this mural, bringing millennium-old Dunhuang art to modern audiences. Through the kindness and compassion of the nine-colored deer, the dishonesty of the king, and the greed of the queen, the story promotes virtues such as integrity and kindness. Looking at the eyes of the nine-colored deer in the mural, many children can see the emotion of benevolence and justice.
\nThe sacred canopy above a bodhisattva in the Dunhuang murals symbolizes the protection offered by bodhisattvas to all beings. The patterns of the sacred canopy in the Dunhuang murals did not follow a fixed style but continuously evolved with each dynasty. Later, when designing decorations for temples or cultural venues, artists drew on the form of the sacred canopy to create ceilings or decorative structures. Today, tourists can buy refrigerator magnets in the shape of the sacred canopy, inviting good wishes from Dunhuang into their own homes.
\nliyou@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "content": "\nMAP OF THE ANCIENT SILK ROAD
\nIn the Gobi Desert of Northwest China, there is a place that appeals to all hearts: Dunhuang. Those who have visited often express a desire to return.
\nThe renowned scholar Ji Xianlin once said there are four major cultural systems in the world: China, India, Greece, and Islam. There is no fifth. And there is only one place where these four cultural systems converge: Dunhuang and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. There is no other.
\nA trip to Dunhuang can be a journey through history, a pilgrimage for art, or a retreat for the soul. Every visitor leaves with memories to treasure.
\nSilk Road
\nDuring the reign of Emperor Wu in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), envoy Zhang Qian was sent on missions to the western regions twice. He pioneered a land route that started from Chang'an (today's Xi'an), passed through the Hexi Corridor and Dunhuang, crossed the Tianshan Mountains, and continued to Central Asia, West Asia, and eventually the Mediterranean coast. This trade and cultural corridor linking East and West was later named the ancient Silk Road. From then on, the deep integration of technology, culture, art, and religion among the diverse nations along this route influenced the entire globe.
\nOn this vital route, two essential thoroughfares for merchants and envoys traveling to and from the western regions — the Yangguan and Yumen passes — served as thriving hubs. These two passes faced each other across the desert, jointly guarding the western end of the Hexi Corridor. Silk and tea were transported westward, while grapes, alfalfa, and fine horses were introduced eastward. Notably, the route through Yangguan Pass was relatively flat, had more water sources, and was less obstructed by desert sands, making it easier to traverse. It was thus metaphorically referred to by ancient people as the "bright and smooth path". Gradually, the term "Yangguan Avenue" became widely used in Chinese folk vocabulary.
\nThe Xuanquan Posthouse, a World Cultural Heritage Site in Dunhuang, was first opened to the public on May 1. Originally a crucial postal and courier station on the Silk Road over 2,100 years ago, it aided the delivery of official documents and hosted traveling envoys and officials. More than 70,000 relics, including bamboo or wooden slips, silk books, paper documents, crops, farming tools, and domestic animal bones, were unearthed from the site. Like keys unlocking the door to history, these artifacts showcase the daily lives of people from that era, offering a glimpse into the bustling activity and intricate details of Silk Road exchanges.
\nThe Sogdians emerged as the dominant commercial force along the ancient Silk Road from the fourth to eighth centuries with their distinctive organizational models and trade wisdom. Relying on family ties and homeland connections, they formed tightly coordinated caravans. They used Sassanian silver coins for transactions and established way stations in key cities like Dunhuang and Liangzhou. In Dunhuang's markets, Sassanian silver coins were exchanged for Chinese products, creating a vibrant trading scene on the ancient Silk Road.
\nGallery in desert
\nAmid the flourishing East-West trade, diverse civilizations converged in Dunhuang. Here lies one of the world's oldest and largest artistic treasures: the Mogao Caves. Dating back about 1,600 years, it is known as the "art gallery in the desert".
\nIn the fourth century, a virtuous monk named Lezun (or Yuezun) arrived at Mingsha Mountain and saw a burst of golden lights with the image of thousands of Buddhas inside. Inspired by this, he constructed the first cave on the cliff. Subsequently, artists and craftsmen from diverse dynasties continued to expand the caves. During the Sui Dynasty (581-618), artists blended previous styles with bold innovations, creating more harmonious color and painting schemes. This laid the foundation for the peak of Dunhuang art in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), whose murals are renowned for their vibrant colors, rich compositions, and lifelike figures, demonstrating highly advanced artistry and technical skills.
\nThe exquisite murals and painted sculptures in the Mogao Caves carry the cultural legacy of Buddhism's spread eastward. At the same time, figures from traditional Chinese mythology, such as Fuxi and Nyuwa — believed to be the creators of the Chinese people — also appear in Dunhuang's murals.
\nIn several Mogao Caves, the motif of Three Hares Sharing Ears appears. Three hares, each sharing one ear with another, run in a circle and are connected by the head. Yet, from all angles, each hare appears to have two ears. This design reflects the traditional Chinese creative concept of symbiosis. Hares, known for their strong reproductive ability, symbolize fertility and endless vitality. The number three in traditional Chinese culture represents auspiciousness and infinity. The three hares may also symbolize the Buddhist concepts of "past life", "present life" and "future life", embodying the ideas of reincarnation.
\nThe motif first appeared in Dunhuang in the sixth century and later spread along the ancient Silk Road to Central Asia, West Asia, Egypt, and Europe. It appeared on items such as metal plates in Afghanistan and church clocks in Germany, serving as a microcosm of cultural exchange.
\nAs a unique form of Buddhist art, the flying apsaras depicted in Dunhuang murals captivate viewers with their graceful and ethereal dance poses. The apsaras are shown playing the pipa lute with controlled and delicate hand movements, and their attire and makeup reflect women's fashion of that era. Breaking free from traditional conventions, the artists employed exaggerated techniques and dynamic lines, creating some of the most enchanting images in the caves.
\nOn the walls of the corridor in Cave 61 of the Mogao Caves, amid colorful clouds, the 28 constellations are depicted. Interspersed with 12 circular patterns, they showcase the images of the 12 zodiac signs. Although these zodiac images originated in the West, they coexist in the Mogao murals with the 28 constellations from Taoist and Confucian cultural elements.
\nBeyond this, Greek deities appear as guardian figures in the Mogao murals, while Indian mythological stories are woven into the narratives of the sutra illustrations. Exotic elements in diet, clothing, and music were all adapted in Dunhuang, ultimately creating a scene of "each culture showcases its beauty and all beauties are admired".
\nCultural bond
\nDunhuang culture is not only a crystallization of exchanges and mutual learning among multiple civilizations but a testament to the continuity and inclusiveness of Chinese civilization. It stands as a quiet testament to history.
\nIn the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), the smooth operation of the ancient Silk Road was repeatedly challenged by the fight against the nomadic Xiongnu people. During this turbulent time, diplomat Ban Chao embarked on a mission to the western regions, where he remained for over 30 years. In his later years, however, Ban, with silver hair, missed his hometown deeply. He worried that physical weakness would stop him from pacifying the western regions. After careful consideration, he wrote to the imperial court: "I do not dare to hope to return to the heartland of China's Central Plains. I only wish to step into the Yumen Pass alive and see my homeland once more." These words convey the yearning of an elderly man who had spent half his life away from home. The Yumen Pass, standing at the western end of the Hexi Corridor, was an emotional landmark separating "hometown" from "foreign land" in the hearts of border defenders.
\nThe art of the Dunhuang Caves is a valuable source for modern cultural and artistic creations. These cultural elements have been widely applied in urban symbols, brand logos, craft design, fashion design, as well as films and television shows, providing inspiration to countless Chinese and international artists.
\nIn Cave 257 in the Mogao Caves, the painting The Deer King Jataka might evoke childhood memories for many born in the 1980s and 1990s. The animated film The Nine-Colored Deer, produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio in 1981, drew inspiration from this mural, bringing millennium-old Dunhuang art to modern audiences. Through the kindness and compassion of the nine-colored deer, the dishonesty of the king, and the greed of the queen, the story promotes virtues such as integrity and kindness. Looking at the eyes of the nine-colored deer in the mural, many children can see the emotion of benevolence and justice.
\nThe sacred canopy above a bodhisattva in the Dunhuang murals symbolizes the protection offered by bodhisattvas to all beings. The patterns of the sacred canopy in the Dunhuang murals did not follow a fixed style but continuously evolved with each dynasty. Later, when designing decorations for temples or cultural venues, artists drew on the form of the sacred canopy to create ceilings or decorative structures. Today, tourists can buy refrigerator magnets in the shape of the sacred canopy, inviting good wishes from Dunhuang into their own homes.
\nliyou@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_014_68cdd40ced50ccabe1519e58.htm#014SUPPLEMENT", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:07 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "3a0e9e54719630730151703f7950bc5a", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "015SUPPLEMENT - DUN HUANG A PLACE THAT APPEALS TO ALL HEARTS", + "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/015/20250920_013_01_1.png\")
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/015/20250920_013_01_13.png\")
MAP OF THE ANCIENT SILK ROAD
\nIn the Gobi Desert of Northwest China, there is a place that appeals to all hearts: Dunhuang. Those who have visited often express a desire to return.
\nThe renowned scholar Ji Xianlin once said there are four major cultural systems in the world: China, India, Greece, and Islam. There is no fifth. And there is only one place where these four cultural systems converge: Dunhuang and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. There is no other.
\nA trip to Dunhuang can be a journey through history, a pilgrimage for art, or a retreat for the soul. Every visitor leaves with memories to treasure.
\nSilk Road
\nDuring the reign of Emperor Wu in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), envoy Zhang Qian was sent on missions to the western regions twice. He pioneered a land route that started from Chang'an (today's Xi'an), passed through the Hexi Corridor and Dunhuang, crossed the Tianshan Mountains, and continued to Central Asia, West Asia, and eventually the Mediterranean coast. This trade and cultural corridor linking East and West was later named the ancient Silk Road. From then on, the deep integration of technology, culture, art, and religion among the diverse nations along this route influenced the entire globe.
\nOn this vital route, two essential thoroughfares for merchants and envoys traveling to and from the western regions — the Yangguan and Yumen passes — served as thriving hubs. These two passes faced each other across the desert, jointly guarding the western end of the Hexi Corridor. Silk and tea were transported westward, while grapes, alfalfa, and fine horses were introduced eastward. Notably, the route through Yangguan Pass was relatively flat, had more water sources, and was less obstructed by desert sands, making it easier to traverse. It was thus metaphorically referred to by ancient people as the "bright and smooth path". Gradually, the term "Yangguan Avenue" became widely used in Chinese folk vocabulary.
\nThe Xuanquan Posthouse, a World Cultural Heritage Site in Dunhuang, was first opened to the public on May 1. Originally a crucial postal and courier station on the Silk Road over 2,100 years ago, it aided the delivery of official documents and hosted traveling envoys and officials. More than 70,000 relics, including bamboo or wooden slips, silk books, paper documents, crops, farming tools, and domestic animal bones, were unearthed from the site. Like keys unlocking the door to history, these artifacts showcase the daily lives of people from that era, offering a glimpse into the bustling activity and intricate details of Silk Road exchanges.
\nThe Sogdians emerged as the dominant commercial force along the ancient Silk Road from the fourth to eighth centuries with their distinctive organizational models and trade wisdom. Relying on family ties and homeland connections, they formed tightly coordinated caravans. They used Sassanian silver coins for transactions and established way stations in key cities like Dunhuang and Liangzhou. In Dunhuang's markets, Sassanian silver coins were exchanged for Chinese products, creating a vibrant trading scene on the ancient Silk Road.
\nGallery in desert
\nAmid the flourishing East-West trade, diverse civilizations converged in Dunhuang. Here lies one of the world's oldest and largest artistic treasures: the Mogao Caves. Dating back about 1,600 years, it is known as the "art gallery in the desert".
\nIn the fourth century, a virtuous monk named Lezun (or Yuezun) arrived at Mingsha Mountain and saw a burst of golden lights with the image of thousands of Buddhas inside. Inspired by this, he constructed the first cave on the cliff. Subsequently, artists and craftsmen from diverse dynasties continued to expand the caves. During the Sui Dynasty (581-618), artists blended previous styles with bold innovations, creating more harmonious color and painting schemes. This laid the foundation for the peak of Dunhuang art in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), whose murals are renowned for their vibrant colors, rich compositions, and lifelike figures, demonstrating highly advanced artistry and technical skills.
\nThe exquisite murals and painted sculptures in the Mogao Caves carry the cultural legacy of Buddhism's spread eastward. At the same time, figures from traditional Chinese mythology, such as Fuxi and Nyuwa — believed to be the creators of the Chinese people — also appear in Dunhuang's murals.
\nIn several Mogao Caves, the motif of Three Hares Sharing Ears appears. Three hares, each sharing one ear with another, run in a circle and are connected by the head. Yet, from all angles, each hare appears to have two ears. This design reflects the traditional Chinese creative concept of symbiosis. Hares, known for their strong reproductive ability, symbolize fertility and endless vitality. The number three in traditional Chinese culture represents auspiciousness and infinity. The three hares may also symbolize the Buddhist concepts of "past life", "present life" and "future life", embodying the ideas of reincarnation.
\nThe motif first appeared in Dunhuang in the sixth century and later spread along the ancient Silk Road to Central Asia, West Asia, Egypt, and Europe. It appeared on items such as metal plates in Afghanistan and church clocks in Germany, serving as a microcosm of cultural exchange.
\nAs a unique form of Buddhist art, the flying apsaras depicted in Dunhuang murals captivate viewers with their graceful and ethereal dance poses. The apsaras are shown playing the pipa lute with controlled and delicate hand movements, and their attire and makeup reflect women's fashion of that era. Breaking free from traditional conventions, the artists employed exaggerated techniques and dynamic lines, creating some of the most enchanting images in the caves.
\nOn the walls of the corridor in Cave 61 of the Mogao Caves, amid colorful clouds, the 28 constellations are depicted. Interspersed with 12 circular patterns, they showcase the images of the 12 zodiac signs. Although these zodiac images originated in the West, they coexist in the Mogao murals with the 28 constellations from Taoist and Confucian cultural elements.
\nBeyond this, Greek deities appear as guardian figures in the Mogao murals, while Indian mythological stories are woven into the narratives of the sutra illustrations. Exotic elements in diet, clothing, and music were all adapted in Dunhuang, ultimately creating a scene of "each culture showcases its beauty and all beauties are admired".
\nCultural bond
\nDunhuang culture is not only a crystallization of exchanges and mutual learning among multiple civilizations but a testament to the continuity and inclusiveness of Chinese civilization. It stands as a quiet testament to history.
\nIn the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), the smooth operation of the ancient Silk Road was repeatedly challenged by the fight against the nomadic Xiongnu people. During this turbulent time, diplomat Ban Chao embarked on a mission to the western regions, where he remained for over 30 years. In his later years, however, Ban, with silver hair, missed his hometown deeply. He worried that physical weakness would stop him from pacifying the western regions. After careful consideration, he wrote to the imperial court: "I do not dare to hope to return to the heartland of China's Central Plains. I only wish to step into the Yumen Pass alive and see my homeland once more." These words convey the yearning of an elderly man who had spent half his life away from home. The Yumen Pass, standing at the western end of the Hexi Corridor, was an emotional landmark separating "hometown" from "foreign land" in the hearts of border defenders.
\nThe art of the Dunhuang Caves is a valuable source for modern cultural and artistic creations. These cultural elements have been widely applied in urban symbols, brand logos, craft design, fashion design, as well as films and television shows, providing inspiration to countless Chinese and international artists.
\nIn Cave 257 in the Mogao Caves, the painting The Deer King Jataka might evoke childhood memories for many born in the 1980s and 1990s. The animated film The Nine-Colored Deer, produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio in 1981, drew inspiration from this mural, bringing millennium-old Dunhuang art to modern audiences. Through the kindness and compassion of the nine-colored deer, the dishonesty of the king, and the greed of the queen, the story promotes virtues such as integrity and kindness. Looking at the eyes of the nine-colored deer in the mural, many children can see the emotion of benevolence and justice.
\nThe sacred canopy above a bodhisattva in the Dunhuang murals symbolizes the protection offered by bodhisattvas to all beings. The patterns of the sacred canopy in the Dunhuang murals did not follow a fixed style but continuously evolved with each dynasty. Later, when designing decorations for temples or cultural venues, artists drew on the form of the sacred canopy to create ceilings or decorative structures. Today, tourists can buy refrigerator magnets in the shape of the sacred canopy, inviting good wishes from Dunhuang into their own homes.
\nliyou@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "content": "\nMAP OF THE ANCIENT SILK ROAD
\nIn the Gobi Desert of Northwest China, there is a place that appeals to all hearts: Dunhuang. Those who have visited often express a desire to return.
\nThe renowned scholar Ji Xianlin once said there are four major cultural systems in the world: China, India, Greece, and Islam. There is no fifth. And there is only one place where these four cultural systems converge: Dunhuang and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. There is no other.
\nA trip to Dunhuang can be a journey through history, a pilgrimage for art, or a retreat for the soul. Every visitor leaves with memories to treasure.
\nSilk Road
\nDuring the reign of Emperor Wu in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), envoy Zhang Qian was sent on missions to the western regions twice. He pioneered a land route that started from Chang'an (today's Xi'an), passed through the Hexi Corridor and Dunhuang, crossed the Tianshan Mountains, and continued to Central Asia, West Asia, and eventually the Mediterranean coast. This trade and cultural corridor linking East and West was later named the ancient Silk Road. From then on, the deep integration of technology, culture, art, and religion among the diverse nations along this route influenced the entire globe.
\nOn this vital route, two essential thoroughfares for merchants and envoys traveling to and from the western regions — the Yangguan and Yumen passes — served as thriving hubs. These two passes faced each other across the desert, jointly guarding the western end of the Hexi Corridor. Silk and tea were transported westward, while grapes, alfalfa, and fine horses were introduced eastward. Notably, the route through Yangguan Pass was relatively flat, had more water sources, and was less obstructed by desert sands, making it easier to traverse. It was thus metaphorically referred to by ancient people as the "bright and smooth path". Gradually, the term "Yangguan Avenue" became widely used in Chinese folk vocabulary.
\nThe Xuanquan Posthouse, a World Cultural Heritage Site in Dunhuang, was first opened to the public on May 1. Originally a crucial postal and courier station on the Silk Road over 2,100 years ago, it aided the delivery of official documents and hosted traveling envoys and officials. More than 70,000 relics, including bamboo or wooden slips, silk books, paper documents, crops, farming tools, and domestic animal bones, were unearthed from the site. Like keys unlocking the door to history, these artifacts showcase the daily lives of people from that era, offering a glimpse into the bustling activity and intricate details of Silk Road exchanges.
\nThe Sogdians emerged as the dominant commercial force along the ancient Silk Road from the fourth to eighth centuries with their distinctive organizational models and trade wisdom. Relying on family ties and homeland connections, they formed tightly coordinated caravans. They used Sassanian silver coins for transactions and established way stations in key cities like Dunhuang and Liangzhou. In Dunhuang's markets, Sassanian silver coins were exchanged for Chinese products, creating a vibrant trading scene on the ancient Silk Road.
\nGallery in desert
\nAmid the flourishing East-West trade, diverse civilizations converged in Dunhuang. Here lies one of the world's oldest and largest artistic treasures: the Mogao Caves. Dating back about 1,600 years, it is known as the "art gallery in the desert".
\nIn the fourth century, a virtuous monk named Lezun (or Yuezun) arrived at Mingsha Mountain and saw a burst of golden lights with the image of thousands of Buddhas inside. Inspired by this, he constructed the first cave on the cliff. Subsequently, artists and craftsmen from diverse dynasties continued to expand the caves. During the Sui Dynasty (581-618), artists blended previous styles with bold innovations, creating more harmonious color and painting schemes. This laid the foundation for the peak of Dunhuang art in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), whose murals are renowned for their vibrant colors, rich compositions, and lifelike figures, demonstrating highly advanced artistry and technical skills.
\nThe exquisite murals and painted sculptures in the Mogao Caves carry the cultural legacy of Buddhism's spread eastward. At the same time, figures from traditional Chinese mythology, such as Fuxi and Nyuwa — believed to be the creators of the Chinese people — also appear in Dunhuang's murals.
\nIn several Mogao Caves, the motif of Three Hares Sharing Ears appears. Three hares, each sharing one ear with another, run in a circle and are connected by the head. Yet, from all angles, each hare appears to have two ears. This design reflects the traditional Chinese creative concept of symbiosis. Hares, known for their strong reproductive ability, symbolize fertility and endless vitality. The number three in traditional Chinese culture represents auspiciousness and infinity. The three hares may also symbolize the Buddhist concepts of "past life", "present life" and "future life", embodying the ideas of reincarnation.
\nThe motif first appeared in Dunhuang in the sixth century and later spread along the ancient Silk Road to Central Asia, West Asia, Egypt, and Europe. It appeared on items such as metal plates in Afghanistan and church clocks in Germany, serving as a microcosm of cultural exchange.
\nAs a unique form of Buddhist art, the flying apsaras depicted in Dunhuang murals captivate viewers with their graceful and ethereal dance poses. The apsaras are shown playing the pipa lute with controlled and delicate hand movements, and their attire and makeup reflect women's fashion of that era. Breaking free from traditional conventions, the artists employed exaggerated techniques and dynamic lines, creating some of the most enchanting images in the caves.
\nOn the walls of the corridor in Cave 61 of the Mogao Caves, amid colorful clouds, the 28 constellations are depicted. Interspersed with 12 circular patterns, they showcase the images of the 12 zodiac signs. Although these zodiac images originated in the West, they coexist in the Mogao murals with the 28 constellations from Taoist and Confucian cultural elements.
\nBeyond this, Greek deities appear as guardian figures in the Mogao murals, while Indian mythological stories are woven into the narratives of the sutra illustrations. Exotic elements in diet, clothing, and music were all adapted in Dunhuang, ultimately creating a scene of "each culture showcases its beauty and all beauties are admired".
\nCultural bond
\nDunhuang culture is not only a crystallization of exchanges and mutual learning among multiple civilizations but a testament to the continuity and inclusiveness of Chinese civilization. It stands as a quiet testament to history.
\nIn the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), the smooth operation of the ancient Silk Road was repeatedly challenged by the fight against the nomadic Xiongnu people. During this turbulent time, diplomat Ban Chao embarked on a mission to the western regions, where he remained for over 30 years. In his later years, however, Ban, with silver hair, missed his hometown deeply. He worried that physical weakness would stop him from pacifying the western regions. After careful consideration, he wrote to the imperial court: "I do not dare to hope to return to the heartland of China's Central Plains. I only wish to step into the Yumen Pass alive and see my homeland once more." These words convey the yearning of an elderly man who had spent half his life away from home. The Yumen Pass, standing at the western end of the Hexi Corridor, was an emotional landmark separating "hometown" from "foreign land" in the hearts of border defenders.
\nThe art of the Dunhuang Caves is a valuable source for modern cultural and artistic creations. These cultural elements have been widely applied in urban symbols, brand logos, craft design, fashion design, as well as films and television shows, providing inspiration to countless Chinese and international artists.
\nIn Cave 257 in the Mogao Caves, the painting The Deer King Jataka might evoke childhood memories for many born in the 1980s and 1990s. The animated film The Nine-Colored Deer, produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio in 1981, drew inspiration from this mural, bringing millennium-old Dunhuang art to modern audiences. Through the kindness and compassion of the nine-colored deer, the dishonesty of the king, and the greed of the queen, the story promotes virtues such as integrity and kindness. Looking at the eyes of the nine-colored deer in the mural, many children can see the emotion of benevolence and justice.
\nThe sacred canopy above a bodhisattva in the Dunhuang murals symbolizes the protection offered by bodhisattvas to all beings. The patterns of the sacred canopy in the Dunhuang murals did not follow a fixed style but continuously evolved with each dynasty. Later, when designing decorations for temples or cultural venues, artists drew on the form of the sacred canopy to create ceilings or decorative structures. Today, tourists can buy refrigerator magnets in the shape of the sacred canopy, inviting good wishes from Dunhuang into their own homes.
\nliyou@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_015_68cdd40ced50ccabe1519e59.htm#015SUPPLEMENT", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:07 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "adec693b977e0b8a5bb0a1b37a50056c", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "016SUPPLEMENT - DUN HUANG A PLACE THAT APPEALS TO ALL HEARTS", + "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/016/20250920_013_01_1.png\")
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/016/20250920_013_01_13.png\")
MAP OF THE ANCIENT SILK ROAD
\nIn the Gobi Desert of Northwest China, there is a place that appeals to all hearts: Dunhuang. Those who have visited often express a desire to return.
\nThe renowned scholar Ji Xianlin once said there are four major cultural systems in the world: China, India, Greece, and Islam. There is no fifth. And there is only one place where these four cultural systems converge: Dunhuang and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. There is no other.
\nA trip to Dunhuang can be a journey through history, a pilgrimage for art, or a retreat for the soul. Every visitor leaves with memories to treasure.
\nSilk Road
\nDuring the reign of Emperor Wu in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), envoy Zhang Qian was sent on missions to the western regions twice. He pioneered a land route that started from Chang'an (today's Xi'an), passed through the Hexi Corridor and Dunhuang, crossed the Tianshan Mountains, and continued to Central Asia, West Asia, and eventually the Mediterranean coast. This trade and cultural corridor linking East and West was later named the ancient Silk Road. From then on, the deep integration of technology, culture, art, and religion among the diverse nations along this route influenced the entire globe.
\nOn this vital route, two essential thoroughfares for merchants and envoys traveling to and from the western regions — the Yangguan and Yumen passes — served as thriving hubs. These two passes faced each other across the desert, jointly guarding the western end of the Hexi Corridor. Silk and tea were transported westward, while grapes, alfalfa, and fine horses were introduced eastward. Notably, the route through Yangguan Pass was relatively flat, had more water sources, and was less obstructed by desert sands, making it easier to traverse. It was thus metaphorically referred to by ancient people as the "bright and smooth path". Gradually, the term "Yangguan Avenue" became widely used in Chinese folk vocabulary.
\nThe Xuanquan Posthouse, a World Cultural Heritage Site in Dunhuang, was first opened to the public on May 1. Originally a crucial postal and courier station on the Silk Road over 2,100 years ago, it aided the delivery of official documents and hosted traveling envoys and officials. More than 70,000 relics, including bamboo or wooden slips, silk books, paper documents, crops, farming tools, and domestic animal bones, were unearthed from the site. Like keys unlocking the door to history, these artifacts showcase the daily lives of people from that era, offering a glimpse into the bustling activity and intricate details of Silk Road exchanges.
\nThe Sogdians emerged as the dominant commercial force along the ancient Silk Road from the fourth to eighth centuries with their distinctive organizational models and trade wisdom. Relying on family ties and homeland connections, they formed tightly coordinated caravans. They used Sassanian silver coins for transactions and established way stations in key cities like Dunhuang and Liangzhou. In Dunhuang's markets, Sassanian silver coins were exchanged for Chinese products, creating a vibrant trading scene on the ancient Silk Road.
\nGallery in desert
\nAmid the flourishing East-West trade, diverse civilizations converged in Dunhuang. Here lies one of the world's oldest and largest artistic treasures: the Mogao Caves. Dating back about 1,600 years, it is known as the "art gallery in the desert".
\nIn the fourth century, a virtuous monk named Lezun (or Yuezun) arrived at Mingsha Mountain and saw a burst of golden lights with the image of thousands of Buddhas inside. Inspired by this, he constructed the first cave on the cliff. Subsequently, artists and craftsmen from diverse dynasties continued to expand the caves. During the Sui Dynasty (581-618), artists blended previous styles with bold innovations, creating more harmonious color and painting schemes. This laid the foundation for the peak of Dunhuang art in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), whose murals are renowned for their vibrant colors, rich compositions, and lifelike figures, demonstrating highly advanced artistry and technical skills.
\nThe exquisite murals and painted sculptures in the Mogao Caves carry the cultural legacy of Buddhism's spread eastward. At the same time, figures from traditional Chinese mythology, such as Fuxi and Nyuwa — believed to be the creators of the Chinese people — also appear in Dunhuang's murals.
\nIn several Mogao Caves, the motif of Three Hares Sharing Ears appears. Three hares, each sharing one ear with another, run in a circle and are connected by the head. Yet, from all angles, each hare appears to have two ears. This design reflects the traditional Chinese creative concept of symbiosis. Hares, known for their strong reproductive ability, symbolize fertility and endless vitality. The number three in traditional Chinese culture represents auspiciousness and infinity. The three hares may also symbolize the Buddhist concepts of "past life", "present life" and "future life", embodying the ideas of reincarnation.
\nThe motif first appeared in Dunhuang in the sixth century and later spread along the ancient Silk Road to Central Asia, West Asia, Egypt, and Europe. It appeared on items such as metal plates in Afghanistan and church clocks in Germany, serving as a microcosm of cultural exchange.
\nAs a unique form of Buddhist art, the flying apsaras depicted in Dunhuang murals captivate viewers with their graceful and ethereal dance poses. The apsaras are shown playing the pipa lute with controlled and delicate hand movements, and their attire and makeup reflect women's fashion of that era. Breaking free from traditional conventions, the artists employed exaggerated techniques and dynamic lines, creating some of the most enchanting images in the caves.
\nOn the walls of the corridor in Cave 61 of the Mogao Caves, amid colorful clouds, the 28 constellations are depicted. Interspersed with 12 circular patterns, they showcase the images of the 12 zodiac signs. Although these zodiac images originated in the West, they coexist in the Mogao murals with the 28 constellations from Taoist and Confucian cultural elements.
\nBeyond this, Greek deities appear as guardian figures in the Mogao murals, while Indian mythological stories are woven into the narratives of the sutra illustrations. Exotic elements in diet, clothing, and music were all adapted in Dunhuang, ultimately creating a scene of "each culture showcases its beauty and all beauties are admired".
\nCultural bond
\nDunhuang culture is not only a crystallization of exchanges and mutual learning among multiple civilizations but a testament to the continuity and inclusiveness of Chinese civilization. It stands as a quiet testament to history.
\nIn the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), the smooth operation of the ancient Silk Road was repeatedly challenged by the fight against the nomadic Xiongnu people. During this turbulent time, diplomat Ban Chao embarked on a mission to the western regions, where he remained for over 30 years. In his later years, however, Ban, with silver hair, missed his hometown deeply. He worried that physical weakness would stop him from pacifying the western regions. After careful consideration, he wrote to the imperial court: "I do not dare to hope to return to the heartland of China's Central Plains. I only wish to step into the Yumen Pass alive and see my homeland once more." These words convey the yearning of an elderly man who had spent half his life away from home. The Yumen Pass, standing at the western end of the Hexi Corridor, was an emotional landmark separating "hometown" from "foreign land" in the hearts of border defenders.
\nThe art of the Dunhuang Caves is a valuable source for modern cultural and artistic creations. These cultural elements have been widely applied in urban symbols, brand logos, craft design, fashion design, as well as films and television shows, providing inspiration to countless Chinese and international artists.
\nIn Cave 257 in the Mogao Caves, the painting The Deer King Jataka might evoke childhood memories for many born in the 1980s and 1990s. The animated film The Nine-Colored Deer, produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio in 1981, drew inspiration from this mural, bringing millennium-old Dunhuang art to modern audiences. Through the kindness and compassion of the nine-colored deer, the dishonesty of the king, and the greed of the queen, the story promotes virtues such as integrity and kindness. Looking at the eyes of the nine-colored deer in the mural, many children can see the emotion of benevolence and justice.
\nThe sacred canopy above a bodhisattva in the Dunhuang murals symbolizes the protection offered by bodhisattvas to all beings. The patterns of the sacred canopy in the Dunhuang murals did not follow a fixed style but continuously evolved with each dynasty. Later, when designing decorations for temples or cultural venues, artists drew on the form of the sacred canopy to create ceilings or decorative structures. Today, tourists can buy refrigerator magnets in the shape of the sacred canopy, inviting good wishes from Dunhuang into their own homes.
\nliyou@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "content": "\nMAP OF THE ANCIENT SILK ROAD
\nIn the Gobi Desert of Northwest China, there is a place that appeals to all hearts: Dunhuang. Those who have visited often express a desire to return.
\nThe renowned scholar Ji Xianlin once said there are four major cultural systems in the world: China, India, Greece, and Islam. There is no fifth. And there is only one place where these four cultural systems converge: Dunhuang and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. There is no other.
\nA trip to Dunhuang can be a journey through history, a pilgrimage for art, or a retreat for the soul. Every visitor leaves with memories to treasure.
\nSilk Road
\nDuring the reign of Emperor Wu in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), envoy Zhang Qian was sent on missions to the western regions twice. He pioneered a land route that started from Chang'an (today's Xi'an), passed through the Hexi Corridor and Dunhuang, crossed the Tianshan Mountains, and continued to Central Asia, West Asia, and eventually the Mediterranean coast. This trade and cultural corridor linking East and West was later named the ancient Silk Road. From then on, the deep integration of technology, culture, art, and religion among the diverse nations along this route influenced the entire globe.
\nOn this vital route, two essential thoroughfares for merchants and envoys traveling to and from the western regions — the Yangguan and Yumen passes — served as thriving hubs. These two passes faced each other across the desert, jointly guarding the western end of the Hexi Corridor. Silk and tea were transported westward, while grapes, alfalfa, and fine horses were introduced eastward. Notably, the route through Yangguan Pass was relatively flat, had more water sources, and was less obstructed by desert sands, making it easier to traverse. It was thus metaphorically referred to by ancient people as the "bright and smooth path". Gradually, the term "Yangguan Avenue" became widely used in Chinese folk vocabulary.
\nThe Xuanquan Posthouse, a World Cultural Heritage Site in Dunhuang, was first opened to the public on May 1. Originally a crucial postal and courier station on the Silk Road over 2,100 years ago, it aided the delivery of official documents and hosted traveling envoys and officials. More than 70,000 relics, including bamboo or wooden slips, silk books, paper documents, crops, farming tools, and domestic animal bones, were unearthed from the site. Like keys unlocking the door to history, these artifacts showcase the daily lives of people from that era, offering a glimpse into the bustling activity and intricate details of Silk Road exchanges.
\nThe Sogdians emerged as the dominant commercial force along the ancient Silk Road from the fourth to eighth centuries with their distinctive organizational models and trade wisdom. Relying on family ties and homeland connections, they formed tightly coordinated caravans. They used Sassanian silver coins for transactions and established way stations in key cities like Dunhuang and Liangzhou. In Dunhuang's markets, Sassanian silver coins were exchanged for Chinese products, creating a vibrant trading scene on the ancient Silk Road.
\nGallery in desert
\nAmid the flourishing East-West trade, diverse civilizations converged in Dunhuang. Here lies one of the world's oldest and largest artistic treasures: the Mogao Caves. Dating back about 1,600 years, it is known as the "art gallery in the desert".
\nIn the fourth century, a virtuous monk named Lezun (or Yuezun) arrived at Mingsha Mountain and saw a burst of golden lights with the image of thousands of Buddhas inside. Inspired by this, he constructed the first cave on the cliff. Subsequently, artists and craftsmen from diverse dynasties continued to expand the caves. During the Sui Dynasty (581-618), artists blended previous styles with bold innovations, creating more harmonious color and painting schemes. This laid the foundation for the peak of Dunhuang art in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), whose murals are renowned for their vibrant colors, rich compositions, and lifelike figures, demonstrating highly advanced artistry and technical skills.
\nThe exquisite murals and painted sculptures in the Mogao Caves carry the cultural legacy of Buddhism's spread eastward. At the same time, figures from traditional Chinese mythology, such as Fuxi and Nyuwa — believed to be the creators of the Chinese people — also appear in Dunhuang's murals.
\nIn several Mogao Caves, the motif of Three Hares Sharing Ears appears. Three hares, each sharing one ear with another, run in a circle and are connected by the head. Yet, from all angles, each hare appears to have two ears. This design reflects the traditional Chinese creative concept of symbiosis. Hares, known for their strong reproductive ability, symbolize fertility and endless vitality. The number three in traditional Chinese culture represents auspiciousness and infinity. The three hares may also symbolize the Buddhist concepts of "past life", "present life" and "future life", embodying the ideas of reincarnation.
\nThe motif first appeared in Dunhuang in the sixth century and later spread along the ancient Silk Road to Central Asia, West Asia, Egypt, and Europe. It appeared on items such as metal plates in Afghanistan and church clocks in Germany, serving as a microcosm of cultural exchange.
\nAs a unique form of Buddhist art, the flying apsaras depicted in Dunhuang murals captivate viewers with their graceful and ethereal dance poses. The apsaras are shown playing the pipa lute with controlled and delicate hand movements, and their attire and makeup reflect women's fashion of that era. Breaking free from traditional conventions, the artists employed exaggerated techniques and dynamic lines, creating some of the most enchanting images in the caves.
\nOn the walls of the corridor in Cave 61 of the Mogao Caves, amid colorful clouds, the 28 constellations are depicted. Interspersed with 12 circular patterns, they showcase the images of the 12 zodiac signs. Although these zodiac images originated in the West, they coexist in the Mogao murals with the 28 constellations from Taoist and Confucian cultural elements.
\nBeyond this, Greek deities appear as guardian figures in the Mogao murals, while Indian mythological stories are woven into the narratives of the sutra illustrations. Exotic elements in diet, clothing, and music were all adapted in Dunhuang, ultimately creating a scene of "each culture showcases its beauty and all beauties are admired".
\nCultural bond
\nDunhuang culture is not only a crystallization of exchanges and mutual learning among multiple civilizations but a testament to the continuity and inclusiveness of Chinese civilization. It stands as a quiet testament to history.
\nIn the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), the smooth operation of the ancient Silk Road was repeatedly challenged by the fight against the nomadic Xiongnu people. During this turbulent time, diplomat Ban Chao embarked on a mission to the western regions, where he remained for over 30 years. In his later years, however, Ban, with silver hair, missed his hometown deeply. He worried that physical weakness would stop him from pacifying the western regions. After careful consideration, he wrote to the imperial court: "I do not dare to hope to return to the heartland of China's Central Plains. I only wish to step into the Yumen Pass alive and see my homeland once more." These words convey the yearning of an elderly man who had spent half his life away from home. The Yumen Pass, standing at the western end of the Hexi Corridor, was an emotional landmark separating "hometown" from "foreign land" in the hearts of border defenders.
\nThe art of the Dunhuang Caves is a valuable source for modern cultural and artistic creations. These cultural elements have been widely applied in urban symbols, brand logos, craft design, fashion design, as well as films and television shows, providing inspiration to countless Chinese and international artists.
\nIn Cave 257 in the Mogao Caves, the painting The Deer King Jataka might evoke childhood memories for many born in the 1980s and 1990s. The animated film The Nine-Colored Deer, produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio in 1981, drew inspiration from this mural, bringing millennium-old Dunhuang art to modern audiences. Through the kindness and compassion of the nine-colored deer, the dishonesty of the king, and the greed of the queen, the story promotes virtues such as integrity and kindness. Looking at the eyes of the nine-colored deer in the mural, many children can see the emotion of benevolence and justice.
\nThe sacred canopy above a bodhisattva in the Dunhuang murals symbolizes the protection offered by bodhisattvas to all beings. The patterns of the sacred canopy in the Dunhuang murals did not follow a fixed style but continuously evolved with each dynasty. Later, when designing decorations for temples or cultural venues, artists drew on the form of the sacred canopy to create ceilings or decorative structures. Today, tourists can buy refrigerator magnets in the shape of the sacred canopy, inviting good wishes from Dunhuang into their own homes.
\nliyou@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_016_68cdd40ced50ccabe1519e5a.htm#016SUPPLEMENT", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:07 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "32ba6fde58a398a7293edc7548762fe6", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "017SUPPLEMENT - Multidimensional programs turn history into experience", + "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/017/20250920_017_01_115.png\")
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/017/20250920_017_01_1.png\")
\nThis summer, the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot in Dunhuang in Northwest China's Gansu province gained widespread attention from tourists due to its starry night views. As night fell, a concert began. Tourists gathered on the towering dunes, singing heartily along to the music. Some turned on their phone flashlights, which shimmered in harmony with the night sky. The collective singing pierced through the darkness romantically, accompanied by a heart-warming light show.
\nCity brands
\nThe Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic sites have been renowned far and wide for more than 1,000 years. Mingsha Mountain, featuring rugged ridges, has a base composed of gravel topped with fine sand in five colors — red, yellow, green, black and white — blending into a brilliant spectrum.
\nRemarkably, the sand here "can sing". It is speculated that the mountain emits enchanting sounds due to the mica in the sand grains or the friction and resonance of pitted particles. This phenomenon is also the origin of the name Mingsha Mountain, which means "singing sand mountain" in Chinese. The natural topography of the Mingsha Mountain provided the concert with exceptional acoustic effects.
\nThe Crescent Spring, nestled within Mingsha Mountain, derives its name from its resemblance to a crescent moon. Although located in the desert and surrounded by sand dunes, the spring has never been buried by shifting sands nor dried up through evaporation over thousands of years.
\nCurrently, the Dunhuang city government is using its rich tourism resources to advance the "two cities and two hubs" plan, positioning Dunhuang as a city of culture, a city of art and a hub for cultural creativity and exhibitions.
\nThe Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot now covers 76.82 square kilometers and is recognized as a national 5A-level tourist attraction. There is also a slope known as the "fairy slope". Visitors there dress as feitian — the flying apsaras depicted in Dunhuang murals — or as princesses from Western countries and dance to the sound of camel bells, while photographers capture these enchanting moments.
\nThe Dunhuang Press and the Dunhuang Book Center stand as key cultural landmarks. They offer a quiet and homely atmosphere, inviting visitors to explore their collections and read in peace. Nearly 10,000 types of cultural and creative products have been sold here, bringing Dunhuang's profound history to life for a modern audience.
\nThe Dunhuang International Convention and Exhibition Center, Dunhuang Theater and Dunhuang International Hotel form a cluster of infrastructure supporting the local exhibition economy. The Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, which has attracted participants from around the world, has become another key platform for cultural exchange.
\nGuardians of culture
\nPreserving cultural roots remain a commitment of the Dunhuang people. The history of the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang dates back approximately 1,600 years. Since then, artisans from successive dynasties have spent over a millennium carving there. These caves feature fluttering ribbons and flying apsaras, the well-known nine-colored deer, exquisite paintings of the Qianshou Guanyin (Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva), valuable historical records on Dunhuang manuscripts and diverse painted sculptures with distinctive expressions from different dynasties.
\nThe millennium-old cultural treasure trove of ancient art is now digitally preserved. As an effective measure to protect the Mogao Caves, a digital library was launched for a worldwide audience, making more than 6,500 digital archives from the Mogao Caves, other cave sites, and the Dunhuang Library Cave available globally.
\nWith just a click, people can browse ultrahigh-resolution images of the caves. The platform has attracted visitors from 78 countries, generating more than 23 million visits.
\nRelying on the digital caves, users can engage in role-playing through different eras, interact with historical figures and witness the evolution of the caves from the late Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
\nThe Dunhuang Academy, a national institution for the conservation, management, and research of the Mogao Caves, launched a digital immersive exhibition in 2023 in collaboration with tech giant Tencent to help bring the stories of Dunhuang to the public. Users wearing virtual reality glasses can view the murals and details of Cave 285 up close. Using the VR device, they can also "fly" to the ceiling, immerse themselves in the storyline of the murals, and experience the charm of Dunhuang culture.
\nArt reinterpretation
\nThe reinterpretation of culture is another driving force behind the development of the tourism experience. Drawing on historical themes, contemporary artists have created awe-inspiring masterpieces.
\nThe classic dance drama Flower Rains Along Silk Road, based on Dunhuang murals and the ancient Silk Road, features images such as a flying apsara playing the pipa lute with a reversed hand. It has been performed in more than 40 countries and regions. Hailed as a "model of Chinese ethnic dance drama", the performance has become a symbol of cultural exchanges with the world.
\nThe dance drama Qianshou Qianyan, staged in Dunhuang, depicts flying apsaras coming down to the earth. Together with three other resident performance programs — Dunhuang Celebration, Encore Dunhuang and Ancient Sound of Dunhuang — they are praised by tourists as "four must-see performances in Dunhuang".
\nSongs of a Golden Age, the international touring version of Ancient Sound of Dunhuang, has been gaining international attention since its premiere on Oct 30, 2024. Using music as its language, the performance initiates a global dialogue that spans millennia. The orchestra brings together musicians from diverse backgrounds blending elements of music from China's Han (206 BC-AD 220) and Tang dynasties, Xinjiang Muqam performing art, raga from Western regions, and Greek music to create works that embody both traditional and modern aesthetics. Music becomes a cultural ambassador, bringing East and West together.
\nCurrently, Dunhuang culture has also entered campuses, where students read Dunhuang literature, practice Dunhuang calligraphy, recite Dunhuang poetry, sing Dunhuang songs, paint Dunhuang murals, perform Dunhuang dances, explore Dunhuang landmarks and tell Dunhuang stories.
\nDown-to-earth life
\nAs night falls and lights begin to glow, the Dunhuang Night Market comes alive with a vibrant picture, presenting a dazzling nighttime life.
\nThe streets are bustling with crowds, drawing visitors from all corners of the world. Some weave through the various stalls, selecting souvenirs that keep the memory of their visit alive, while others sit at roadside food stands, trying out authentic Dunhuang delicacies. The down-to-earth market activity brings Dunhuang culture into everyday life, generating a tangible, accessible and shareable way of living.
\nTang Dynasty-style streets are adorned with red lanterns that cast a warm glow from every storefront. The food area is a symphony of enticing smells: the rich fragrance of freshly baked meat, crispy shells of pies and juicy fillings, the savory scent of snacks made from local sand onions, and the sweet-tangy aroma of apricot juice, which shines in transparent cups with its inviting and vibrant color.
\nBeyond the culinary delights, the market's handicraft section is equally captivating. Luminous cups gleam under the lights, exquisite wood carvings attest the artisans' meticulous skills, and silk scarves inspired by Dunhuang murals, dazzle with their lively colors and intricate patterns.
\nArtisans create their works on-site. Their focused expressions and skilled techniques attract crowds of onlookers. With their tools, they bring Dunhuang's culture and art to life.
\nYoung people stroll through the Dunhuang Night Market in hanfu clothing adorned with mural-inspired elements, immersing themselves in the charm of the cultural corridor and the scenery reminiscent of the ancient dynasties.
\nLand of abundance
\nDunhuang is rich in melons and fruits. In the Gobi oasis, the temperature differences between day and night create the distinctive Dunhuang flavor. Li Guang apricots are known for being sweet and juicy, and Dunhuang Li Guang Apricots are officially recognized as a geographical indication product, a type of intellectual property that marks a product's specific origin and the qualities or reputation tied to that place. The fruit is also included in the country's catalog of "famous, special, excellent, and new-type" agricultural products.
\nMingshan dates, which capture the essence of the desert sun, are as red as agate, with thick flesh and small pits. Yangguan grapes, cultivated in the desert and nourished by snowmelt from the Qilian Mountains, are available in many varieties and have also been recognized as a geographical indication product.
\nDunhuang Ziyan Peaches, crisp in texture and sweet in taste, are beloved by people of all ages and celebrated as the queen of Gobi peaches. According to legend, these peaches trace their origin back to the peach banquet of the goddess Xiwangmu. In the story, the peaches ripened only once every three years, making them extraordinarily rare and precious. Later, changes in climate caused the quality of Ziyan Peaches to decline.
\nOne day, Xiwangmu had a dream. In a faraway land, she saw a golden sand mountain standing beside a clear, emerald-green spring. Around this spring lay an oasis where watermelons could grow, and she believed the land must also be suitable for cultivating Ziyan Peaches. She sent her divine messenger, the Sanqing Bird, to find this place. Flying over Sanwei Mountain in Dunhuang, the bird saw the land in dream, where the oasis would be filled with fragrant melons and fruits. Delighted by this vision, Xiwangmu commanded the Sanqing Bird to scatter the seeds of high-quality Ziyan Peaches across the skies above Mingsha Mountain. The seeds took root and flourished in the oasis by the spring. With abundant sunshine and a long frost-free season, the peaches thrived, growing into an exceptional variety that eventually became a celebrated local specialty.
\nInnovation-driven development
\nIn the western Gobi of Dunhuang, Shouhang High-tech Energy Technology, an enterprise engaged in research and development of solar thermal power, has built a 100-megawatt molten salt tower solar thermal power plant. The tower-type solar thermal power generation technology introduced by Shouhang has spread a "blue ocean" of photovoltaic panels across the Gobi Desert, protecting the fragile ecosystem while injecting green energy into industrial development.
\nDeploying 12,000 heliostats arranged in concentric circles around a 260-meter-high heat absorption tower, the heliostats in sum cover a total area of over 1.4 million square meters. Each mirror consists of 35 sub-mirrors. Paired with high-precision transmission mechanisms that accurately track sunlight and reflect it to the tower top, the mirrors are heating molten salt to achieve solar thermal power generation. During the day, the plant generates electricity while storing heat and at night, it continues to supply power using the stored thermal energy.
\nThe plant is designed to generate 390 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 350,000 metric tons each year. It transforms the desert into an "energy oasis" and is the first 100 MW solar thermal power plant put into operation in China.
\nIn addition, smart irrigation systems are bringing new vitality to the desert oasis. With innovations in desert-control technology applied to the shifting dunes, the vision of "deserts recede, humans move in" has become a reality, creating a strong ecological barrier to safeguard cultural heritage. Drone inspections and satellite remote sensing technologies are now monitoring the growth of shelterbelts in real time, strengthening the outcomes of environmental initiatives such as the Three-North Shelterbelt Program. These technological advances ensure that every inch of Dunhuang's land remains protected, reflecting the harmonious coexistence of oasis and civilization.
\nGuangdong Huitian Aerospace Technology, in collaboration with the Dunhuang city government, launched the "land aircraft carrier" ecosystem recruitment program on Aug 28, aiming to recruit partners nationwide to promote the diversified development of a low-altitude flying ecosystem. This recruitment plan covers the entire business chain, including exhibition and sales, delivery, flight, training, and services, marking a crucial step for the company in commercial layout and user experience optimization.
\nIndustry insiders believe the project shows that the company is leveraging industry chain resources to build a closed-loop ecosystem involving hardware, services and scenarios, paving the way for large-scale operations in the low-altitude economy sector and offering new opportunities.
\nliyou@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "content": "\n\nThis summer, the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot in Dunhuang in Northwest China's Gansu province gained widespread attention from tourists due to its starry night views. As night fell, a concert began. Tourists gathered on the towering dunes, singing heartily along to the music. Some turned on their phone flashlights, which shimmered in harmony with the night sky. The collective singing pierced through the darkness romantically, accompanied by a heart-warming light show.
\nCity brands
\nThe Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic sites have been renowned far and wide for more than 1,000 years. Mingsha Mountain, featuring rugged ridges, has a base composed of gravel topped with fine sand in five colors — red, yellow, green, black and white — blending into a brilliant spectrum.
\nRemarkably, the sand here "can sing". It is speculated that the mountain emits enchanting sounds due to the mica in the sand grains or the friction and resonance of pitted particles. This phenomenon is also the origin of the name Mingsha Mountain, which means "singing sand mountain" in Chinese. The natural topography of the Mingsha Mountain provided the concert with exceptional acoustic effects.
\nThe Crescent Spring, nestled within Mingsha Mountain, derives its name from its resemblance to a crescent moon. Although located in the desert and surrounded by sand dunes, the spring has never been buried by shifting sands nor dried up through evaporation over thousands of years.
\nCurrently, the Dunhuang city government is using its rich tourism resources to advance the "two cities and two hubs" plan, positioning Dunhuang as a city of culture, a city of art and a hub for cultural creativity and exhibitions.
\nThe Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot now covers 76.82 square kilometers and is recognized as a national 5A-level tourist attraction. There is also a slope known as the "fairy slope". Visitors there dress as feitian — the flying apsaras depicted in Dunhuang murals — or as princesses from Western countries and dance to the sound of camel bells, while photographers capture these enchanting moments.
\nThe Dunhuang Press and the Dunhuang Book Center stand as key cultural landmarks. They offer a quiet and homely atmosphere, inviting visitors to explore their collections and read in peace. Nearly 10,000 types of cultural and creative products have been sold here, bringing Dunhuang's profound history to life for a modern audience.
\nThe Dunhuang International Convention and Exhibition Center, Dunhuang Theater and Dunhuang International Hotel form a cluster of infrastructure supporting the local exhibition economy. The Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, which has attracted participants from around the world, has become another key platform for cultural exchange.
\nGuardians of culture
\nPreserving cultural roots remain a commitment of the Dunhuang people. The history of the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang dates back approximately 1,600 years. Since then, artisans from successive dynasties have spent over a millennium carving there. These caves feature fluttering ribbons and flying apsaras, the well-known nine-colored deer, exquisite paintings of the Qianshou Guanyin (Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva), valuable historical records on Dunhuang manuscripts and diverse painted sculptures with distinctive expressions from different dynasties.
\nThe millennium-old cultural treasure trove of ancient art is now digitally preserved. As an effective measure to protect the Mogao Caves, a digital library was launched for a worldwide audience, making more than 6,500 digital archives from the Mogao Caves, other cave sites, and the Dunhuang Library Cave available globally.
\nWith just a click, people can browse ultrahigh-resolution images of the caves. The platform has attracted visitors from 78 countries, generating more than 23 million visits.
\nRelying on the digital caves, users can engage in role-playing through different eras, interact with historical figures and witness the evolution of the caves from the late Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
\nThe Dunhuang Academy, a national institution for the conservation, management, and research of the Mogao Caves, launched a digital immersive exhibition in 2023 in collaboration with tech giant Tencent to help bring the stories of Dunhuang to the public. Users wearing virtual reality glasses can view the murals and details of Cave 285 up close. Using the VR device, they can also "fly" to the ceiling, immerse themselves in the storyline of the murals, and experience the charm of Dunhuang culture.
\nArt reinterpretation
\nThe reinterpretation of culture is another driving force behind the development of the tourism experience. Drawing on historical themes, contemporary artists have created awe-inspiring masterpieces.
\nThe classic dance drama Flower Rains Along Silk Road, based on Dunhuang murals and the ancient Silk Road, features images such as a flying apsara playing the pipa lute with a reversed hand. It has been performed in more than 40 countries and regions. Hailed as a "model of Chinese ethnic dance drama", the performance has become a symbol of cultural exchanges with the world.
\nThe dance drama Qianshou Qianyan, staged in Dunhuang, depicts flying apsaras coming down to the earth. Together with three other resident performance programs — Dunhuang Celebration, Encore Dunhuang and Ancient Sound of Dunhuang — they are praised by tourists as "four must-see performances in Dunhuang".
\nSongs of a Golden Age, the international touring version of Ancient Sound of Dunhuang, has been gaining international attention since its premiere on Oct 30, 2024. Using music as its language, the performance initiates a global dialogue that spans millennia. The orchestra brings together musicians from diverse backgrounds blending elements of music from China's Han (206 BC-AD 220) and Tang dynasties, Xinjiang Muqam performing art, raga from Western regions, and Greek music to create works that embody both traditional and modern aesthetics. Music becomes a cultural ambassador, bringing East and West together.
\nCurrently, Dunhuang culture has also entered campuses, where students read Dunhuang literature, practice Dunhuang calligraphy, recite Dunhuang poetry, sing Dunhuang songs, paint Dunhuang murals, perform Dunhuang dances, explore Dunhuang landmarks and tell Dunhuang stories.
\nDown-to-earth life
\nAs night falls and lights begin to glow, the Dunhuang Night Market comes alive with a vibrant picture, presenting a dazzling nighttime life.
\nThe streets are bustling with crowds, drawing visitors from all corners of the world. Some weave through the various stalls, selecting souvenirs that keep the memory of their visit alive, while others sit at roadside food stands, trying out authentic Dunhuang delicacies. The down-to-earth market activity brings Dunhuang culture into everyday life, generating a tangible, accessible and shareable way of living.
\nTang Dynasty-style streets are adorned with red lanterns that cast a warm glow from every storefront. The food area is a symphony of enticing smells: the rich fragrance of freshly baked meat, crispy shells of pies and juicy fillings, the savory scent of snacks made from local sand onions, and the sweet-tangy aroma of apricot juice, which shines in transparent cups with its inviting and vibrant color.
\nBeyond the culinary delights, the market's handicraft section is equally captivating. Luminous cups gleam under the lights, exquisite wood carvings attest the artisans' meticulous skills, and silk scarves inspired by Dunhuang murals, dazzle with their lively colors and intricate patterns.
\nArtisans create their works on-site. Their focused expressions and skilled techniques attract crowds of onlookers. With their tools, they bring Dunhuang's culture and art to life.
\nYoung people stroll through the Dunhuang Night Market in hanfu clothing adorned with mural-inspired elements, immersing themselves in the charm of the cultural corridor and the scenery reminiscent of the ancient dynasties.
\nLand of abundance
\nDunhuang is rich in melons and fruits. In the Gobi oasis, the temperature differences between day and night create the distinctive Dunhuang flavor. Li Guang apricots are known for being sweet and juicy, and Dunhuang Li Guang Apricots are officially recognized as a geographical indication product, a type of intellectual property that marks a product's specific origin and the qualities or reputation tied to that place. The fruit is also included in the country's catalog of "famous, special, excellent, and new-type" agricultural products.
\nMingshan dates, which capture the essence of the desert sun, are as red as agate, with thick flesh and small pits. Yangguan grapes, cultivated in the desert and nourished by snowmelt from the Qilian Mountains, are available in many varieties and have also been recognized as a geographical indication product.
\nDunhuang Ziyan Peaches, crisp in texture and sweet in taste, are beloved by people of all ages and celebrated as the queen of Gobi peaches. According to legend, these peaches trace their origin back to the peach banquet of the goddess Xiwangmu. In the story, the peaches ripened only once every three years, making them extraordinarily rare and precious. Later, changes in climate caused the quality of Ziyan Peaches to decline.
\nOne day, Xiwangmu had a dream. In a faraway land, she saw a golden sand mountain standing beside a clear, emerald-green spring. Around this spring lay an oasis where watermelons could grow, and she believed the land must also be suitable for cultivating Ziyan Peaches. She sent her divine messenger, the Sanqing Bird, to find this place. Flying over Sanwei Mountain in Dunhuang, the bird saw the land in dream, where the oasis would be filled with fragrant melons and fruits. Delighted by this vision, Xiwangmu commanded the Sanqing Bird to scatter the seeds of high-quality Ziyan Peaches across the skies above Mingsha Mountain. The seeds took root and flourished in the oasis by the spring. With abundant sunshine and a long frost-free season, the peaches thrived, growing into an exceptional variety that eventually became a celebrated local specialty.
\nInnovation-driven development
\nIn the western Gobi of Dunhuang, Shouhang High-tech Energy Technology, an enterprise engaged in research and development of solar thermal power, has built a 100-megawatt molten salt tower solar thermal power plant. The tower-type solar thermal power generation technology introduced by Shouhang has spread a "blue ocean" of photovoltaic panels across the Gobi Desert, protecting the fragile ecosystem while injecting green energy into industrial development.
\nDeploying 12,000 heliostats arranged in concentric circles around a 260-meter-high heat absorption tower, the heliostats in sum cover a total area of over 1.4 million square meters. Each mirror consists of 35 sub-mirrors. Paired with high-precision transmission mechanisms that accurately track sunlight and reflect it to the tower top, the mirrors are heating molten salt to achieve solar thermal power generation. During the day, the plant generates electricity while storing heat and at night, it continues to supply power using the stored thermal energy.
\nThe plant is designed to generate 390 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 350,000 metric tons each year. It transforms the desert into an "energy oasis" and is the first 100 MW solar thermal power plant put into operation in China.
\nIn addition, smart irrigation systems are bringing new vitality to the desert oasis. With innovations in desert-control technology applied to the shifting dunes, the vision of "deserts recede, humans move in" has become a reality, creating a strong ecological barrier to safeguard cultural heritage. Drone inspections and satellite remote sensing technologies are now monitoring the growth of shelterbelts in real time, strengthening the outcomes of environmental initiatives such as the Three-North Shelterbelt Program. These technological advances ensure that every inch of Dunhuang's land remains protected, reflecting the harmonious coexistence of oasis and civilization.
\nGuangdong Huitian Aerospace Technology, in collaboration with the Dunhuang city government, launched the "land aircraft carrier" ecosystem recruitment program on Aug 28, aiming to recruit partners nationwide to promote the diversified development of a low-altitude flying ecosystem. This recruitment plan covers the entire business chain, including exhibition and sales, delivery, flight, training, and services, marking a crucial step for the company in commercial layout and user experience optimization.
\nIndustry insiders believe the project shows that the company is leveraging industry chain resources to build a closed-loop ecosystem involving hardware, services and scenarios, paving the way for large-scale operations in the low-altitude economy sector and offering new opportunities.
\nliyou@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_017_68cdd410ed50ccabe1519e5b.htm#017SUPPLEMENT", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:07 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "1628db4107b5b744f754dacaeded1047", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "018SUPPLEMENT - Multidimensional programs turn history into experience", + "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/018/20250920_017_01_115.png\")
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/018/20250920_017_01_1.png\")
\nThis summer, the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot in Dunhuang in Northwest China's Gansu province gained widespread attention from tourists due to its starry night views. As night fell, a concert began. Tourists gathered on the towering dunes, singing heartily along to the music. Some turned on their phone flashlights, which shimmered in harmony with the night sky. The collective singing pierced through the darkness romantically, accompanied by a heart-warming light show.
\nCity brands
\nThe Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic sites have been renowned far and wide for more than 1,000 years. Mingsha Mountain, featuring rugged ridges, has a base composed of gravel topped with fine sand in five colors — red, yellow, green, black and white — blending into a brilliant spectrum.
\nRemarkably, the sand here "can sing". It is speculated that the mountain emits enchanting sounds due to the mica in the sand grains or the friction and resonance of pitted particles. This phenomenon is also the origin of the name Mingsha Mountain, which means "singing sand mountain" in Chinese. The natural topography of the Mingsha Mountain provided the concert with exceptional acoustic effects.
\nThe Crescent Spring, nestled within Mingsha Mountain, derives its name from its resemblance to a crescent moon. Although located in the desert and surrounded by sand dunes, the spring has never been buried by shifting sands nor dried up through evaporation over thousands of years.
\nCurrently, the Dunhuang city government is using its rich tourism resources to advance the "two cities and two hubs" plan, positioning Dunhuang as a city of culture, a city of art and a hub for cultural creativity and exhibitions.
\nThe Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot now covers 76.82 square kilometers and is recognized as a national 5A-level tourist attraction. There is also a slope known as the "fairy slope". Visitors there dress as feitian — the flying apsaras depicted in Dunhuang murals — or as princesses from Western countries and dance to the sound of camel bells, while photographers capture these enchanting moments.
\nThe Dunhuang Press and the Dunhuang Book Center stand as key cultural landmarks. They offer a quiet and homely atmosphere, inviting visitors to explore their collections and read in peace. Nearly 10,000 types of cultural and creative products have been sold here, bringing Dunhuang's profound history to life for a modern audience.
\nThe Dunhuang International Convention and Exhibition Center, Dunhuang Theater and Dunhuang International Hotel form a cluster of infrastructure supporting the local exhibition economy. The Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, which has attracted participants from around the world, has become another key platform for cultural exchange.
\nGuardians of culture
\nPreserving cultural roots remain a commitment of the Dunhuang people. The history of the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang dates back approximately 1,600 years. Since then, artisans from successive dynasties have spent over a millennium carving there. These caves feature fluttering ribbons and flying apsaras, the well-known nine-colored deer, exquisite paintings of the Qianshou Guanyin (Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva), valuable historical records on Dunhuang manuscripts and diverse painted sculptures with distinctive expressions from different dynasties.
\nThe millennium-old cultural treasure trove of ancient art is now digitally preserved. As an effective measure to protect the Mogao Caves, a digital library was launched for a worldwide audience, making more than 6,500 digital archives from the Mogao Caves, other cave sites, and the Dunhuang Library Cave available globally.
\nWith just a click, people can browse ultrahigh-resolution images of the caves. The platform has attracted visitors from 78 countries, generating more than 23 million visits.
\nRelying on the digital caves, users can engage in role-playing through different eras, interact with historical figures and witness the evolution of the caves from the late Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
\nThe Dunhuang Academy, a national institution for the conservation, management, and research of the Mogao Caves, launched a digital immersive exhibition in 2023 in collaboration with tech giant Tencent to help bring the stories of Dunhuang to the public. Users wearing virtual reality glasses can view the murals and details of Cave 285 up close. Using the VR device, they can also "fly" to the ceiling, immerse themselves in the storyline of the murals, and experience the charm of Dunhuang culture.
\nArt reinterpretation
\nThe reinterpretation of culture is another driving force behind the development of the tourism experience. Drawing on historical themes, contemporary artists have created awe-inspiring masterpieces.
\nThe classic dance drama Flower Rains Along Silk Road, based on Dunhuang murals and the ancient Silk Road, features images such as a flying apsara playing the pipa lute with a reversed hand. It has been performed in more than 40 countries and regions. Hailed as a "model of Chinese ethnic dance drama", the performance has become a symbol of cultural exchanges with the world.
\nThe dance drama Qianshou Qianyan, staged in Dunhuang, depicts flying apsaras coming down to the earth. Together with three other resident performance programs — Dunhuang Celebration, Encore Dunhuang and Ancient Sound of Dunhuang — they are praised by tourists as "four must-see performances in Dunhuang".
\nSongs of a Golden Age, the international touring version of Ancient Sound of Dunhuang, has been gaining international attention since its premiere on Oct 30, 2024. Using music as its language, the performance initiates a global dialogue that spans millennia. The orchestra brings together musicians from diverse backgrounds blending elements of music from China's Han (206 BC-AD 220) and Tang dynasties, Xinjiang Muqam performing art, raga from Western regions, and Greek music to create works that embody both traditional and modern aesthetics. Music becomes a cultural ambassador, bringing East and West together.
\nCurrently, Dunhuang culture has also entered campuses, where students read Dunhuang literature, practice Dunhuang calligraphy, recite Dunhuang poetry, sing Dunhuang songs, paint Dunhuang murals, perform Dunhuang dances, explore Dunhuang landmarks and tell Dunhuang stories.
\nDown-to-earth life
\nAs night falls and lights begin to glow, the Dunhuang Night Market comes alive with a vibrant picture, presenting a dazzling nighttime life.
\nThe streets are bustling with crowds, drawing visitors from all corners of the world. Some weave through the various stalls, selecting souvenirs that keep the memory of their visit alive, while others sit at roadside food stands, trying out authentic Dunhuang delicacies. The down-to-earth market activity brings Dunhuang culture into everyday life, generating a tangible, accessible and shareable way of living.
\nTang Dynasty-style streets are adorned with red lanterns that cast a warm glow from every storefront. The food area is a symphony of enticing smells: the rich fragrance of freshly baked meat, crispy shells of pies and juicy fillings, the savory scent of snacks made from local sand onions, and the sweet-tangy aroma of apricot juice, which shines in transparent cups with its inviting and vibrant color.
\nBeyond the culinary delights, the market's handicraft section is equally captivating. Luminous cups gleam under the lights, exquisite wood carvings attest the artisans' meticulous skills, and silk scarves inspired by Dunhuang murals, dazzle with their lively colors and intricate patterns.
\nArtisans create their works on-site. Their focused expressions and skilled techniques attract crowds of onlookers. With their tools, they bring Dunhuang's culture and art to life.
\nYoung people stroll through the Dunhuang Night Market in hanfu clothing adorned with mural-inspired elements, immersing themselves in the charm of the cultural corridor and the scenery reminiscent of the ancient dynasties.
\nLand of abundance
\nDunhuang is rich in melons and fruits. In the Gobi oasis, the temperature differences between day and night create the distinctive Dunhuang flavor. Li Guang apricots are known for being sweet and juicy, and Dunhuang Li Guang Apricots are officially recognized as a geographical indication product, a type of intellectual property that marks a product's specific origin and the qualities or reputation tied to that place. The fruit is also included in the country's catalog of "famous, special, excellent, and new-type" agricultural products.
\nMingshan dates, which capture the essence of the desert sun, are as red as agate, with thick flesh and small pits. Yangguan grapes, cultivated in the desert and nourished by snowmelt from the Qilian Mountains, are available in many varieties and have also been recognized as a geographical indication product.
\nDunhuang Ziyan Peaches, crisp in texture and sweet in taste, are beloved by people of all ages and celebrated as the queen of Gobi peaches. According to legend, these peaches trace their origin back to the peach banquet of the goddess Xiwangmu. In the story, the peaches ripened only once every three years, making them extraordinarily rare and precious. Later, changes in climate caused the quality of Ziyan Peaches to decline.
\nOne day, Xiwangmu had a dream. In a faraway land, she saw a golden sand mountain standing beside a clear, emerald-green spring. Around this spring lay an oasis where watermelons could grow, and she believed the land must also be suitable for cultivating Ziyan Peaches. She sent her divine messenger, the Sanqing Bird, to find this place. Flying over Sanwei Mountain in Dunhuang, the bird saw the land in dream, where the oasis would be filled with fragrant melons and fruits. Delighted by this vision, Xiwangmu commanded the Sanqing Bird to scatter the seeds of high-quality Ziyan Peaches across the skies above Mingsha Mountain. The seeds took root and flourished in the oasis by the spring. With abundant sunshine and a long frost-free season, the peaches thrived, growing into an exceptional variety that eventually became a celebrated local specialty.
\nInnovation-driven development
\nIn the western Gobi of Dunhuang, Shouhang High-tech Energy Technology, an enterprise engaged in research and development of solar thermal power, has built a 100-megawatt molten salt tower solar thermal power plant. The tower-type solar thermal power generation technology introduced by Shouhang has spread a "blue ocean" of photovoltaic panels across the Gobi Desert, protecting the fragile ecosystem while injecting green energy into industrial development.
\nDeploying 12,000 heliostats arranged in concentric circles around a 260-meter-high heat absorption tower, the heliostats in sum cover a total area of over 1.4 million square meters. Each mirror consists of 35 sub-mirrors. Paired with high-precision transmission mechanisms that accurately track sunlight and reflect it to the tower top, the mirrors are heating molten salt to achieve solar thermal power generation. During the day, the plant generates electricity while storing heat and at night, it continues to supply power using the stored thermal energy.
\nThe plant is designed to generate 390 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 350,000 metric tons each year. It transforms the desert into an "energy oasis" and is the first 100 MW solar thermal power plant put into operation in China.
\nIn addition, smart irrigation systems are bringing new vitality to the desert oasis. With innovations in desert-control technology applied to the shifting dunes, the vision of "deserts recede, humans move in" has become a reality, creating a strong ecological barrier to safeguard cultural heritage. Drone inspections and satellite remote sensing technologies are now monitoring the growth of shelterbelts in real time, strengthening the outcomes of environmental initiatives such as the Three-North Shelterbelt Program. These technological advances ensure that every inch of Dunhuang's land remains protected, reflecting the harmonious coexistence of oasis and civilization.
\nGuangdong Huitian Aerospace Technology, in collaboration with the Dunhuang city government, launched the "land aircraft carrier" ecosystem recruitment program on Aug 28, aiming to recruit partners nationwide to promote the diversified development of a low-altitude flying ecosystem. This recruitment plan covers the entire business chain, including exhibition and sales, delivery, flight, training, and services, marking a crucial step for the company in commercial layout and user experience optimization.
\nIndustry insiders believe the project shows that the company is leveraging industry chain resources to build a closed-loop ecosystem involving hardware, services and scenarios, paving the way for large-scale operations in the low-altitude economy sector and offering new opportunities.
\nliyou@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "content": "\n\nThis summer, the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot in Dunhuang in Northwest China's Gansu province gained widespread attention from tourists due to its starry night views. As night fell, a concert began. Tourists gathered on the towering dunes, singing heartily along to the music. Some turned on their phone flashlights, which shimmered in harmony with the night sky. The collective singing pierced through the darkness romantically, accompanied by a heart-warming light show.
\nCity brands
\nThe Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic sites have been renowned far and wide for more than 1,000 years. Mingsha Mountain, featuring rugged ridges, has a base composed of gravel topped with fine sand in five colors — red, yellow, green, black and white — blending into a brilliant spectrum.
\nRemarkably, the sand here "can sing". It is speculated that the mountain emits enchanting sounds due to the mica in the sand grains or the friction and resonance of pitted particles. This phenomenon is also the origin of the name Mingsha Mountain, which means "singing sand mountain" in Chinese. The natural topography of the Mingsha Mountain provided the concert with exceptional acoustic effects.
\nThe Crescent Spring, nestled within Mingsha Mountain, derives its name from its resemblance to a crescent moon. Although located in the desert and surrounded by sand dunes, the spring has never been buried by shifting sands nor dried up through evaporation over thousands of years.
\nCurrently, the Dunhuang city government is using its rich tourism resources to advance the "two cities and two hubs" plan, positioning Dunhuang as a city of culture, a city of art and a hub for cultural creativity and exhibitions.
\nThe Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot now covers 76.82 square kilometers and is recognized as a national 5A-level tourist attraction. There is also a slope known as the "fairy slope". Visitors there dress as feitian — the flying apsaras depicted in Dunhuang murals — or as princesses from Western countries and dance to the sound of camel bells, while photographers capture these enchanting moments.
\nThe Dunhuang Press and the Dunhuang Book Center stand as key cultural landmarks. They offer a quiet and homely atmosphere, inviting visitors to explore their collections and read in peace. Nearly 10,000 types of cultural and creative products have been sold here, bringing Dunhuang's profound history to life for a modern audience.
\nThe Dunhuang International Convention and Exhibition Center, Dunhuang Theater and Dunhuang International Hotel form a cluster of infrastructure supporting the local exhibition economy. The Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, which has attracted participants from around the world, has become another key platform for cultural exchange.
\nGuardians of culture
\nPreserving cultural roots remain a commitment of the Dunhuang people. The history of the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang dates back approximately 1,600 years. Since then, artisans from successive dynasties have spent over a millennium carving there. These caves feature fluttering ribbons and flying apsaras, the well-known nine-colored deer, exquisite paintings of the Qianshou Guanyin (Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva), valuable historical records on Dunhuang manuscripts and diverse painted sculptures with distinctive expressions from different dynasties.
\nThe millennium-old cultural treasure trove of ancient art is now digitally preserved. As an effective measure to protect the Mogao Caves, a digital library was launched for a worldwide audience, making more than 6,500 digital archives from the Mogao Caves, other cave sites, and the Dunhuang Library Cave available globally.
\nWith just a click, people can browse ultrahigh-resolution images of the caves. The platform has attracted visitors from 78 countries, generating more than 23 million visits.
\nRelying on the digital caves, users can engage in role-playing through different eras, interact with historical figures and witness the evolution of the caves from the late Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
\nThe Dunhuang Academy, a national institution for the conservation, management, and research of the Mogao Caves, launched a digital immersive exhibition in 2023 in collaboration with tech giant Tencent to help bring the stories of Dunhuang to the public. Users wearing virtual reality glasses can view the murals and details of Cave 285 up close. Using the VR device, they can also "fly" to the ceiling, immerse themselves in the storyline of the murals, and experience the charm of Dunhuang culture.
\nArt reinterpretation
\nThe reinterpretation of culture is another driving force behind the development of the tourism experience. Drawing on historical themes, contemporary artists have created awe-inspiring masterpieces.
\nThe classic dance drama Flower Rains Along Silk Road, based on Dunhuang murals and the ancient Silk Road, features images such as a flying apsara playing the pipa lute with a reversed hand. It has been performed in more than 40 countries and regions. Hailed as a "model of Chinese ethnic dance drama", the performance has become a symbol of cultural exchanges with the world.
\nThe dance drama Qianshou Qianyan, staged in Dunhuang, depicts flying apsaras coming down to the earth. Together with three other resident performance programs — Dunhuang Celebration, Encore Dunhuang and Ancient Sound of Dunhuang — they are praised by tourists as "four must-see performances in Dunhuang".
\nSongs of a Golden Age, the international touring version of Ancient Sound of Dunhuang, has been gaining international attention since its premiere on Oct 30, 2024. Using music as its language, the performance initiates a global dialogue that spans millennia. The orchestra brings together musicians from diverse backgrounds blending elements of music from China's Han (206 BC-AD 220) and Tang dynasties, Xinjiang Muqam performing art, raga from Western regions, and Greek music to create works that embody both traditional and modern aesthetics. Music becomes a cultural ambassador, bringing East and West together.
\nCurrently, Dunhuang culture has also entered campuses, where students read Dunhuang literature, practice Dunhuang calligraphy, recite Dunhuang poetry, sing Dunhuang songs, paint Dunhuang murals, perform Dunhuang dances, explore Dunhuang landmarks and tell Dunhuang stories.
\nDown-to-earth life
\nAs night falls and lights begin to glow, the Dunhuang Night Market comes alive with a vibrant picture, presenting a dazzling nighttime life.
\nThe streets are bustling with crowds, drawing visitors from all corners of the world. Some weave through the various stalls, selecting souvenirs that keep the memory of their visit alive, while others sit at roadside food stands, trying out authentic Dunhuang delicacies. The down-to-earth market activity brings Dunhuang culture into everyday life, generating a tangible, accessible and shareable way of living.
\nTang Dynasty-style streets are adorned with red lanterns that cast a warm glow from every storefront. The food area is a symphony of enticing smells: the rich fragrance of freshly baked meat, crispy shells of pies and juicy fillings, the savory scent of snacks made from local sand onions, and the sweet-tangy aroma of apricot juice, which shines in transparent cups with its inviting and vibrant color.
\nBeyond the culinary delights, the market's handicraft section is equally captivating. Luminous cups gleam under the lights, exquisite wood carvings attest the artisans' meticulous skills, and silk scarves inspired by Dunhuang murals, dazzle with their lively colors and intricate patterns.
\nArtisans create their works on-site. Their focused expressions and skilled techniques attract crowds of onlookers. With their tools, they bring Dunhuang's culture and art to life.
\nYoung people stroll through the Dunhuang Night Market in hanfu clothing adorned with mural-inspired elements, immersing themselves in the charm of the cultural corridor and the scenery reminiscent of the ancient dynasties.
\nLand of abundance
\nDunhuang is rich in melons and fruits. In the Gobi oasis, the temperature differences between day and night create the distinctive Dunhuang flavor. Li Guang apricots are known for being sweet and juicy, and Dunhuang Li Guang Apricots are officially recognized as a geographical indication product, a type of intellectual property that marks a product's specific origin and the qualities or reputation tied to that place. The fruit is also included in the country's catalog of "famous, special, excellent, and new-type" agricultural products.
\nMingshan dates, which capture the essence of the desert sun, are as red as agate, with thick flesh and small pits. Yangguan grapes, cultivated in the desert and nourished by snowmelt from the Qilian Mountains, are available in many varieties and have also been recognized as a geographical indication product.
\nDunhuang Ziyan Peaches, crisp in texture and sweet in taste, are beloved by people of all ages and celebrated as the queen of Gobi peaches. According to legend, these peaches trace their origin back to the peach banquet of the goddess Xiwangmu. In the story, the peaches ripened only once every three years, making them extraordinarily rare and precious. Later, changes in climate caused the quality of Ziyan Peaches to decline.
\nOne day, Xiwangmu had a dream. In a faraway land, she saw a golden sand mountain standing beside a clear, emerald-green spring. Around this spring lay an oasis where watermelons could grow, and she believed the land must also be suitable for cultivating Ziyan Peaches. She sent her divine messenger, the Sanqing Bird, to find this place. Flying over Sanwei Mountain in Dunhuang, the bird saw the land in dream, where the oasis would be filled with fragrant melons and fruits. Delighted by this vision, Xiwangmu commanded the Sanqing Bird to scatter the seeds of high-quality Ziyan Peaches across the skies above Mingsha Mountain. The seeds took root and flourished in the oasis by the spring. With abundant sunshine and a long frost-free season, the peaches thrived, growing into an exceptional variety that eventually became a celebrated local specialty.
\nInnovation-driven development
\nIn the western Gobi of Dunhuang, Shouhang High-tech Energy Technology, an enterprise engaged in research and development of solar thermal power, has built a 100-megawatt molten salt tower solar thermal power plant. The tower-type solar thermal power generation technology introduced by Shouhang has spread a "blue ocean" of photovoltaic panels across the Gobi Desert, protecting the fragile ecosystem while injecting green energy into industrial development.
\nDeploying 12,000 heliostats arranged in concentric circles around a 260-meter-high heat absorption tower, the heliostats in sum cover a total area of over 1.4 million square meters. Each mirror consists of 35 sub-mirrors. Paired with high-precision transmission mechanisms that accurately track sunlight and reflect it to the tower top, the mirrors are heating molten salt to achieve solar thermal power generation. During the day, the plant generates electricity while storing heat and at night, it continues to supply power using the stored thermal energy.
\nThe plant is designed to generate 390 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 350,000 metric tons each year. It transforms the desert into an "energy oasis" and is the first 100 MW solar thermal power plant put into operation in China.
\nIn addition, smart irrigation systems are bringing new vitality to the desert oasis. With innovations in desert-control technology applied to the shifting dunes, the vision of "deserts recede, humans move in" has become a reality, creating a strong ecological barrier to safeguard cultural heritage. Drone inspections and satellite remote sensing technologies are now monitoring the growth of shelterbelts in real time, strengthening the outcomes of environmental initiatives such as the Three-North Shelterbelt Program. These technological advances ensure that every inch of Dunhuang's land remains protected, reflecting the harmonious coexistence of oasis and civilization.
\nGuangdong Huitian Aerospace Technology, in collaboration with the Dunhuang city government, launched the "land aircraft carrier" ecosystem recruitment program on Aug 28, aiming to recruit partners nationwide to promote the diversified development of a low-altitude flying ecosystem. This recruitment plan covers the entire business chain, including exhibition and sales, delivery, flight, training, and services, marking a crucial step for the company in commercial layout and user experience optimization.
\nIndustry insiders believe the project shows that the company is leveraging industry chain resources to build a closed-loop ecosystem involving hardware, services and scenarios, paving the way for large-scale operations in the low-altitude economy sector and offering new opportunities.
\nliyou@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_018_68cdd410ed50ccabe1519e5c.htm#018SUPPLEMENT", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:07 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "5c4b7d67ddfc8e7286b511dcb72ca163", + "highlights": [] + }, + { + "title": "019SUPPLEMENT - Multidimensional programs turn history into experience", + "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/019/20250920_017_01_115.png\")
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/019/20250920_017_01_1.png\")
\nThis summer, the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot in Dunhuang in Northwest China's Gansu province gained widespread attention from tourists due to its starry night views. As night fell, a concert began. Tourists gathered on the towering dunes, singing heartily along to the music. Some turned on their phone flashlights, which shimmered in harmony with the night sky. The collective singing pierced through the darkness romantically, accompanied by a heart-warming light show.
\nCity brands
\nThe Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic sites have been renowned far and wide for more than 1,000 years. Mingsha Mountain, featuring rugged ridges, has a base composed of gravel topped with fine sand in five colors — red, yellow, green, black and white — blending into a brilliant spectrum.
\nRemarkably, the sand here "can sing". It is speculated that the mountain emits enchanting sounds due to the mica in the sand grains or the friction and resonance of pitted particles. This phenomenon is also the origin of the name Mingsha Mountain, which means "singing sand mountain" in Chinese. The natural topography of the Mingsha Mountain provided the concert with exceptional acoustic effects.
\nThe Crescent Spring, nestled within Mingsha Mountain, derives its name from its resemblance to a crescent moon. Although located in the desert and surrounded by sand dunes, the spring has never been buried by shifting sands nor dried up through evaporation over thousands of years.
\nCurrently, the Dunhuang city government is using its rich tourism resources to advance the "two cities and two hubs" plan, positioning Dunhuang as a city of culture, a city of art and a hub for cultural creativity and exhibitions.
\nThe Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot now covers 76.82 square kilometers and is recognized as a national 5A-level tourist attraction. There is also a slope known as the "fairy slope". Visitors there dress as feitian — the flying apsaras depicted in Dunhuang murals — or as princesses from Western countries and dance to the sound of camel bells, while photographers capture these enchanting moments.
\nThe Dunhuang Press and the Dunhuang Book Center stand as key cultural landmarks. They offer a quiet and homely atmosphere, inviting visitors to explore their collections and read in peace. Nearly 10,000 types of cultural and creative products have been sold here, bringing Dunhuang's profound history to life for a modern audience.
\nThe Dunhuang International Convention and Exhibition Center, Dunhuang Theater and Dunhuang International Hotel form a cluster of infrastructure supporting the local exhibition economy. The Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, which has attracted participants from around the world, has become another key platform for cultural exchange.
\nGuardians of culture
\nPreserving cultural roots remain a commitment of the Dunhuang people. The history of the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang dates back approximately 1,600 years. Since then, artisans from successive dynasties have spent over a millennium carving there. These caves feature fluttering ribbons and flying apsaras, the well-known nine-colored deer, exquisite paintings of the Qianshou Guanyin (Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva), valuable historical records on Dunhuang manuscripts and diverse painted sculptures with distinctive expressions from different dynasties.
\nThe millennium-old cultural treasure trove of ancient art is now digitally preserved. As an effective measure to protect the Mogao Caves, a digital library was launched for a worldwide audience, making more than 6,500 digital archives from the Mogao Caves, other cave sites, and the Dunhuang Library Cave available globally.
\nWith just a click, people can browse ultrahigh-resolution images of the caves. The platform has attracted visitors from 78 countries, generating more than 23 million visits.
\nRelying on the digital caves, users can engage in role-playing through different eras, interact with historical figures and witness the evolution of the caves from the late Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
\nThe Dunhuang Academy, a national institution for the conservation, management, and research of the Mogao Caves, launched a digital immersive exhibition in 2023 in collaboration with tech giant Tencent to help bring the stories of Dunhuang to the public. Users wearing virtual reality glasses can view the murals and details of Cave 285 up close. Using the VR device, they can also "fly" to the ceiling, immerse themselves in the storyline of the murals, and experience the charm of Dunhuang culture.
\nArt reinterpretation
\nThe reinterpretation of culture is another driving force behind the development of the tourism experience. Drawing on historical themes, contemporary artists have created awe-inspiring masterpieces.
\nThe classic dance drama Flower Rains Along Silk Road, based on Dunhuang murals and the ancient Silk Road, features images such as a flying apsara playing the pipa lute with a reversed hand. It has been performed in more than 40 countries and regions. Hailed as a "model of Chinese ethnic dance drama", the performance has become a symbol of cultural exchanges with the world.
\nThe dance drama Qianshou Qianyan, staged in Dunhuang, depicts flying apsaras coming down to the earth. Together with three other resident performance programs — Dunhuang Celebration, Encore Dunhuang and Ancient Sound of Dunhuang — they are praised by tourists as "four must-see performances in Dunhuang".
\nSongs of a Golden Age, the international touring version of Ancient Sound of Dunhuang, has been gaining international attention since its premiere on Oct 30, 2024. Using music as its language, the performance initiates a global dialogue that spans millennia. The orchestra brings together musicians from diverse backgrounds blending elements of music from China's Han (206 BC-AD 220) and Tang dynasties, Xinjiang Muqam performing art, raga from Western regions, and Greek music to create works that embody both traditional and modern aesthetics. Music becomes a cultural ambassador, bringing East and West together.
\nCurrently, Dunhuang culture has also entered campuses, where students read Dunhuang literature, practice Dunhuang calligraphy, recite Dunhuang poetry, sing Dunhuang songs, paint Dunhuang murals, perform Dunhuang dances, explore Dunhuang landmarks and tell Dunhuang stories.
\nDown-to-earth life
\nAs night falls and lights begin to glow, the Dunhuang Night Market comes alive with a vibrant picture, presenting a dazzling nighttime life.
\nThe streets are bustling with crowds, drawing visitors from all corners of the world. Some weave through the various stalls, selecting souvenirs that keep the memory of their visit alive, while others sit at roadside food stands, trying out authentic Dunhuang delicacies. The down-to-earth market activity brings Dunhuang culture into everyday life, generating a tangible, accessible and shareable way of living.
\nTang Dynasty-style streets are adorned with red lanterns that cast a warm glow from every storefront. The food area is a symphony of enticing smells: the rich fragrance of freshly baked meat, crispy shells of pies and juicy fillings, the savory scent of snacks made from local sand onions, and the sweet-tangy aroma of apricot juice, which shines in transparent cups with its inviting and vibrant color.
\nBeyond the culinary delights, the market's handicraft section is equally captivating. Luminous cups gleam under the lights, exquisite wood carvings attest the artisans' meticulous skills, and silk scarves inspired by Dunhuang murals, dazzle with their lively colors and intricate patterns.
\nArtisans create their works on-site. Their focused expressions and skilled techniques attract crowds of onlookers. With their tools, they bring Dunhuang's culture and art to life.
\nYoung people stroll through the Dunhuang Night Market in hanfu clothing adorned with mural-inspired elements, immersing themselves in the charm of the cultural corridor and the scenery reminiscent of the ancient dynasties.
\nLand of abundance
\nDunhuang is rich in melons and fruits. In the Gobi oasis, the temperature differences between day and night create the distinctive Dunhuang flavor. Li Guang apricots are known for being sweet and juicy, and Dunhuang Li Guang Apricots are officially recognized as a geographical indication product, a type of intellectual property that marks a product's specific origin and the qualities or reputation tied to that place. The fruit is also included in the country's catalog of "famous, special, excellent, and new-type" agricultural products.
\nMingshan dates, which capture the essence of the desert sun, are as red as agate, with thick flesh and small pits. Yangguan grapes, cultivated in the desert and nourished by snowmelt from the Qilian Mountains, are available in many varieties and have also been recognized as a geographical indication product.
\nDunhuang Ziyan Peaches, crisp in texture and sweet in taste, are beloved by people of all ages and celebrated as the queen of Gobi peaches. According to legend, these peaches trace their origin back to the peach banquet of the goddess Xiwangmu. In the story, the peaches ripened only once every three years, making them extraordinarily rare and precious. Later, changes in climate caused the quality of Ziyan Peaches to decline.
\nOne day, Xiwangmu had a dream. In a faraway land, she saw a golden sand mountain standing beside a clear, emerald-green spring. Around this spring lay an oasis where watermelons could grow, and she believed the land must also be suitable for cultivating Ziyan Peaches. She sent her divine messenger, the Sanqing Bird, to find this place. Flying over Sanwei Mountain in Dunhuang, the bird saw the land in dream, where the oasis would be filled with fragrant melons and fruits. Delighted by this vision, Xiwangmu commanded the Sanqing Bird to scatter the seeds of high-quality Ziyan Peaches across the skies above Mingsha Mountain. The seeds took root and flourished in the oasis by the spring. With abundant sunshine and a long frost-free season, the peaches thrived, growing into an exceptional variety that eventually became a celebrated local specialty.
\nInnovation-driven development
\nIn the western Gobi of Dunhuang, Shouhang High-tech Energy Technology, an enterprise engaged in research and development of solar thermal power, has built a 100-megawatt molten salt tower solar thermal power plant. The tower-type solar thermal power generation technology introduced by Shouhang has spread a "blue ocean" of photovoltaic panels across the Gobi Desert, protecting the fragile ecosystem while injecting green energy into industrial development.
\nDeploying 12,000 heliostats arranged in concentric circles around a 260-meter-high heat absorption tower, the heliostats in sum cover a total area of over 1.4 million square meters. Each mirror consists of 35 sub-mirrors. Paired with high-precision transmission mechanisms that accurately track sunlight and reflect it to the tower top, the mirrors are heating molten salt to achieve solar thermal power generation. During the day, the plant generates electricity while storing heat and at night, it continues to supply power using the stored thermal energy.
\nThe plant is designed to generate 390 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 350,000 metric tons each year. It transforms the desert into an "energy oasis" and is the first 100 MW solar thermal power plant put into operation in China.
\nIn addition, smart irrigation systems are bringing new vitality to the desert oasis. With innovations in desert-control technology applied to the shifting dunes, the vision of "deserts recede, humans move in" has become a reality, creating a strong ecological barrier to safeguard cultural heritage. Drone inspections and satellite remote sensing technologies are now monitoring the growth of shelterbelts in real time, strengthening the outcomes of environmental initiatives such as the Three-North Shelterbelt Program. These technological advances ensure that every inch of Dunhuang's land remains protected, reflecting the harmonious coexistence of oasis and civilization.
\nGuangdong Huitian Aerospace Technology, in collaboration with the Dunhuang city government, launched the "land aircraft carrier" ecosystem recruitment program on Aug 28, aiming to recruit partners nationwide to promote the diversified development of a low-altitude flying ecosystem. This recruitment plan covers the entire business chain, including exhibition and sales, delivery, flight, training, and services, marking a crucial step for the company in commercial layout and user experience optimization.
\nIndustry insiders believe the project shows that the company is leveraging industry chain resources to build a closed-loop ecosystem involving hardware, services and scenarios, paving the way for large-scale operations in the low-altitude economy sector and offering new opportunities.
\nliyou@chinadaily.com.cn
\n\n\nThis summer, the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot in Dunhuang in Northwest China's Gansu province gained widespread attention from tourists due to its starry night views. As night fell, a concert began. Tourists gathered on the towering dunes, singing heartily along to the music. Some turned on their phone flashlights, which shimmered in harmony with the night sky. The collective singing pierced through the darkness romantically, accompanied by a heart-warming light show.
\nCity brands
\nThe Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic sites have been renowned far and wide for more than 1,000 years. Mingsha Mountain, featuring rugged ridges, has a base composed of gravel topped with fine sand in five colors — red, yellow, green, black and white — blending into a brilliant spectrum.
\nRemarkably, the sand here "can sing". It is speculated that the mountain emits enchanting sounds due to the mica in the sand grains or the friction and resonance of pitted particles. This phenomenon is also the origin of the name Mingsha Mountain, which means "singing sand mountain" in Chinese. The natural topography of the Mingsha Mountain provided the concert with exceptional acoustic effects.
\nThe Crescent Spring, nestled within Mingsha Mountain, derives its name from its resemblance to a crescent moon. Although located in the desert and surrounded by sand dunes, the spring has never been buried by shifting sands nor dried up through evaporation over thousands of years.
\nCurrently, the Dunhuang city government is using its rich tourism resources to advance the "two cities and two hubs" plan, positioning Dunhuang as a city of culture, a city of art and a hub for cultural creativity and exhibitions.
\nThe Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot now covers 76.82 square kilometers and is recognized as a national 5A-level tourist attraction. There is also a slope known as the "fairy slope". Visitors there dress as feitian — the flying apsaras depicted in Dunhuang murals — or as princesses from Western countries and dance to the sound of camel bells, while photographers capture these enchanting moments.
\nThe Dunhuang Press and the Dunhuang Book Center stand as key cultural landmarks. They offer a quiet and homely atmosphere, inviting visitors to explore their collections and read in peace. Nearly 10,000 types of cultural and creative products have been sold here, bringing Dunhuang's profound history to life for a modern audience.
\nThe Dunhuang International Convention and Exhibition Center, Dunhuang Theater and Dunhuang International Hotel form a cluster of infrastructure supporting the local exhibition economy. The Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, which has attracted participants from around the world, has become another key platform for cultural exchange.
\nGuardians of culture
\nPreserving cultural roots remain a commitment of the Dunhuang people. The history of the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang dates back approximately 1,600 years. Since then, artisans from successive dynasties have spent over a millennium carving there. These caves feature fluttering ribbons and flying apsaras, the well-known nine-colored deer, exquisite paintings of the Qianshou Guanyin (Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva), valuable historical records on Dunhuang manuscripts and diverse painted sculptures with distinctive expressions from different dynasties.
\nThe millennium-old cultural treasure trove of ancient art is now digitally preserved. As an effective measure to protect the Mogao Caves, a digital library was launched for a worldwide audience, making more than 6,500 digital archives from the Mogao Caves, other cave sites, and the Dunhuang Library Cave available globally.
\nWith just a click, people can browse ultrahigh-resolution images of the caves. The platform has attracted visitors from 78 countries, generating more than 23 million visits.
\nRelying on the digital caves, users can engage in role-playing through different eras, interact with historical figures and witness the evolution of the caves from the late Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
\nThe Dunhuang Academy, a national institution for the conservation, management, and research of the Mogao Caves, launched a digital immersive exhibition in 2023 in collaboration with tech giant Tencent to help bring the stories of Dunhuang to the public. Users wearing virtual reality glasses can view the murals and details of Cave 285 up close. Using the VR device, they can also "fly" to the ceiling, immerse themselves in the storyline of the murals, and experience the charm of Dunhuang culture.
\nArt reinterpretation
\nThe reinterpretation of culture is another driving force behind the development of the tourism experience. Drawing on historical themes, contemporary artists have created awe-inspiring masterpieces.
\nThe classic dance drama Flower Rains Along Silk Road, based on Dunhuang murals and the ancient Silk Road, features images such as a flying apsara playing the pipa lute with a reversed hand. It has been performed in more than 40 countries and regions. Hailed as a "model of Chinese ethnic dance drama", the performance has become a symbol of cultural exchanges with the world.
\nThe dance drama Qianshou Qianyan, staged in Dunhuang, depicts flying apsaras coming down to the earth. Together with three other resident performance programs — Dunhuang Celebration, Encore Dunhuang and Ancient Sound of Dunhuang — they are praised by tourists as "four must-see performances in Dunhuang".
\nSongs of a Golden Age, the international touring version of Ancient Sound of Dunhuang, has been gaining international attention since its premiere on Oct 30, 2024. Using music as its language, the performance initiates a global dialogue that spans millennia. The orchestra brings together musicians from diverse backgrounds blending elements of music from China's Han (206 BC-AD 220) and Tang dynasties, Xinjiang Muqam performing art, raga from Western regions, and Greek music to create works that embody both traditional and modern aesthetics. Music becomes a cultural ambassador, bringing East and West together.
\nCurrently, Dunhuang culture has also entered campuses, where students read Dunhuang literature, practice Dunhuang calligraphy, recite Dunhuang poetry, sing Dunhuang songs, paint Dunhuang murals, perform Dunhuang dances, explore Dunhuang landmarks and tell Dunhuang stories.
\nDown-to-earth life
\nAs night falls and lights begin to glow, the Dunhuang Night Market comes alive with a vibrant picture, presenting a dazzling nighttime life.
\nThe streets are bustling with crowds, drawing visitors from all corners of the world. Some weave through the various stalls, selecting souvenirs that keep the memory of their visit alive, while others sit at roadside food stands, trying out authentic Dunhuang delicacies. The down-to-earth market activity brings Dunhuang culture into everyday life, generating a tangible, accessible and shareable way of living.
\nTang Dynasty-style streets are adorned with red lanterns that cast a warm glow from every storefront. The food area is a symphony of enticing smells: the rich fragrance of freshly baked meat, crispy shells of pies and juicy fillings, the savory scent of snacks made from local sand onions, and the sweet-tangy aroma of apricot juice, which shines in transparent cups with its inviting and vibrant color.
\nBeyond the culinary delights, the market's handicraft section is equally captivating. Luminous cups gleam under the lights, exquisite wood carvings attest the artisans' meticulous skills, and silk scarves inspired by Dunhuang murals, dazzle with their lively colors and intricate patterns.
\nArtisans create their works on-site. Their focused expressions and skilled techniques attract crowds of onlookers. With their tools, they bring Dunhuang's culture and art to life.
\nYoung people stroll through the Dunhuang Night Market in hanfu clothing adorned with mural-inspired elements, immersing themselves in the charm of the cultural corridor and the scenery reminiscent of the ancient dynasties.
\nLand of abundance
\nDunhuang is rich in melons and fruits. In the Gobi oasis, the temperature differences between day and night create the distinctive Dunhuang flavor. Li Guang apricots are known for being sweet and juicy, and Dunhuang Li Guang Apricots are officially recognized as a geographical indication product, a type of intellectual property that marks a product's specific origin and the qualities or reputation tied to that place. The fruit is also included in the country's catalog of "famous, special, excellent, and new-type" agricultural products.
\nMingshan dates, which capture the essence of the desert sun, are as red as agate, with thick flesh and small pits. Yangguan grapes, cultivated in the desert and nourished by snowmelt from the Qilian Mountains, are available in many varieties and have also been recognized as a geographical indication product.
\nDunhuang Ziyan Peaches, crisp in texture and sweet in taste, are beloved by people of all ages and celebrated as the queen of Gobi peaches. According to legend, these peaches trace their origin back to the peach banquet of the goddess Xiwangmu. In the story, the peaches ripened only once every three years, making them extraordinarily rare and precious. Later, changes in climate caused the quality of Ziyan Peaches to decline.
\nOne day, Xiwangmu had a dream. In a faraway land, she saw a golden sand mountain standing beside a clear, emerald-green spring. Around this spring lay an oasis where watermelons could grow, and she believed the land must also be suitable for cultivating Ziyan Peaches. She sent her divine messenger, the Sanqing Bird, to find this place. Flying over Sanwei Mountain in Dunhuang, the bird saw the land in dream, where the oasis would be filled with fragrant melons and fruits. Delighted by this vision, Xiwangmu commanded the Sanqing Bird to scatter the seeds of high-quality Ziyan Peaches across the skies above Mingsha Mountain. The seeds took root and flourished in the oasis by the spring. With abundant sunshine and a long frost-free season, the peaches thrived, growing into an exceptional variety that eventually became a celebrated local specialty.
\nInnovation-driven development
\nIn the western Gobi of Dunhuang, Shouhang High-tech Energy Technology, an enterprise engaged in research and development of solar thermal power, has built a 100-megawatt molten salt tower solar thermal power plant. The tower-type solar thermal power generation technology introduced by Shouhang has spread a "blue ocean" of photovoltaic panels across the Gobi Desert, protecting the fragile ecosystem while injecting green energy into industrial development.
\nDeploying 12,000 heliostats arranged in concentric circles around a 260-meter-high heat absorption tower, the heliostats in sum cover a total area of over 1.4 million square meters. Each mirror consists of 35 sub-mirrors. Paired with high-precision transmission mechanisms that accurately track sunlight and reflect it to the tower top, the mirrors are heating molten salt to achieve solar thermal power generation. During the day, the plant generates electricity while storing heat and at night, it continues to supply power using the stored thermal energy.
\nThe plant is designed to generate 390 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 350,000 metric tons each year. It transforms the desert into an "energy oasis" and is the first 100 MW solar thermal power plant put into operation in China.
\nIn addition, smart irrigation systems are bringing new vitality to the desert oasis. With innovations in desert-control technology applied to the shifting dunes, the vision of "deserts recede, humans move in" has become a reality, creating a strong ecological barrier to safeguard cultural heritage. Drone inspections and satellite remote sensing technologies are now monitoring the growth of shelterbelts in real time, strengthening the outcomes of environmental initiatives such as the Three-North Shelterbelt Program. These technological advances ensure that every inch of Dunhuang's land remains protected, reflecting the harmonious coexistence of oasis and civilization.
\nGuangdong Huitian Aerospace Technology, in collaboration with the Dunhuang city government, launched the "land aircraft carrier" ecosystem recruitment program on Aug 28, aiming to recruit partners nationwide to promote the diversified development of a low-altitude flying ecosystem. This recruitment plan covers the entire business chain, including exhibition and sales, delivery, flight, training, and services, marking a crucial step for the company in commercial layout and user experience optimization.
\nIndustry insiders believe the project shows that the company is leveraging industry chain resources to build a closed-loop ecosystem involving hardware, services and scenarios, paving the way for large-scale operations in the low-altitude economy sector and offering new opportunities.
\nliyou@chinadaily.com.cn
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/020/20250920_017_01_115.png\")
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-09-20/020/20250920_017_01_1.png\")
\nThis summer, the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot in Dunhuang in Northwest China's Gansu province gained widespread attention from tourists due to its starry night views. As night fell, a concert began. Tourists gathered on the towering dunes, singing heartily along to the music. Some turned on their phone flashlights, which shimmered in harmony with the night sky. The collective singing pierced through the darkness romantically, accompanied by a heart-warming light show.
\nCity brands
\nThe Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic sites have been renowned far and wide for more than 1,000 years. Mingsha Mountain, featuring rugged ridges, has a base composed of gravel topped with fine sand in five colors — red, yellow, green, black and white — blending into a brilliant spectrum.
\nRemarkably, the sand here "can sing". It is speculated that the mountain emits enchanting sounds due to the mica in the sand grains or the friction and resonance of pitted particles. This phenomenon is also the origin of the name Mingsha Mountain, which means "singing sand mountain" in Chinese. The natural topography of the Mingsha Mountain provided the concert with exceptional acoustic effects.
\nThe Crescent Spring, nestled within Mingsha Mountain, derives its name from its resemblance to a crescent moon. Although located in the desert and surrounded by sand dunes, the spring has never been buried by shifting sands nor dried up through evaporation over thousands of years.
\nCurrently, the Dunhuang city government is using its rich tourism resources to advance the "two cities and two hubs" plan, positioning Dunhuang as a city of culture, a city of art and a hub for cultural creativity and exhibitions.
\nThe Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot now covers 76.82 square kilometers and is recognized as a national 5A-level tourist attraction. There is also a slope known as the "fairy slope". Visitors there dress as feitian — the flying apsaras depicted in Dunhuang murals — or as princesses from Western countries and dance to the sound of camel bells, while photographers capture these enchanting moments.
\nThe Dunhuang Press and the Dunhuang Book Center stand as key cultural landmarks. They offer a quiet and homely atmosphere, inviting visitors to explore their collections and read in peace. Nearly 10,000 types of cultural and creative products have been sold here, bringing Dunhuang's profound history to life for a modern audience.
\nThe Dunhuang International Convention and Exhibition Center, Dunhuang Theater and Dunhuang International Hotel form a cluster of infrastructure supporting the local exhibition economy. The Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, which has attracted participants from around the world, has become another key platform for cultural exchange.
\nGuardians of culture
\nPreserving cultural roots remain a commitment of the Dunhuang people. The history of the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang dates back approximately 1,600 years. Since then, artisans from successive dynasties have spent over a millennium carving there. These caves feature fluttering ribbons and flying apsaras, the well-known nine-colored deer, exquisite paintings of the Qianshou Guanyin (Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva), valuable historical records on Dunhuang manuscripts and diverse painted sculptures with distinctive expressions from different dynasties.
\nThe millennium-old cultural treasure trove of ancient art is now digitally preserved. As an effective measure to protect the Mogao Caves, a digital library was launched for a worldwide audience, making more than 6,500 digital archives from the Mogao Caves, other cave sites, and the Dunhuang Library Cave available globally.
\nWith just a click, people can browse ultrahigh-resolution images of the caves. The platform has attracted visitors from 78 countries, generating more than 23 million visits.
\nRelying on the digital caves, users can engage in role-playing through different eras, interact with historical figures and witness the evolution of the caves from the late Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
\nThe Dunhuang Academy, a national institution for the conservation, management, and research of the Mogao Caves, launched a digital immersive exhibition in 2023 in collaboration with tech giant Tencent to help bring the stories of Dunhuang to the public. Users wearing virtual reality glasses can view the murals and details of Cave 285 up close. Using the VR device, they can also "fly" to the ceiling, immerse themselves in the storyline of the murals, and experience the charm of Dunhuang culture.
\nArt reinterpretation
\nThe reinterpretation of culture is another driving force behind the development of the tourism experience. Drawing on historical themes, contemporary artists have created awe-inspiring masterpieces.
\nThe classic dance drama Flower Rains Along Silk Road, based on Dunhuang murals and the ancient Silk Road, features images such as a flying apsara playing the pipa lute with a reversed hand. It has been performed in more than 40 countries and regions. Hailed as a "model of Chinese ethnic dance drama", the performance has become a symbol of cultural exchanges with the world.
\nThe dance drama Qianshou Qianyan, staged in Dunhuang, depicts flying apsaras coming down to the earth. Together with three other resident performance programs — Dunhuang Celebration, Encore Dunhuang and Ancient Sound of Dunhuang — they are praised by tourists as "four must-see performances in Dunhuang".
\nSongs of a Golden Age, the international touring version of Ancient Sound of Dunhuang, has been gaining international attention since its premiere on Oct 30, 2024. Using music as its language, the performance initiates a global dialogue that spans millennia. The orchestra brings together musicians from diverse backgrounds blending elements of music from China's Han (206 BC-AD 220) and Tang dynasties, Xinjiang Muqam performing art, raga from Western regions, and Greek music to create works that embody both traditional and modern aesthetics. Music becomes a cultural ambassador, bringing East and West together.
\nCurrently, Dunhuang culture has also entered campuses, where students read Dunhuang literature, practice Dunhuang calligraphy, recite Dunhuang poetry, sing Dunhuang songs, paint Dunhuang murals, perform Dunhuang dances, explore Dunhuang landmarks and tell Dunhuang stories.
\nDown-to-earth life
\nAs night falls and lights begin to glow, the Dunhuang Night Market comes alive with a vibrant picture, presenting a dazzling nighttime life.
\nThe streets are bustling with crowds, drawing visitors from all corners of the world. Some weave through the various stalls, selecting souvenirs that keep the memory of their visit alive, while others sit at roadside food stands, trying out authentic Dunhuang delicacies. The down-to-earth market activity brings Dunhuang culture into everyday life, generating a tangible, accessible and shareable way of living.
\nTang Dynasty-style streets are adorned with red lanterns that cast a warm glow from every storefront. The food area is a symphony of enticing smells: the rich fragrance of freshly baked meat, crispy shells of pies and juicy fillings, the savory scent of snacks made from local sand onions, and the sweet-tangy aroma of apricot juice, which shines in transparent cups with its inviting and vibrant color.
\nBeyond the culinary delights, the market's handicraft section is equally captivating. Luminous cups gleam under the lights, exquisite wood carvings attest the artisans' meticulous skills, and silk scarves inspired by Dunhuang murals, dazzle with their lively colors and intricate patterns.
\nArtisans create their works on-site. Their focused expressions and skilled techniques attract crowds of onlookers. With their tools, they bring Dunhuang's culture and art to life.
\nYoung people stroll through the Dunhuang Night Market in hanfu clothing adorned with mural-inspired elements, immersing themselves in the charm of the cultural corridor and the scenery reminiscent of the ancient dynasties.
\nLand of abundance
\nDunhuang is rich in melons and fruits. In the Gobi oasis, the temperature differences between day and night create the distinctive Dunhuang flavor. Li Guang apricots are known for being sweet and juicy, and Dunhuang Li Guang Apricots are officially recognized as a geographical indication product, a type of intellectual property that marks a product's specific origin and the qualities or reputation tied to that place. The fruit is also included in the country's catalog of "famous, special, excellent, and new-type" agricultural products.
\nMingshan dates, which capture the essence of the desert sun, are as red as agate, with thick flesh and small pits. Yangguan grapes, cultivated in the desert and nourished by snowmelt from the Qilian Mountains, are available in many varieties and have also been recognized as a geographical indication product.
\nDunhuang Ziyan Peaches, crisp in texture and sweet in taste, are beloved by people of all ages and celebrated as the queen of Gobi peaches. According to legend, these peaches trace their origin back to the peach banquet of the goddess Xiwangmu. In the story, the peaches ripened only once every three years, making them extraordinarily rare and precious. Later, changes in climate caused the quality of Ziyan Peaches to decline.
\nOne day, Xiwangmu had a dream. In a faraway land, she saw a golden sand mountain standing beside a clear, emerald-green spring. Around this spring lay an oasis where watermelons could grow, and she believed the land must also be suitable for cultivating Ziyan Peaches. She sent her divine messenger, the Sanqing Bird, to find this place. Flying over Sanwei Mountain in Dunhuang, the bird saw the land in dream, where the oasis would be filled with fragrant melons and fruits. Delighted by this vision, Xiwangmu commanded the Sanqing Bird to scatter the seeds of high-quality Ziyan Peaches across the skies above Mingsha Mountain. The seeds took root and flourished in the oasis by the spring. With abundant sunshine and a long frost-free season, the peaches thrived, growing into an exceptional variety that eventually became a celebrated local specialty.
\nInnovation-driven development
\nIn the western Gobi of Dunhuang, Shouhang High-tech Energy Technology, an enterprise engaged in research and development of solar thermal power, has built a 100-megawatt molten salt tower solar thermal power plant. The tower-type solar thermal power generation technology introduced by Shouhang has spread a "blue ocean" of photovoltaic panels across the Gobi Desert, protecting the fragile ecosystem while injecting green energy into industrial development.
\nDeploying 12,000 heliostats arranged in concentric circles around a 260-meter-high heat absorption tower, the heliostats in sum cover a total area of over 1.4 million square meters. Each mirror consists of 35 sub-mirrors. Paired with high-precision transmission mechanisms that accurately track sunlight and reflect it to the tower top, the mirrors are heating molten salt to achieve solar thermal power generation. During the day, the plant generates electricity while storing heat and at night, it continues to supply power using the stored thermal energy.
\nThe plant is designed to generate 390 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 350,000 metric tons each year. It transforms the desert into an "energy oasis" and is the first 100 MW solar thermal power plant put into operation in China.
\nIn addition, smart irrigation systems are bringing new vitality to the desert oasis. With innovations in desert-control technology applied to the shifting dunes, the vision of "deserts recede, humans move in" has become a reality, creating a strong ecological barrier to safeguard cultural heritage. Drone inspections and satellite remote sensing technologies are now monitoring the growth of shelterbelts in real time, strengthening the outcomes of environmental initiatives such as the Three-North Shelterbelt Program. These technological advances ensure that every inch of Dunhuang's land remains protected, reflecting the harmonious coexistence of oasis and civilization.
\nGuangdong Huitian Aerospace Technology, in collaboration with the Dunhuang city government, launched the "land aircraft carrier" ecosystem recruitment program on Aug 28, aiming to recruit partners nationwide to promote the diversified development of a low-altitude flying ecosystem. This recruitment plan covers the entire business chain, including exhibition and sales, delivery, flight, training, and services, marking a crucial step for the company in commercial layout and user experience optimization.
\nIndustry insiders believe the project shows that the company is leveraging industry chain resources to build a closed-loop ecosystem involving hardware, services and scenarios, paving the way for large-scale operations in the low-altitude economy sector and offering new opportunities.
\nliyou@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "content": "\n\nThis summer, the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot in Dunhuang in Northwest China's Gansu province gained widespread attention from tourists due to its starry night views. As night fell, a concert began. Tourists gathered on the towering dunes, singing heartily along to the music. Some turned on their phone flashlights, which shimmered in harmony with the night sky. The collective singing pierced through the darkness romantically, accompanied by a heart-warming light show.
\nCity brands
\nThe Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic sites have been renowned far and wide for more than 1,000 years. Mingsha Mountain, featuring rugged ridges, has a base composed of gravel topped with fine sand in five colors — red, yellow, green, black and white — blending into a brilliant spectrum.
\nRemarkably, the sand here "can sing". It is speculated that the mountain emits enchanting sounds due to the mica in the sand grains or the friction and resonance of pitted particles. This phenomenon is also the origin of the name Mingsha Mountain, which means "singing sand mountain" in Chinese. The natural topography of the Mingsha Mountain provided the concert with exceptional acoustic effects.
\nThe Crescent Spring, nestled within Mingsha Mountain, derives its name from its resemblance to a crescent moon. Although located in the desert and surrounded by sand dunes, the spring has never been buried by shifting sands nor dried up through evaporation over thousands of years.
\nCurrently, the Dunhuang city government is using its rich tourism resources to advance the "two cities and two hubs" plan, positioning Dunhuang as a city of culture, a city of art and a hub for cultural creativity and exhibitions.
\nThe Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot now covers 76.82 square kilometers and is recognized as a national 5A-level tourist attraction. There is also a slope known as the "fairy slope". Visitors there dress as feitian — the flying apsaras depicted in Dunhuang murals — or as princesses from Western countries and dance to the sound of camel bells, while photographers capture these enchanting moments.
\nThe Dunhuang Press and the Dunhuang Book Center stand as key cultural landmarks. They offer a quiet and homely atmosphere, inviting visitors to explore their collections and read in peace. Nearly 10,000 types of cultural and creative products have been sold here, bringing Dunhuang's profound history to life for a modern audience.
\nThe Dunhuang International Convention and Exhibition Center, Dunhuang Theater and Dunhuang International Hotel form a cluster of infrastructure supporting the local exhibition economy. The Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, which has attracted participants from around the world, has become another key platform for cultural exchange.
\nGuardians of culture
\nPreserving cultural roots remain a commitment of the Dunhuang people. The history of the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang dates back approximately 1,600 years. Since then, artisans from successive dynasties have spent over a millennium carving there. These caves feature fluttering ribbons and flying apsaras, the well-known nine-colored deer, exquisite paintings of the Qianshou Guanyin (Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva), valuable historical records on Dunhuang manuscripts and diverse painted sculptures with distinctive expressions from different dynasties.
\nThe millennium-old cultural treasure trove of ancient art is now digitally preserved. As an effective measure to protect the Mogao Caves, a digital library was launched for a worldwide audience, making more than 6,500 digital archives from the Mogao Caves, other cave sites, and the Dunhuang Library Cave available globally.
\nWith just a click, people can browse ultrahigh-resolution images of the caves. The platform has attracted visitors from 78 countries, generating more than 23 million visits.
\nRelying on the digital caves, users can engage in role-playing through different eras, interact with historical figures and witness the evolution of the caves from the late Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
\nThe Dunhuang Academy, a national institution for the conservation, management, and research of the Mogao Caves, launched a digital immersive exhibition in 2023 in collaboration with tech giant Tencent to help bring the stories of Dunhuang to the public. Users wearing virtual reality glasses can view the murals and details of Cave 285 up close. Using the VR device, they can also "fly" to the ceiling, immerse themselves in the storyline of the murals, and experience the charm of Dunhuang culture.
\nArt reinterpretation
\nThe reinterpretation of culture is another driving force behind the development of the tourism experience. Drawing on historical themes, contemporary artists have created awe-inspiring masterpieces.
\nThe classic dance drama Flower Rains Along Silk Road, based on Dunhuang murals and the ancient Silk Road, features images such as a flying apsara playing the pipa lute with a reversed hand. It has been performed in more than 40 countries and regions. Hailed as a "model of Chinese ethnic dance drama", the performance has become a symbol of cultural exchanges with the world.
\nThe dance drama Qianshou Qianyan, staged in Dunhuang, depicts flying apsaras coming down to the earth. Together with three other resident performance programs — Dunhuang Celebration, Encore Dunhuang and Ancient Sound of Dunhuang — they are praised by tourists as "four must-see performances in Dunhuang".
\nSongs of a Golden Age, the international touring version of Ancient Sound of Dunhuang, has been gaining international attention since its premiere on Oct 30, 2024. Using music as its language, the performance initiates a global dialogue that spans millennia. The orchestra brings together musicians from diverse backgrounds blending elements of music from China's Han (206 BC-AD 220) and Tang dynasties, Xinjiang Muqam performing art, raga from Western regions, and Greek music to create works that embody both traditional and modern aesthetics. Music becomes a cultural ambassador, bringing East and West together.
\nCurrently, Dunhuang culture has also entered campuses, where students read Dunhuang literature, practice Dunhuang calligraphy, recite Dunhuang poetry, sing Dunhuang songs, paint Dunhuang murals, perform Dunhuang dances, explore Dunhuang landmarks and tell Dunhuang stories.
\nDown-to-earth life
\nAs night falls and lights begin to glow, the Dunhuang Night Market comes alive with a vibrant picture, presenting a dazzling nighttime life.
\nThe streets are bustling with crowds, drawing visitors from all corners of the world. Some weave through the various stalls, selecting souvenirs that keep the memory of their visit alive, while others sit at roadside food stands, trying out authentic Dunhuang delicacies. The down-to-earth market activity brings Dunhuang culture into everyday life, generating a tangible, accessible and shareable way of living.
\nTang Dynasty-style streets are adorned with red lanterns that cast a warm glow from every storefront. The food area is a symphony of enticing smells: the rich fragrance of freshly baked meat, crispy shells of pies and juicy fillings, the savory scent of snacks made from local sand onions, and the sweet-tangy aroma of apricot juice, which shines in transparent cups with its inviting and vibrant color.
\nBeyond the culinary delights, the market's handicraft section is equally captivating. Luminous cups gleam under the lights, exquisite wood carvings attest the artisans' meticulous skills, and silk scarves inspired by Dunhuang murals, dazzle with their lively colors and intricate patterns.
\nArtisans create their works on-site. Their focused expressions and skilled techniques attract crowds of onlookers. With their tools, they bring Dunhuang's culture and art to life.
\nYoung people stroll through the Dunhuang Night Market in hanfu clothing adorned with mural-inspired elements, immersing themselves in the charm of the cultural corridor and the scenery reminiscent of the ancient dynasties.
\nLand of abundance
\nDunhuang is rich in melons and fruits. In the Gobi oasis, the temperature differences between day and night create the distinctive Dunhuang flavor. Li Guang apricots are known for being sweet and juicy, and Dunhuang Li Guang Apricots are officially recognized as a geographical indication product, a type of intellectual property that marks a product's specific origin and the qualities or reputation tied to that place. The fruit is also included in the country's catalog of "famous, special, excellent, and new-type" agricultural products.
\nMingshan dates, which capture the essence of the desert sun, are as red as agate, with thick flesh and small pits. Yangguan grapes, cultivated in the desert and nourished by snowmelt from the Qilian Mountains, are available in many varieties and have also been recognized as a geographical indication product.
\nDunhuang Ziyan Peaches, crisp in texture and sweet in taste, are beloved by people of all ages and celebrated as the queen of Gobi peaches. According to legend, these peaches trace their origin back to the peach banquet of the goddess Xiwangmu. In the story, the peaches ripened only once every three years, making them extraordinarily rare and precious. Later, changes in climate caused the quality of Ziyan Peaches to decline.
\nOne day, Xiwangmu had a dream. In a faraway land, she saw a golden sand mountain standing beside a clear, emerald-green spring. Around this spring lay an oasis where watermelons could grow, and she believed the land must also be suitable for cultivating Ziyan Peaches. She sent her divine messenger, the Sanqing Bird, to find this place. Flying over Sanwei Mountain in Dunhuang, the bird saw the land in dream, where the oasis would be filled with fragrant melons and fruits. Delighted by this vision, Xiwangmu commanded the Sanqing Bird to scatter the seeds of high-quality Ziyan Peaches across the skies above Mingsha Mountain. The seeds took root and flourished in the oasis by the spring. With abundant sunshine and a long frost-free season, the peaches thrived, growing into an exceptional variety that eventually became a celebrated local specialty.
\nInnovation-driven development
\nIn the western Gobi of Dunhuang, Shouhang High-tech Energy Technology, an enterprise engaged in research and development of solar thermal power, has built a 100-megawatt molten salt tower solar thermal power plant. The tower-type solar thermal power generation technology introduced by Shouhang has spread a "blue ocean" of photovoltaic panels across the Gobi Desert, protecting the fragile ecosystem while injecting green energy into industrial development.
\nDeploying 12,000 heliostats arranged in concentric circles around a 260-meter-high heat absorption tower, the heliostats in sum cover a total area of over 1.4 million square meters. Each mirror consists of 35 sub-mirrors. Paired with high-precision transmission mechanisms that accurately track sunlight and reflect it to the tower top, the mirrors are heating molten salt to achieve solar thermal power generation. During the day, the plant generates electricity while storing heat and at night, it continues to supply power using the stored thermal energy.
\nThe plant is designed to generate 390 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 350,000 metric tons each year. It transforms the desert into an "energy oasis" and is the first 100 MW solar thermal power plant put into operation in China.
\nIn addition, smart irrigation systems are bringing new vitality to the desert oasis. With innovations in desert-control technology applied to the shifting dunes, the vision of "deserts recede, humans move in" has become a reality, creating a strong ecological barrier to safeguard cultural heritage. Drone inspections and satellite remote sensing technologies are now monitoring the growth of shelterbelts in real time, strengthening the outcomes of environmental initiatives such as the Three-North Shelterbelt Program. These technological advances ensure that every inch of Dunhuang's land remains protected, reflecting the harmonious coexistence of oasis and civilization.
\nGuangdong Huitian Aerospace Technology, in collaboration with the Dunhuang city government, launched the "land aircraft carrier" ecosystem recruitment program on Aug 28, aiming to recruit partners nationwide to promote the diversified development of a low-altitude flying ecosystem. This recruitment plan covers the entire business chain, including exhibition and sales, delivery, flight, training, and services, marking a crucial step for the company in commercial layout and user experience optimization.
\nIndustry insiders believe the project shows that the company is leveraging industry chain resources to build a closed-loop ecosystem involving hardware, services and scenarios, paving the way for large-scale operations in the low-altitude economy sector and offering new opportunities.
\nliyou@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", + "category": "", + "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-09/20/content_020_68cdd410ed50ccabe1519e5e.htm#020SUPPLEMENT", + "creator": "", + "pubDate": "Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:21:07 +0000", + "enclosure": "", + "enclosureType": "", + "image": "", + "id": "", + "language": "", + "folder": "双语", + "feed": "ChinaDaily", + "read": false, + "favorite": false, + "created": false, + "tags": [], + "hash": "7868052901acf41afa33a970da0cdc5c", + "highlights": [] + }, { "title": "001FRONT - Sustained reforms fuel stable growth", "description": "China must accelerate reform measures to reinforce the stable and healthy development of the capital market in the coming five years as a strategic pivot in transforming the country's economic growth model, said leading economists and financial experts.
\nDespite Thursday's market correction, they said the recent rally in Chinese equities, together with the ongoing regulatory initiatives to enhance market stability, still highlights a strategic shift toward positioning the capital market as a central driver of innovation, consumption and domestic economic circulation amid external headwinds.
\nLooking at the new round of capital market reform to be unfolded in the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, top priorities should include firmer determination to close regulatory loopholes that leave room for improper profits, ensure market fairness for retail investors, and improve transparency for global investors, they added.
\nProposals for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for national economic and social development will be studied at the fourth plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee, scheduled to be held in Beijing in October.
\nXi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, called for giving full play to the pivotal role of the capital market at the Central Financial Work Conference in 2023.
\nAt the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau meeting on July 30, which Xi chaired, it was pointed out that the attractiveness and inclusiveness of the domestic capital market should be boosted, in order to consolidate the improving and stabilizing trend of the capital market.
\n"The ongoing rise of A shares reflects that the strategic position of the capital market in China's economic agenda is rising significantly," said Tian Xuan, president of Tsinghua University's National Institute of Financial Research and associate dean of Tsinghua University's PBC School of Finance.
\nIn the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period, high-quality development of the capital market will act not only as a key pathway to address structural economic issues, but also as the "central pivot" for transforming the country's growth model, Tian said.
\nThe bottlenecks faced by traditional growth drivers, the remaining financing difficulties for innovation and intensified global tech competition all demand steady, healthy growth of the capital market to guide long-term capital into core technologies, Tian said. The growing household demand for wealth management also requires the capital market to provide diverse investment channels, he said.
\nHe added that China should further improve fundamental institutions to ensure sustainable market momentum, calling for better management of expectations, greater policy transparency and timely, positive signals to shore up sentiment, as well as stricter information disclosure and an improved delisting mechanism to raise listed companies' quality.
\nChina's A-share market fell on Thursday, as experts cited profit-taking pressure, while the United States Federal Reserve's 25-basis-point interest rate cut on Wednesday fell short of some investors' expectations for a bolder move.
\nDespite a 1.15 percent drop on Thursday, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index has risen by nearly a quarter from the April trough, closing at 3,831.66 points. US investment bank Goldman Sachs said in a report on Thursday that it forecasts an 8 percent upside for the A-share market over the coming 12 months.
\nLiu Jipeng, a senior expert on capital markets and a professor at the Business School of China University of Political Science and Law, said that further closing regulatory gaps to safeguard market fairness and investor interest would hold the key to future capital market reforms and steady market growth.
\n"A slow bull market has taken shape. The goal should be making it steady and long-lasting, so that the capital market can serve as a platform for common prosperity, where the majority of investors can share returns, rather than only a few getting rich overnight," Liu said.
\nWu Qing, chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, pledged at a recent symposium to accelerate the new round of capital market reform and opening-up to consolidate the improving market trend, stressing that the market is at a crucial stage in its pursuit of high-quality development in the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
\nChina has ramped up capital market reform efforts after it released a high-level guideline in April last year, rolling out nine measures to promote the high-quality development of the capital market.
\nSince then, the country has issued new rules and measures to better regulate holding reductions by major shareholders, raise the dividends for equity shareholders, and encourage the entry of long-term capital while improving mechanisms to anchor market liquidity amid slumps.
\nLiu attributed the recent rally to such reform measures, and said that more must be done to further enhance market fairness, including in areas such as stock issuance review and pricing, quantitative trading and large shareholders' stakes.
\nLuo Zhiheng, chief economist at Yuekai Securities, said that enforcing rules with greater rigor and raising penalties for fraudulent practices are essential to building lasting investor trust.
\nWith the A-share market showing an improving and stabilizing trend, Luo said it can lift household income and offset part of the drag from the housing slowdown, and make people more confident to spend, thus supporting consumption and overall economic vitality.
\nThe A-share rally has also enhanced the attractiveness of Chinese financial markets globally.
\nThomas Fang, head of China global markets at investment bank UBS, said that global investors are showing greater interest in Chinese financial assets as the country's shining economic prospects help them to diversify their allocations from US dollar-denominated assets.
\nFang applauded China's recent opening-up policies that offer global investors more instruments to invest in China, facilitating their risk management and helping them take bigger positions in the country.
\nContact the writers at zhoulanxv@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",