A Chinese and Russian women's symposium, with the theme "building a family friendly society," was held on December 7, 2022, via video link between Beijing and Moscow. Huang Xiaowei, Vice-President and First Member of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), and Ekaterina Lakhova, Chairperson of the Women's Union of Russia, delivered keynote speeches. Lin Yi, Vice-President and Member of the Secretariat of the ACWF, and Svetlana Orlova, Auditor of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation, presided over the symposium.

Experts and scholars from women's organizations and/or who work in the fields of marriage and family issues, and outstanding women and families' representatives from China and Russia participated in in-depth discussions on policies, measures and good practices on how to build a family friendly society.

Huang outlined the great achievements during the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which was held in Beijing in October 2022. She noted the historic progress achieved in Chinese women's undertakings and the building of families during the first decade of the new era. Huang said the 20th CPC National Congress drew a magnificent blueprint for building China into a modern socialist country in all respects, and for advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. The most important achievement of the congress was the election of the CPC Central Committee's leadership, with comrade Xi Jinping at its core. The re-election of Xi as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee was the common will of all Party members and the common hope of all Chinese people, Huang added.

During her keynote speech, Huang mentioned the report to the 20th CPC National Congress reaffirmed that "We will remain committed to the fundamental national policy of gender equality and protect the lawful rights and interests of women and children." She added the report raised new requirements, such as "establish a policy system to boost birth rates," "foster stronger family ties, values, and traditions," and "improve mechanisms for school-family-society collaboration in education." The report reflected the great importance attached by the CPC to women and children's undertakings and the building of families.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress was held in 2012, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, with Comrade Xi at its core, China has continuously improved family related laws and regulations, has integrated the building of families, family education and family virtues into the country's overall economic and social progress, has implemented supportive policies to boost birth rates, and has fostered the building of a family friendly society, Huang explained.

Huang spoke of the fruitful results of the friendly exchanges, especially involving women and children's issues, between China and Russia. She expressed ACWF's willingness to work with their counterparts in Russia to implement important consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, continuously deepen women and children's communications and cooperation, and contribute women's strength to advance women and children's progress, enhance the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era, and build a closer community with a shared future for mankind.

Representatives of Russia praised China's achievements in the development of family building and women's undertakings. They shared measures to increase the birth rate and promote good family traditions in Russia. They said they were willing to enhance communications and cooperation between women's organizations in the two countries, and make new contributions to foster the development of Russia-China relations and deepen friendship among Russian and Chinese people.

The symposium was hosted by the ACWF in collaboration with the Women's Council of China-Russia Friendship Committee for Peace and Development (CRFCPD) and the Women's Union of Russia. Participants included representatives of CRFCPD's secretariats from both Chinese and Russian sides, 18 member agencies under the Chinese side's women's council, the secretariat of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission of Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Chinese embassy in Russia and the Russian embassy in China.

After the symposium concluded, Lin, also President of the Chinese side of CRFCPD's Women's Council, and Orlova, also President of the Russian side of CRFCPD's Women's Council, presided over a working meeting of the women's council.

(Women of China English Monthly)