Chinese President Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan joined global leaders in Beijing on Monday to open the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, emphasizing international collaboration for gender equality. The couple greeted heads of delegations and posed for a symbolic group photo ahead of Xi's keynote address, which outlined China's commitment to advancing women's rights through education, economic participation, and healthcare reforms.
Xi's speech highlighted the need to 'integrate women's development into national development strategies' across Asia and beyond, noting that 64% of new women entrepreneurs globally now operate in Asian markets. Delegates from over 50 countries and regions attended, including representatives from UN Women and the African Union.
Peng Liyuan, recognized as a WHO goodwill ambassador for tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, engaged with spouses of foreign leaders on cultural preservation initiatives. The event coincided with new data showing China's gender parity index for primary education reaching 99.8% in 2023.
