China to hold global summit of women: FM

BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) -- China will host the Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Beijing in the latter half of this year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.

Over the past 30 years since the 1995 World Conference on Women held in the Chinese capital, China has led the advancement of the global cause of women's development through concrete actions, Wang told a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing annual session of the national legislature.

China has upheld gender equality as a basic state policy and carried out national action plans dedicated to the all-around development of women, Wang added.

China has supported the work of UN Women, helped fellow developing countries implement 100 maternal and child health projects, and trained over 200,000 female professionals for more than 180 countries and regions, he said.

Thirty years ago, Beijing bore witness to the determination of the world's women to seek gender equality. This year, people will gather again in Beijing to discuss major issues concerning women's development worldwide, said Wang, who also extended festive greetings to women ahead of International Women's Day.