Beijing Women's Federation

Site of the Women and Public Diplomacy Practice Roundtable

On the afternoon of December 18, “Women and Public Diplomacy Practice” Round Table cosponsored by Beijing Women’s International Center and the Charhar Institute was held in Beijing. Qian Wei, wife of Ambassador Zhao Jinjun and former counselor of Embassy of China in France, Zhou Zhijun, vice chairwoman of Beijing Women’s Federation, Li Yingtao, a professor of School of International Relations and Diplomacy of Beijing Foreign Studies University, Zhong Xin, a professor of Renmin University of China, Lv Xiaoli, an associate professor of Beijing Normal University, Chen Xuefei, a lecturer of China Foreign Affairs University, Gang Shuge, deputy head of Sociology Research Institute of Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, Liu Yuran, director of the Chinese Society of Education Training Center, and some representatives from China Daily, GMW, Women of China, Hong Kong Wenweipo, Jeju Weekly, and other media attended the round table.

At the beginning of the meeting, Zhou Zhijun delivered a keynote speech themed by Creating a Business Card for Intelligent Women of the Capital and Contributing Their Efforts to Constructing an International Exchange Center. She stressed “Intelligent Women” and introduced the relevant practices of Beijing Women’s Federation in the Women and Public Diplomacy Practice in recent years from three perspectives, i.e. “enjoying life, promoting Chinese and foreign women development”, “harmonious family, promoting cultural construction of Chinese and foreign families”, and “colorful culture, creating a cultural exchange brand for Chinese and foreign women”. She expressed that she hoped that the meeting could make women’s experience and practices in public diplomacy practice systematic with long term effects and form a model system for reference. Meanwhile, she also hoped that the combination of theory and practice could let women's organizations make appropriate contributions in the economic and social development of the capital and the overall national diplomacy.

Qian Wei shared her experience in the flourishing of Chinese diplomacy and the engagement of official diplomacy with the gradual strengthening of the new China on the basis of her personal experience as a diplomatist and ambassadress in over 40 years. She said that loyalty, responsibility and sense of mission were essential requirements on diplomatic personnel, while good professional quality was a necessity for diplomatic personnel. Qian Wei cited her real story of establishing profound friendship with the first-lady of France, and said that sincerity was critical in exchange and that women could create a harmonious external development environment for the country through giving play to their own natural advantage of affinity and flexibility in diplomatic activities.

Then, guests attending the meeting were engaged in a heated discussion centering on the role, advantages and effects of women in public diplomacy practice and the public diplomacy practice and development direction of women's organizations based on their own experience in diplomatic practice and academic research achievements. They talked about that women public diplomacy should gradually promote from the current “cognition” stage to the “reputation” and “recognition” stages and public diplomacy should be carried out in a targeted and more efficient way in accordance with the personalized needs of international society from such aspects as guiding internationalization of social organizations, promoting women’s international discourse competence, strengthening effective communication, etc.