Co-hosted by the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China, the Ministry of Commerce, and the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), and organized by the WTO Chair at UIBE, the "Africa Women Parliamentarians Seminar" was successfully held. The 10-day seminar, themed "Strengthening Legislative Exchanges and Cooperation to Accelerate Global Women's Development," aimed to implement the Global Governance Initiative, as well as the outcomes of the Global Women's Summit and the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Forty parliamentarians and parliamentary officials from eight countries—Algeria, Burundi, Mozambique, Morocco, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and Zambia—participated in the seminar.

High-Level Opening: Jointly Discussing the Grand Blueprint for Global Women's Development

On October 19, the seminar opened grandly at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Ms. Tie Ning, Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. Relevant leaders from the National People's Congress, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, and CIDCA, as well as Professor Huang Wei, Vice President of UIBE, participated in the opening ceremony. The parliamentarians unanimously stated that the theme of the seminar "not only highlights the urgency of action, but also demonstrates the strong power when we work together hand in hand."

In-Depth Discussions: Sharing "China's Experience" in Protecting Women's Rights and Interests

During the seminar and learning phase at the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), Beijing, the WTO Chair at UIBE designed courses with both theoretical depth and practical breadth. Centering on core themes such as "Safeguarding Rights and Interests to Ensure Gender Equality," "Empowering Women to Promote Their Comprehensive Development," and "Shared Destiny: Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind," the seminar conducted thematic lectures and interactive exchanges. Teachers and students from the WTO Chair at UIBE held special discussions with the parliamentarians on issues such as women's development and China-Africa relations. In each thematic lecture, female parliamentarians interacted enthusiastically with experts, engaged in in-depth dialogues with Chinese experts, teachers, and students in combination with their respective national conditions, and deepened their understanding of China.

Field Visits: Witnessing the "Her Power" in Chinese-Style Modernization

In Beijing, the parliamentarians visited the Badaling Great Wall and the Palace Museum to immerse themselves in the charm of Chinese history and culture, and touch the context of history and development. They visited the China Women and Children's Museum and the Exhibition Hall of the History of the Communist Party of China, systematically understanding the development process of China's women's cause and perceiving China's development path. In Henan, the parliamentarians visited Zhengzhou Yellow River Nursing Vocational College to learn from China's vocational education experience; at the "Future Road NPC Deputies Liaison Station" in Zhengzhou, they witnessed the grassroots practice of "whole-process people's democracy" firsthand; they went to the China-Europe Railway Express (Zhengzhou) Assembly Center to learn about Henan's achievements in opening up to the outside world; they visited the Hongqi Canal Memorial Hall and were deeply shocked by the Hongqi Canal spirit of the people of Lin County—"carving mountains to divert water"—and especially the striving deeds of the "Iron Girls Team"; the parliamentarians also went to the Yinxu Museum to explore the source of Chinese civilization. In Fujian, the parliamentarians visited the Ningde "Poverty Alleviation" Theme Exhibition Hall, inspected rural revitalization projects in Beishan Village, Jiaocheng District, visited Mawei Shipyard to feel the course of China's industrial development, conducted research on the grassroots contact work of local people's congresses in Fuzhou, observed the "Spring Bud" Project to witness China's practice in assisting girls' education, and visited the National Engineering Research Center for Juncao Technology, where they planted "Happiness Grass" together.

Successful Conclusion: Writing a New Chapter in China-Africa Friendship

On October 28, Mr. Lin Jinbao, Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Fujian Provincial People's Congress, met with the parliamentarian representatives and held a seminar summary meeting. Professor Wang Bo, Dean of the School of International Development Cooperation, and Professor Zhang Jinglei, Vice Dean, awarded graduation certificates and souvenirs to the participants on behalf of the WTO Chair at UIBE.

In their speeches, the participant representatives expressed their sincere gratitude to the Chinese government for the overall arrangement and especially thanked the WTO Chair at UIBE for the meticulous organization. They stated that the seminar was rich in content and fruitful in achievements, making them deeply feel China's firm determination and remarkable achievements in protecting women's rights and interests and promoting gender equality. The parliamentarians unanimously agreed that this seminar was a "journey of ideas," a "journey of friendship," and a "journey of confidence." They are willing to bring back what they have learned and gained from this trip to their respective countries, draw on "China's experience," and work unremittingly with China to accelerate the development of global women's cause and build a closer China-Africa community with a shared future.