The 5th Belt and Road Women’s Forum successfully convened in Sanya, Hainan from December 6-8. Co-hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, and the UN Resident Coordinator Office in China, and jointly organized by the People’s Government of Sanya City, the China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development, and the Secretariat of the Belt and Road Women’s Forum. Zhang Ronghua, Deputy to the National People’s Congress, President of Women Entrepreneurs’ Chamber of Commerce of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, attended the forum and delivered a speech.

Respected leaders, esteemed scholars, entrepreneurs, and friends from all walks of life:
Good morning, everyone!
 
I am honored to represent the Women Entrepreneurs’ Chamber of Commerce of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce at the 5^th Belt and Road Women’s Forum, which allows me the opportunity to hear from wise minds from both within China and abroad. I am equally delighted to share our insights and inspirations about leading the ‘Steel Roses’ in deepening cultural exchanges, promoting mutual learning among civilizations, achieving people-to-people connectivity, and fostering the common development and prosperity of human society.
 
Reflections and inspirations for the common development and prosperity of human society.
Reflecting on the past decade of practice, the international cooperation of the Belt and Road Initiative has flourished, benefiting over 150 countries. A decade of cultivation has led partnering countries to inherit and promote the spirit of the Silk Road, engage in extensive exchanges and cooperation, facilitate mutual learning among civilizations, aid in the fusion and innovation of cultures, and pave a broader path to global well-being, thus writing a new chapter in peaceful development.
 
Deepening Cultural Exchanges and Showcasing Women’s Elegance:
Chinese traditional culture emphasizes ‘harmonious coexistence’ and ‘harmony in diversity’. In the rapidly evolving global landscape, countries are more interconnected and interdependent than ever before. Hence, there is a greater need to understand each other, respect cultural differences, and strengthen friendly interactions. Over the years, the Women Entrepreneurs’ Chamber of Commerce has actively embraced the Belt and Road Initiative, promoting cultural inheritance and development, and creating a vast platform for Chinese women entrepreneurs to engage in cultural exchanges, friendly interactions, mutually beneficial cooperation, and diverse dialogues with participating countries.
 
Using cultural symbols to connect hearts and minds has been a dazzling highlight. In 2017, under the banner of culture, I led a delegation to Sri Lanka for the ‘China Time Memory Exhibition’ cultural exchange event, which was profoundly impactful. Despite our different skin colors, languages, habits, and cultures, our shared desire for a happy and beautiful life, and our understanding of happiness, I believe, are the same. A Chinese is saying, ‘harmony in a family makes everything successful’. Family harmony is rooted in understanding and tolerance, and its value lies in mutual respect and love. The harmony of everyone’s families, social cohesion, and world peace all require our heartfelt and loving effort to build together.
 
National ties are based on people’s affinity, and such affinity arises from heart-to-heart connections. Communicating and dialoguing through culture, bridging differences with cultural strength, and connecting the East and West with cultural bridges can enhance the ‘heart’ recognition, acceptance, and tolerance among different countries and races, deepen understanding and trust, and subsequently drive economic cooperation and industrial upgrades between nations. Transforming cultural productivity into social productivity, and tangible cooperation results can promote common development and assist in building the grand vision of a ‘Community with a Shared Future for Mankind’.
 
Promoting Mutual Learning Among Civilizations and Demonstrating Women's Responsibility:
The Silk Road spans thousands of miles, reaching rivers and seas; women’s strength is flexible like water. Both the ‘Silk Road’ and women possess the inclusiveness and tenacity of ‘water nurtures all living things without competing with them’. Women, with their unique perspectives and ways of thinking, can better understand and disseminate the cultural connotations and values of different countries and regions. With their inherent ‘soft power’, women can play a unique role in promoting people-to-people connectivity.
 
Civilizations are like water, nurturing silently. Over the years, the Women Entrepreneurs’ Chamber of Commerce has actively responded to the Belt and Road Initiative, guiding Chinese women entrepreneurs to unite and strive to be messengers of civilization mutual learning, and bonds of heart-to-heart connections. Through establishing multi-level cultural exchange platforms, we have promoted the inheritance, innovation, and development of human intangible cultural and artistic skills. Combining ancient and modern, East and West, we have propelled Chinese culture into the world, integrating it globally, and facilitating people-to-people bonds, and trade connectivity. Telling the stories of the times and China, we let friends from other countries understand China and us, allowing us to enter their worlds, and together we protect our home earth. Our friendship has defied the obstacles of mountains and oceans, may each cultural exchange become a two-way journey of equal exchange among human civilizations, promoting harmonious coexistence, and mutual accomplishment among different civilizations, and encouraging countries and peoples to become friendly, familiar, and coexist symbiotically. In moving forward together, let the light of human civilization shine brighter, painting a magnificent picture of friendly interactions and mutually beneficial cooperation between Chinese women and women from Belt and Road countries!
 
At the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech, profoundly summarizing the important experiences of building the Belt and Road and solemnly announcing China’s support for eight actions of high-quality Belt and Road construction. This has bolstered our confidence and strength to stay true to the spirit of cooperation, remember our development mission, and push the Belt and Road into a new stage of high-quality development. It has provided direction and fundamental guidance for us to embrace the world with a more open stance and contribute to the world with a more dynamic civilization.
 
With broad virtue and supreme goodness, we look to a global perspective where ‘She Power,’ ‘She Wisdom,’ and ‘She Spirit’ are increasingly exhibiting powerful influence. Looking ahead, the Women Entrepreneurs’ Chamber of Commerce will unite and lead Chinese women entrepreneurs to seize the historical initiative, practice the Silk Road spirit, and center around inheriting human culture, civilization, and spirit. Through exchanges among business associations, we aim for integrated development, seeking common values, emotional resonance, and points of interest connection in cultural interactions. We will tirelessly work to transcend cultural barriers with civilized exchanges, resolve conflicts with mutual learning, and surpass the superiority of civilizations with coexistence. We strive to create a new landscape of human cultural exchange, integration, and people-to-people connectivity. Through corporate cooperation for mutual benefits, we will assist the high-quality development of the Belt and Road and contribute ‘She Power’ to the common development and prosperity of human society. With love in our hearts, we walk together!
 
Thank you all!