U.S. Department of State

On April 12, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong hailed the importance of people-to-people engagement during the second annual U.S.-China Consultation on People-to-People Exchange (CPE). The CPE aims to enhance and strengthen ties between the citizens of the United States and China in the areas of women’s issues, education, culture, sports, and science and technology.

During the CPE closing session, Secretary Clinton and State Councilor Liu announced the launch of the U.S.-China Women’s Leadership Exchange and Dialogue (Women-LEAD), which will be jointly led by the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues and the All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF).

Through Women-LEAD, the United States and China will seek to increase dialogue between high-level Chinese and American women leaders and to expand exchanges between organizations, think tanks, and universities on gender equality. Key goals of the initiative are to promote the sharing of knowledge and expertise on developing women’s leadership across all sectors – including entrepreneurship, science, and technology – and provide support for capacity building programs for emerging women leaders. Facilitating public–private partnerships for women’s empowerment programs will be a key element for achieving Women-LEAD objectives.

Cross-cutting collaborations to be pursued under the Women-LEAD banner include:

• Madam Song Xiuyan will lead a delegation of senior-level women leaders to the United States for a high-level dialogue with American counter-parts. This event will take place either later in 2011 or in 2012.
   
• The United States will send a delegation of senior-level women leaders to the International Forum for Women and Sustainable Development in China hosted by the ACWF in November 2011. Following the Forum, the delegation will conduct a field visit and a U.S.-China working group meeting will be held to discuss plans for the upcoming year.
   
• With the support of corporate leaders in both countries, the United States and China will collaborate to build the capacity of women entrepreneurs.
   
• Yale University will work with ACWF and other relevant Chinese agencies to organize management and leadership programs targeted at senior-level women leaders.
   
• China will explore partnerships with U.S. organizations to raise awareness of breast cancer in China.