On October 18,  2025, the Women Leadership Innovation Working Commitee (also known as WLIC) of China Institute for Innovation & Development Strategy held its First General Meeting in Beijing.

Themed “It’s Our Time”, the meeting was held after the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing on October 13-14,  which embraced and resonated with the spirit of the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women.

Xu Weixin, Chairperson of China Institute for Innovation & Development Strategy, Former Vice President and Party Secretary of the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC, Chairperson of the WLIC Steering Commmittee; Ma Li, President of the China Association for Policy Science and Former Deputy Editor-in-Chief of People’s Daily; and Wu Hailong, President of the China Public Diplomacy Association,   delivered speeches at the opening addresses.

Xu recalled her participation in the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing thirty years ago. She stated that the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action as a lightning bolt that pierced the sky and illuminated the global journey toward gender equality. Today, to genuinely and profoundly “understand China,” one must comprehend the developmental path of Chinese women. Through vivid practices and remarkable progress, this path offers an indispensable and highly representative perspective for interpreting the significance and achievements of Chinese modernization. Xu suggested that WLIC should broaden its international perspectives and share China’s insights on women’s development through international platforms. She also emphasized stimulating innovation via project cooperation and experience sharing, thereby sustaining dynamic innovation thinking and transforming individual excellence into collective progress.

Ma Li stated that this great era provides the broadest platform for women's growth and entrusts them with unprecedented responsibilities. Against this backdrop, the development of the Women's Leadership Innovation Working Committee is entering a more mature and diverse phase. It requires the height of vision, the depth of thought, and the warmth of human connection.

Wu Hailong suggested that WLIC work with all relevant parties to foster a global environment conducive to women's growth; cultivate robust drivers for high-quality development in women's initiatives; establish effective governance frameworks to protect women's rights and interests; and collaboratively write a new chapter in global women's cooperation. He emphasized that strengthening international exchanges and cooperation should be a key task for WLIC, telling the stories of Chinese women, showing their elegance, and building a positive image of Chinese women.

The Women Leadership Innovation Working Committee of CIIDS was established during the 2024 Understanding China Conference on December 4th, 2024. This is the first sub-committee initiated by CIIDS with the purpose of promoting women’s development. It brings together outstanding women leaders and innovators from business, science and technology, culture and education, and aims to contribute wisdom and strength to the enhancement of women’s leadership, the promotion of women’s innovation, and shared progress.