By Emmanuel Emeka, Abuja
The Cultural Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy and Director of the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria (CCCIN), Mr. Yang Jianxing, has described women as the bond of families and a vital force driving social development and progress.
Jianxing made the remarks on Tuesday in Abuja while delivering his welcome address at a Chinese cultural programme themed “Happy New Year: Celebration of the Lantern Festival and China-Nigeria Women’s Carnival,” held at the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said women continue to play transformative roles in both China and Nigeria, contributing significantly to family stability, economic growth and national development.
“Women are the bond of families, the cornerstone of society, and a vital force driving social development and progress,” he said.
According to him, millions of women in both countries are writing remarkable stories of resilience and responsibility across different sectors.
“Whether in China or Nigeria, millions of women are writing extraordinary chapters in their families, workplaces, and national development with resilience, wisdom, and responsibility,” he stated.
Jianxing recalled that in October 2025, China, in collaboration with UN Women, hosted the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women in Beijing, attended by President Xi Jinping.
He said the meeting, themed “Shared Destiny: Accelerating the New Process of Women’s Comprehensive Development,” reaffirmed global commitments toward advancing women’s rights and development.
Highlighting progress made over the past three decades, he noted that China has implemented the Beijing Declaration of the 1995 Beijing World Conference on Women, leading to measurable improvements in women’s welfare and economic participation.
He disclosed that by 2025, about 690 million women in China had achieved moderate prosperity, maternal mortality had dropped by nearly 80 percent, women accounted for over 40 percent of the total workforce and more than half of entrepreneurs in the internet sector were women.
According to him, “These figures not only highlight the tremendous development of women’s causes in China, but also demonstrate that without the development of women themselves and their outstanding contributions, China’s current tremendous development would not have been possible,” Jianxing said.
On cultural exchange, he announced that at the end of 2024, the Chinese New Year was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, making it a globally recognised festival.
He explained that the Lantern Festival marks the first full moon night of the Chinese Lunar New Year and symbolises reunion, peace and happiness.
“The Lantern Festival is an important part of the Spring Festival and also the first full moon night of the Chinese Lunar New Year. On this night, people usually light lanterns, which illuminate the full moon, and enjoy glutinous rice balls (tangyuan) with their families, expressing their wishes for reunion, peace, and happiness with loved ones,” he said.
Jianxing emphasised that growing cultural exchanges between China and Nigeria have strengthened mutual understanding in areas such as music, dance, film and fashion.
In his goodwill message, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Mukhtar YanaIe Muhammad, described the festival as a symbol of the fusion of two great civilisations.
Muhammad stressed that women remain central to cultural preservation and innovation, noting that their leadership continues to shape national development.
He pledged that the Ministry would intensify policies aimed at accelerating cultural exchanges, empowering women in the digital economy and expanding tourism cooperation between Nigeria and China.
