The contribution of women to China's politics is clearly on display at the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Of the 2,213 delegates at the congress, 445 are women, or 63 more than during the 16th Party Congress five years ago.

The contingents from Beijing and east China's Fujian Province have the highest percentages of women delegates. Women account for 37.7 percent of the delegates from Beijing and 30 percent of those from Fujian. The contingent from the People's Liberation Army had the smallest percentage of women delegates.

Many of these women hold positions of power. Among them are such celebrities as Vice-Premier Wu Yi, who ranked second on the Forbes' list of the 100 Most Powerful Women 2007; Gu Xiulian, vice-chairwoman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee; Wuyun Qimuge, vice-chairperson of the NPC Standing Committee and member of the CPC Central Committee; and Chen Zhili, a member of the CPC Central Committee and State Councilor.

And then there are Liu Yandong, vice-chairwoman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee; Li Haifeng, director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council; and Shen Yueyue, deputy head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee.

Some of the women delegates have become regular fixtures in the media spotlight. They include Minister of Justice Wu Aiying, and Hu Xiaolian, director of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

Perhaps the biggest media star is Ma Wen, who became the first director of China's new anti-corruption body - the National Bureau of Corruption Prevention - last month.

These women delegates, including those who are also government officials, shoulder responsibilities that were traditionally considered to be men's business. Some have entered areas that were once considered taboo for women and even became leaders there.

A prime example is Chen Guangming, 53, who leads the economic crime investigation team at the Chongqing municipal public security bureau. Her team has cracked more than 2,700 economic crimes in the last four years and recovered lost funds worth 1.3 billion yuan (US$173.3 million) for the state.

Before she took the lead in fighting economic crime, Chen was the deputy leader of the bureau's criminal investigation team. She was respected for her talent in dealing with drug trafficking.

One night in the winter of 1997, she and her colleagues were looking for suspects at a hotel when she heard people tearing up paper in one of the rooms. She decided that it must be suspects ripping open parcels of drugs and ended up leading a raid in which 17 kg of heroin was seized.

In an interview with China Daily, Chen said it is a great honor to attend the 17th Party Congress on behalf of the police, though she objected to any suggestion that she is there because of her gender.

"I cherish the chance to be involved in such a high-level political event, and I will take it very seriously," she said.

Another remarkable female Party Congress delegate is Wang Minqin, 50, deputy designer-in-chief of the Aircraft Design Institute, at the Guizhou Aviation Industry Group in Anshun, southwest China's Guizhou Province.

She contributed to the design of the FT-7, a dual-seat trainer variation of the F-7 fighter, which has made by the group since 1981. In July 1985, the FT-7 prototype made its first flight.

But she is best known for her work on the FTC-2000 Mountain Eagle, a tandem two-seat, single-engine advanced training aircraft developed by the group. The ultrasonic jet craft, which is arguably the most advanced trainer to have been developed in China, has been in the spotlight of the world's military scene since it had its first test flight in December 2003.

Wang has received two First Class merit citations, one Second Class merit citation and one Third Class merit citation. She was also a delegate to the 16th Party congress in 2002.

"Designing an aircraft is a complicated job that can only be undertaken by a large and strong team. I am proud to be one of the team and also to represent the team," she said.

(China Daily October 17, 2007)