Chinese women have experienced the fastest development and progress since the Fourth World Conference on Women which was held in China's national capital 10 years ago, said Gu Xiulian, vice chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC).

The government has sincerely adhered to the essence of the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action adopted by the conference, said Gu, who is also president of the All-China Women's Federation.

In her address at the first plenary session of the conference, the Chinese woman leader recalled women's development in the world in the last decade. She called the conference a "milestone" for the history of the international women's movement.

In China, the most populous nation in the world, female population accounts for almost a half of the total 1.3 billion Chinese, Gu said, adding that to promote the gender-egalitarianism and an overall development of the Chinese women is of great importance for the development of China and it is also of profound importance for the civilization and progress of the whole human being.

According to the official, China has built up a complete set of laws and regulations to protect the rights and interests of women.

Meanwhile, the government has further increased investment in women's cause. In 2003, China invested 10.6 billion yuan (about US$1.3 billion) in women's and children's health, compared with 1.5 billion yuan (about US$185 million) in 1990.

The Chinese government has attached special attention to the role of non-government organizations (NGOs) in women's development and is stepping up international cooperation in this field, she said.

(Xinhua News Agency August 30, 2005)