In April, amid the vibrancy of spring, a heartwarming dialogue on people-to-people friendship across mountains and seas opened at the Wanshou Hall of Beijing Wanshou Hotel. Hosted by the China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE), the Silk Road People-to-People Connectivity China-UAE Civil Friendship Exchange Conference was grandly held here. Representatives from 25 Chinese social organizations, enterprises and institutions gathered with 10 Emirati representatives, including those from the General Women's Union of the UAE and the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in China, to write a new chapter in the ancient Silk Road story through the strength of civil society.

Zhang Yinjun, founder and President of the Beijing Changier Education Foundation, was invited to attend and delivered an important speech at the conference. Using adolescent health education as an entry point, she shared moving first-hand stories of people-to-people friendship and exchanges between China and Arab countries, drawing strong attention and positive responses from all participants.

A new mission for the ancient silk road: The responsibility of our times in fostering people-to-people friendship

Liu Yong, deputy secretary-general of CNIE and host of the event, said in his remarks that the friendship between China and the United Arab Emirates has a long history, with the ancient Silk Road closely linking the two countries. “Under the guidance of the Belt and Road Initiative, China-Arab relations have become a model for China’s relations with Arab states,” he stressed. He added that CNIE has always been committed to coordinating resources from all sides and building flagship people-to-people exchange programs. “We must turn the bright ideas of the people into golden keys for practical cooperation.”

H.E. Noora Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General of the General Women's Union of the UAE (far left in the photo above), opened with a humorous remark that instantly brought the women of the two countries closer together. "We should learn more Chinese..." she joked, prompting knowing laughter across the room. She then, on behalf of the General Women's Union of the UAE, thanked the Chinese side for its warm invitation and solemnly pledged to further strengthen ties and cooperation between women's organizations in the two countries. She noted that the General Women's Union of the UAE, founded in 1971, was the first women's organization in the country and was established with the support of the Mother of the Nation. With a long-standing focus on adult education, vocational training and women's employment, and with empowering women as its core mission, it has helped nurture female members of parliament, ministers, vice ministers, astronauts and university presidents, driving a historic leap forward in the development of women's course in the UAE.

Amna Alhammadi, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of the UAE in China, said that China and Arab countries both boast long histories and are deeply integrated not only in trade and economic ties, but also in their mutual appreciation at the cultural level. “In these times of profound change, the General Women's Union of the UAE will serve as an important bridge connecting women in our two countries and helping cooperation bear fruit,” she said. She also expressed particular hope for deeper and broader cooperation in areas such as e-commerce and the innovation economy, so that the two sides can share resources, move toward each other, and build the future together.

Changier's remarks: Using education as a medium and health as a bridge

During the remarks by the Chinese representatives, the speech by President Zhang Yinjun was particularly striking. Drawing on the Beijing Changier Education Foundation's two decades of work in adolescent health education, she shared with the UAE delegates a little-known yet deeply meaningful story of people-to-people friendship between China and the Arab world.

As early as 2011, Zhang Yinjun was invited to Dubai for charity exchange activities, where she held in-depth discussions with institutions including the Dubai Charity Association, Dubai's labor minister, the secretary to the Ruler of Dubai, and the Dubai Association for the Rescue of Disabled Children. They exchanged views on issues such as support for vulnerable young people, assistance for children with special needs, and AIDS prevention and control. This marked the beginning of the Beijing Changier Education Foundation's ties with the UAE and an early exploration of China-Arab people-to-people cooperation in public welfare education.

In her remarks, Zhang Yinjun specifically noted that the visit was not only a dialogue on public welfare, but also an exchange of cultural and health philosophies. “We introduced our friends in the UAE to China’s experience in health education and traditional medical culture, especially the principles embodied in traditional Chinese medicine, including holistic care, prevention first, and equal attention to both body and mind.” The exchange sparked strong interest on the Emirati side. Members of royal circles and their associates from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other places later made special trips to China for further understanding and exchanges and to receive traditional medical treatment. The Beijing Changier Education Foundation actively helped connect them with relevant traditional Chinese medicine resources, promoted follow-up health consultations and exchanges on traditional medical culture, and also facilitated exchange visits to the UAE by related traditional Chinese medicine experts.

She stressed that women play an irreplaceable and important role in the family, society, education, public welfare and business development. Promoting deeper exchanges between Chinese and Arab women, she said, “will not only enhance understanding and strengthen friendship, but also inject more warmth, wisdom and vitality into people-to-people cooperation between the two countries.”

Over the past 20 years since its founding, the Beijing Changier Education Foundation has remained focused on areas including adolescents’ physical and mental health education, AIDS prevention and control education, family education, psychological care and public welfare support, and is committed to helping young people grow up in a healthier, more confident and more dignified way. Zhang Yinjun said the Beijing Changier Education Foundation is willing to take this exchange as a new starting point and deepen cooperation with the UAE Women's Federation and related institutions in areas such as adolescent health education, the promotion of traditional medical culture, and women's empowerment, so that the seeds of people-to-people friendship between China and the Arab world can take root and flourish in the fertile soil of education and public welfare.

Shared resonance: Women's strength converges along the silk road

The exchange brought together an impressive array of participants. The 25 Chinese delegates came from across the country and represented a wide range of fields, including social organizations, business, education and public welfare. From their distinct perspectives, they jointly painted a broad picture of China-Arab people-to-people cooperation.

· Niu Zhiqiang, deputy director of the International Affair Department of the China Enterprise Confederation, proposed that China and Arab countries could take the lead in launching cooperation in areas such as women's empowerment and the building of harmonious labor relations. "Incorporating gender equality into corporate strategy is the most natural entry point for our cooperation with the UAE Women's Federation," he said.

· Zhang Lei, director of the International Cooperation Office of the China Women's Development Foundation, fondly recalled her many memorable visits to the UAE and suggested that the two sides establish a special fund to jointly launch a China-Arab public welfare program for enhancing women's leadership, so that every woman executive and entrepreneur can expand her career and network and share information and resources.

· Qin Bingshuang, vice chairperson of the China Council of Lions Clubs, shared the organization’s public welfare efforts over five consecutive years in Kenya’s slums to support girls’ education, and called for "women’s philanthropic strength to become an important bond for promoting the shared development of China and Arab countries".

· Fan Yinghui, deputy secretary-general of the China International Cooperation Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, noted that the UAE has become China’s largest export market and second-largest trading partner in the Middle East, adding that "the Federation and the small and medium enterprise sector have enormous cooperation potential and broad prospects".

· Liu Yang, vice chairperson of the China Association of Women Entrepreneurs, president of the Hebei Women Entrepreneurs Association, and chairwoman of the board of Hebei Emperor Group, extended a sincere invitation: "Linked by the Silk Road, with women’s hearts connected across the two places, we warmly welcome our sisters from the UAE to visit Hebei, experience the charm of Yanzhao culture, discuss cooperation and pursue shared development together."

· Zhong Jin, executive vice president and secretary-general of the Beijing Association of Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese Women, expressed a strong desire to visit the UAE this year for on-the-ground exchanges and cooperation matchmaking. "Friendship grows deeper through exchanges, and cooperation goes further when we move forward together," she said.

· Liu Jiang, Party branch secretary and executive president of the Hangzhou Public Relations Association, and Jing Dejun, chairman of the board of Pacific Plus Group and General Manager of Griffin Consulting Dubai, also offered positive suggestions on promoting China-Arab people-to-people exchanges and business and trade cooperation, respectively.

All the Chinese delegates brought strong momentum to the exchange with their enthusiasm and pragmatic approach.

Arab participants responded: They look forward to seeing concrete projects put into action

Ghalia Ali Al Mannai, chairperson of the Strategic Development Affairs Committee of the UAE Women's Federation, said in her remarks that China-Arab cooperation now spans multiple fields, including energy, education, health and exhibitions and conferences, and that the UAE is home to residents of more than 200 nationalities. “Thinking of this, I feel very excited,” she said. She specifically noted that all 26 priority sectors, including ports, logistics, AI, pharmaceuticals and chemical engineering, are in urgent need of deep participation by Chinese partners. "We hope to formalize this cooperation through the signing of an agreement, and 2026 will be a crucial year for laying the groundwork," she said.

She further proposed turning the Women's Federation platform into a multi-tiered incubator for investment and cooperation, enabling the direct sharing of information in specialized fields and point-to-point matchmaking among entrepreneurs. "We also sincerely invite the Chinese delegation to visit the UAE in person for an on-the-ground inspection, see it with their own eyes, identify specific entry points for cooperation, and then make investment decisions," she said.

Amna, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of the UAE in China, then said the embassy welcomes all parties to submit specific cooperation proposals, "so that we can truly understand the project plans and willingness to cooperate, and effectively move the projects toward implementation".

Building consensus: People-to-people friendship reaches a new level

In his concluding remarks, Deputy Secretary-General Liu Yong said that the exchanges held today were "just a good beginning". CNIE will continue to leverage its strengths as a hub platform to build bridges and connections, invite more women entrepreneurs and women from all sectors in the UAE to visit China for exchanges, and organize Chinese social organizations to conduct on-site visits and matchmaking activities in the UAE. It was announced at the meeting that officials from the Embassy of the UAE in China would be added to the China-Arab entrepreneurs' WeChat working group to help turn cooperation intentions into concrete action more quickly.

In her closing remarks, Secretary-General Noora said emotionally, "The people of the UAE have a culture of turning ideas into action. Our federation serves as a broad development platform, and we hope women from both China and Arab countries will join us and bring forward their best ideas. We sincerely look forward to welcoming you all to the UAE to see it for yourselves. Once you come, you will find that it is truly beautiful and has everything."

The exchange meeting concluded successfully amid warm applause. The two sides exchanged gifts and posed for a group photo, leaving a warm historical mark on this people-to-people friendship that spans mountains and seas.