China supported the UN in playing its role in advancing gender equality and women's empowerment and will continue to provide political and financial support to relevant UN agencies working in this field, a senior Chinese diplomat said Thursday.

Li Baodong, the Chinese ambassador to the UN, told the 2010 ministerial review session of UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) that China welcomes the consensus made in the reform of UN gender architecture.

"We believe that the establishment of the new gender entity should optimize the functions and resources of the existing entities, improve coordination and efficiency, increase input in development projects in developing countries and further promote the implementation of international commitments including the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action," said Li.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Millennium Declaration and the 15th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing.

"It is of important significance for the realization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the advancement of women that this session of ECOSOC has chosen gender equality and women's empowerment as the theme," said the ambassador.

Li said the Chinese government has made enormous efforts to promote gender equality and fulfill its international commitments including the MDGs, implementing a series of policies that directly benefit women and girls, including giving women access to micro-credit with fully subsidized interest; safeguarding the right of girls to equal education as boys; carrying out free health survey among rural women and promoting women's participation in politics.

As home to one fifth of women of the world, China has 641 million women, constituting 48.5 percent of its total population. Currently, about 150 million people in China live under US$1 per day and women make up half of them. Safeguarding the survival and development of women is a long term task facing China, said the ambassador.

"The Chinese government is willing to work with other countries to adopt more effective measures in order to realize the goals of gender equality, women's empowerment and building a harmonious world," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 2, 2010)