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Western China Civil Society “Going Global” Exchange Seminar Held; SIMEPA Shares International Cooperation Experience

From November 18 to 19, 2025, the first “Going Global” Exchange Seminar for Civil Society Organizations in Western China was successfully held in Xi’an. The event was guided by the Shaanxi Women’s Federation, supported by the Shaanxi Association for the Promotion of International Exchange of Social Organizations and Plan International (U.S.) Shaanxi Office, and hosted by the Shaanxi Youlian Women and Children Exchange Service Center. Representatives from the China Association for NGO Cooperation (CANGO), the Shaanxi Women’s Federation, and other relevant institutions attended and delivered remarks.

With the theme “Uniting Civil Strength to Jointly Build the Belt and Road,” the seminar brought together over 90 representatives from more than 60 organizations, including government agencies, universities and research institutes, civil society organizations, and enterprises. Through keynote presentations, roundtable discussions, specialized training sessions, and exchange dialogues, the event established a cross-regional and cross-sector cooperation platform for civil society organizations in Western China. It enabled the formation of shared development consensus, deeper collaboration, and people-to-people connectivity, injecting new momentum into the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative.

As a provincial-level 5A-rated social organization, the Shaanxi International Medical Exchange Promotion Association (SIMEPA) received significant attention during the keynote sharing session. Zhang, Dan, Deputy Director of SIMEPA’s International Cooperation Department, provided a comprehensive overview of the Association’s international cooperation achievements. As of 2025, SIMEPA has signed medical science and technology cooperation agreements with 39 countries and carried out productive academic exchanges and scientific collaboration with over 50 foreign experts. These accomplishments have been included among national best-practice cases for international cooperation by civil society organizations. Zhang noted that through the seminar’s diverse learning and discussion formats, SIMEPA aims to further support its member institutions in the “going global” process, expand external exchanges and cooperation, strengthen international medical bridges, and explore broader development opportunities.

International cooperation by social organizations is an important vehicle for China’s people-to-people diplomacy. This seminar not only created a collaborative network for civil society organizations in Western China but also clarified the strategic direction for civil participation in Belt and Road development. Moving forward, SIMEPA will continue leveraging its professional strengths to deepen international medical cooperation through practical action, contributing power of robust civil society to strengthening people-to-people ties and advancing the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative.