Icelandic President Halla Tómassdóttir recently visited China to attend the World Women’s Summit, where she met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In an exclusive interview with China Media Group (CMG), she discussed China-Iceland relations and China’s contributions to global women’s development.
Highlighting China’s achievements in gender equality and green energy, Tómassdóttir noted that these successes show that change is possible, offering valuable lessons in today’s uncertain world marked by conflict and climate challenges.
She emphasized that President Xi has made strong commitments to advancing gender equality—a critical factor for global economic and social development. “It is significant that a leader of a major power like China is reinforcing the importance of gender equality and urging the realization of goals set thirty years ago,” she said.
Tómassdóttir also underscored Iceland’s potential to leverage its innovation sector through close cooperation with China and other partner countries, stressing the need for multilateralism regardless of a country’s size. “We respect each other’s sovereignty, interests, culture, and history, and aim to address major challenges through consensus, including reducing gender inequality,” she added.
She praised China’s efforts to empower women and girls, noting that tackling gender disparity accelerates social and economic development, while the country’s role in promoting peaceful dialogue and resolving differences is commendable.
Concluding, Tómassdóttir highlighted that the development of China-Iceland relations demonstrates that countries with different social systems can overcome differences for mutual benefit.
Source & photo: CMG