On 13 September, the CCCUK and the 48 Group Club jointly hosted the reception for “Women’s Icebreaker Awards”. At the reception, Madam HU Pinghua, wife of H.E. Ambassador LIU Xiaoming received Women’s Icebreaker Awards for her remarkable contributions to the China-UK relation, the China-UK cultural exchanges and cooperation, and the China-UK female community development.

Lord Davidson, former Solicitor-General for Scotland presenting the award to HU Pinghua

H.E. Ambassador LIU Xiaoming, ; Stephen Perry, Chairman of the 48 Group Club; Lucia Guo, wife of Jeremy Hunt, U.K. Foreign Secretary ; Lord Davidson, member of the UK House of Lords and former Advocate General for Scotland, Lord McNally, Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords and Former Minister of State for Justice and his wife, Kate White,  Asia Pacific Director at Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO), GENG Jinhai, Vice Chairman of the CCCUK and Managing Director of China Taiping Insurance (UK) Ltd., and other 200 politicians and business elites from China and the UK participated in the event.  

GENG Jinhai, Vice Chairman of the CCCUK and Managing Director of China Taiping Insurance (UK) Ltd. delivering a welcome speech

GENG Jinhai, Vice Chairman of the CCCUK and Managing Director of China Taiping Insurance (UK) Ltd. expressed his congratulations to Madam HU Pinghua. He said, “Women’s Icebreakers is an important women’s organisation that brings together the strength of women in China and the UK to carry forward the spirit of ice-breakers. As a promoter of the China-UK relation, Madam HU Pinghua vividly illustrated the power of role model of ‘ Women’s icebreakers’. Over the past 8 years, she has leveraged the unique strengths and influence of women and made outstanding contributions to China-UK cooperation on women, culture, public welfare, education and other fields.” He expected the CCCUK and the 48 Group Club to deepen their cooperation with the Women Icebreakers Organisation to bring more resilience and vitality into the Golden Era of the China-UK relation.

Madam HU Pinghua delivering a speech

Madam Hu Pinghua delivered a speech at the award ceremony. She said she was honoured to receive the Women’s Icebreaker Awards for lifetime achievement, which was not only a personal honour, but also recognition of the development of Chinese women. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Chinese women’s career has been closely linked to China’s development and progress. First, Chinese women gained more equal status, and particularly, the fundamental national policy of “Gender Equality” greatly promoted the development of women’s career in China. Second, great progress has been made in the protection of women in China; China’s efforts to protect women’s rights and interests and promote gender equality have become more institutionalized and legalized. Third, Chinese female diplomats are more active than ever before; 32.7% Chinese diplomats are female. Madam HU Pinghua stated , in the context of the Golden Era of China-UK relation, the award is the recognition of the exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and British women The Women’s Group of the Chinese Embassy in the UK established an impressive cooperative relationship with the 48 Group Club Women’s Icebreakers, and has been actively making suggestions to enhance the understanding and exchanges between women of the two countries. Finally, Madam HU Pinghua expressed her gratitude to H.E. Ambassador LIU Xiaoming for his firm support and valuable advice, and pointed out that the Women’s Group of the Chinese Embassy in the UK would like to work with the Women’s Icebreaker Organisation to enhance the women’s exchanges and cooperation between China and the UK and contribute their parts to the “Golden Era” of China-UK relations!

Stephen Perry, Chairman of the 48 Group Club delivering a speech

Stephen Perry, Chairman of the 48 Group Club delivered the closing remarks for the award reception. He said, “the partnership the 48 Group Club Women’s Icebreakers and  Chinese Women’s Group can not only promote the friendly communication between Chinese and British women, but can also promotes mutual understanding and benefit between the two nations. As the sponser and witness of the 48 Group Club Women’s Icebreakers, Madam HU Pinghua has made outstanding contributions to China-UK communication and cooperation and China-UK relations in last 8 years.” By presenting the first “Women’s Icebreaker Award” to Madam HU Pinghua, the 48 Group Club hoped to facilitate China and the UK’s inheriting and carrying forward the spirit of ice-breaker, and further promote cooperation between China and the UK. 

Guests warmly applauded for Madam HU Pinghua’s award and expressed their determination to adhere to the “icebreaker’s spirit” and regard her as role model to enhancing the China-UK friendship and women’s communication between the two nations.

The 48 Group Club Women’s Icebreakers Awards was set up to recognise women who have contributed to the promotion of friendly relations between China and the UK, as well as cooperation and exchanges in economy, trade, culture and education between the two nations.

Madam HU Pinghua has made great contributions to women’s cooperation, cultural exchanges and charity between China and the UK since 2010 when she started to work in the Chinese Embassy in the UK with her husband H.E. Ambassador LIU Xiaoming.

As a strong promoter of cooperation between Chinese and British women, she has been promoting the friendly exchanges between Chinese and British women, and worked with such organisations as The 48 Group Club Women’s Icebreakers and the Pan-Asian Women’s Association under Asia House to organise a number of events like the Seminar on Chinese Women’s Issues and the Seminar on Women’s Social Status, which have enhanced the communication and cooperation between Chinese and British women in various fields.

As a prominent contributor to cultural exchanges between China and the UK, she strived to promote cultural exchanges between China and the UK by organising various events including “Traditional Chinese Handicraft in Britain”, ” Appreciation of Chinese Cultural Relics “, “the Belt and Road Initiative Cultural Exchanges”, and donate books to Dr Johnson’s House. She also offered strong support to China-UK cultural exchanges “Golden Brand”, including “Chinese Peking Opera to the UK”, “Chinese Bel Canto”London Concert, signing ceremony for the Grand Pagoda Renovation Project of the Kew Garden. She has made outstanding contributions to promoting the understanding of Chinese history and culture between two countries.

As an active supporter of charity in both China and the UK, she actively supported charities in both nations and led the Women’s Group of the Chinese Embassy in the UK to take an active part in the charity activities of British social groups and women’s organisations. Every year, She invites diplomatic missions to the UK for charity bazaar, participates in the charity bazaar organised by Children and Families Across Borders (CFAB) , and carries out fund-raising charities for girls’ schooling in poverty-stricken areas. Furthermore, she led the teachers and students of the Sunshine School of the Chinese Embassy in the UK to participate in charity activities of local schools and communities in the UK, which furthered the understanding and engagement between the next generations of China and the UK.