On July 22, the State Council Information Office held a press conference on the progress in advancing the cause of persons with disabilities during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25).
At the conference, Cheng Kai, chairman of the China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF), highlighted significant achievements in the development of the cause of people with disabilities during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. He emphasized that the CDPF has fully implemented the national plan for the development of disability affairs and made substantial efforts to promote exchanges among persons with disabilities and cooperation on disability affairs under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), achieving remarkable results.
Cheng noted that the cause of people with disabilities serves as an important window for demonstrating human rights protection and social progress, and also as a uniquely advantageous field for fostering friendship and people-to-people bonds. He added that the CDPF has actively conducted bilateral and multilateral cooperation within the BRI framework to support the country's overall diplomatic agenda during the 14th Five-Year Plan period.
According to Cheng, the organization has signed memoranda of understanding with countries such as Greece and Algeria, and concluded over 20 cooperation agreements with countries including Russia, France, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan, further solidifying cooperative achievements.
To implement the initiative proposed at the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in 2019, which called for strengthening exchanges between women, young people and persons with disabilities, the CDPF has established a dedicated platform for disability-related thematic activities and held three such events to deepen cooperation in this field, he added.
Regarding regional cooperation, Cheng noted that the CDPF has successfully hosted two sessions of the Seminar on Belt and Road Disability Cooperation between China and Arabian Countries, which has become an important dialogue mechanism between China and the Arab world.
He highlighted the CDPF's efforts to implement cooperative projects through the China-Africa People's Forum to benefit persons with disabilities in Africa, while maintaining dialogue with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries such as Malaysia to promote cooperation on disability affairs within the China-ASEAN Expo framework.
Furthermore, Cheng said the CDPF has launched livelihood projects in Central Asian countries including Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, contributing to the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future. He added that through international sporting platforms such as the Paralympics, Winter Paralympics, and Asian Para Games, the CDPF has deepened exchanges with national Paralympic committees worldwide, and expanded its global network.
In addition, Cheng noted that the CDPF has provided targeted assistance to countries involved in the BRI by sending Chinese rehabilitation expert teams to train over 300 local prosthetists, orthotists, and rehabilitation nurses in Southeast Asian countries and donating assistive devices such as hearing aids, which have received widespread acclaim.
Meanwhile, the CDPF has drawn on and replicated China's experience in conducting assistance projects targeting persons with disabilities in neighboring countries to support employment for local persons with disabilities, he said, adding that the CDPF has initiated five training sessions on practical skills and capacity-building in African and Southeast Asian countries this year, focusing on key areas such as rehabilitation, employment, and sports.
Looking ahead, China will continue collaborating with other Belt and Road countries to strengthen people-to-people ties and ensure more persons with disabilities can partake in and reap the benefits of China's development opportunities, Cheng said.