VZCZCXRO4080
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH
DE RUEHGH #0404/01 2680642
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250642Z SEP 09
FM AMCONSUL SHANGHAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8296
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3084
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 2217
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0074
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0674
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 2381
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 2208
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 2012
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0122
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 8948

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SHANGHAI 000404 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV SOCI PHUM ECON PREL OIIP KPAO CH
SUBJECT: SHANGHAI WOMEN'S FEDERATION CHAIRWOMAN ON PLENUM OUTCOMES 
AND FUTURE OF NGOS 
 
REF: A. (A) BEIJING 2731 
     ¶B. (B) SHANGHAI 381 
     ¶C. (C) SHANGHAI 110 
 
(U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified and for official 
use only.  Not for distribution outside of USG channels or via 
the internet. 
 
 
 
Summary 
 
------- 
 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) The Chairwoman of the Shanghai Women's Federation 
discussed her views on the recently concluded CPC Central 
Committee Plenary Session and challenges facing NGOs with the 
Consul General on the margins of the 7th Shanghai International 
Forum for Children.  During the forum's opening ceremony, the 
Consul General delivered a speech focusing on the importance of 
civil society and the contributions of NGOs, a message that 
appeared to be well-received by the more than 200 people in 
attendance.  End Summary. 
 
 
 
Views on the Plenum 
 
------------------- 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) During a September 23 discussion with the Consul 
General, Madame Zhang Lili, Chairwoman of the Shanghai Women's 
Federation, indicated she had participated in one of the 
preparatory meetings where local figures had been consulted 
about the draft document for the annual CPC Central Committee 
plenary session (Ref A).  (Note: Zhang is a member of the 
Shanghai Municipal CPC Committee.)  According to Zhang, the 
"decision" reached at the Plenum had six main points, one of 
which was to "serve the public" -- an objective Zhang said is 
directly related to the work of the Shanghai Women's Federation. 
 As a "public organization under the leadership of the CPC," 
Zhang emphasized that the Shanghai Women's Federation "attached 
great importance" to its role in serving the public. 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Asked how the Party advances the prospects of women in 
politics, Zhang said the Shanghai Women's Federation has two 
primary goals: (1) to protect women when their rights are 
violated, and (2) to recommend women for leadership positions 
and involve women in the political process.  Zhang said former 
Vice Premier Wu Yi was very supportive of promoting more women 
into leadership roles.  Zhang agreed with the Consul General 
that the promotion of Wang Yanwen from Mayor to Party Secretary 
of Jiangsu Province's Yangzhou Municipality was significant (Ref 
B).  She added that with more women in leadership positions, the 
Shanghai Women's Federation increasingly plays a role as a 
networking organization such as when Shanghai hosted a meeting 
of women mayors last year, an event which focused on Shanghai's 
economic development as well as personal issues such as how to 
maintain a healthy work-life balance. 
 
 
 
Film on PRC Founding Rewrites History for the Stars 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) Zhang told the Consul General she recently saw the 
movie, "Foundation of a Republic" (Jianguo Daye), which was 
released September 17.  The film tells the story of the 
establishment of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 
1949 and was released just prior to the 60th anniversary.  Zhang 
said a scene featuring Chinese movie star Zhang Ziyi where a 
group of women delegates disagreed with Mao Zedong about the 
design of the new PRC flag was not historically accurate. 
However, Zhang said she was happy to see what she thought was an 
 
SHANGHAI 00000404  002 OF 003 
 
 
accurate and "representative" depiction of Song Qingling (i.e., 
Mme Sun Yat-sen) and Deng Yingchao (wife of the late Premier 
Zhou Enlai), who Zhang said were "outstanding women who made a 
huge impact." 
 
 
 
The Growing Importance of NGOs 
 
------------------------------ 
 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) Zhang observed that NGOs and social organizations are 
"developing rapidly" in Shanghai.  (Comment: Nearly all of the 
speakers during the forum's opening ceremony highlighted the 
contributions of NGOs to women's and children's issues.  End 
Comment.)  As a "United Front" organization, the Shanghai 
Women's Federation, like other Government-organized NGOs 
(GONGOs), is a large-scale organization with some influence on 
the government.  The Women's Federation "helps the CPC solve 
problems," Zhang said, and in return, the Women's Federation 
receives funding from the Central Government. 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) Asked to explain the situation of NGOs in China, Zhang 
said that the government is "supportive" of new NGOs and social 
organizations that are not affiliated with the government.  The 
Shanghai Women's Federation, for example, is an umbrella 
organization for several other social organizations such as the 
Women's Lawyers Association, Women's Engineers Association, and 
Women's Doctors Association.  All associations should have 
written charters, a leadership structure, and register with the 
Bureau of Civil Affairs, Zhang said. 
 
 
 
Increasing International Cooperation 
 
------------------------------------ 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) The Shanghai Women's Federation would like to establish 
more partnerships with international organizations, Zhang said, 
but she acknowledged the challenges of registering foreign NGOs 
in China.  The Shanghai Women's Federation cooperates with 
several international NGOs, including the YWCA and Save the 
Children, Zhang said.  Zhang acknowledged that forcing NGOs to 
find a government partner can skew their work; for example, 
while the YWCA is partnered with the Women's Federation, the 
YMCA currently is partnered with the Communist Youth League 
(CYL).  According to Zhang, the Shanghai 2010 World Expo will 
give the Shanghai Women's Federation and other United Front 
organizations (including the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese 
People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)) more 
opportunities to reach out to international partners for 
exchanges. 
 
 
 
Opening Ceremony Focuses on NGOs 
 
-------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) During the forum's opening ceremony, the Consul General 
delivered a speech focusing on the importance of civil society 
and the contributions of NGOs, a message that appeared to be 
well-received by the more than 200 people in attendance.  Other 
speakers, including a representative from Save the Children, 
also called for more opportunities for NGOs to serve women and 
children in China.  Shanghai Vice Mayor Zhao Wen said helping 
children is "the responsibility of government, society, and 
people," and the Shanghai Municipal Government "wants to promote 
international cooperation on children's issues." 
 
 
 
Bio Notes 
 
SHANGHAI 00000404  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
--------- 
 
 
 
¶9. (SBU) Zhang Lili, Chairwoman of the Shanghai Women's 
Federation, is 56-years-old and is a native of Shanghai.  She 
joined the CPC in August 1973.  Zhang graduated from Shanghai 
Second Polytechnic University, majoring in industrial 
engineering and engineering management and holds a master's 
degree in engineering from Shanghai Jiaotong University.  During 
the Cultural Revolution, Zhang worked as a farmer, teacher and 
government administrative officer in Yunnan Province.  In May 
1979, Zhang returned to Shanghai and worked as editor and 
announcer of a radio station.  She worked her way up through CPC 
posts in Changning District and was named Deputy Party Secretary 
of the district's CPC Committee in 1998.  She moved laterally to 
Zhabei District in 2003 and was named Chairwoman of the Shanghai 
Women's Federation in February 2007. 
 
 
 
¶10. (SBU) Vice Mayor Zhao Wen is the only woman and the only one 
of Shanghai Municipality's eight vice mayors who is not a member 
of the Communist Party.  (Zhao heads the Shanghai branch of the 
September 3 Society, one of the eight "democratic parties" 
affiliated with the CPC.)  Vice Mayor Zhao's portfolio includes 
sports, tourism, intellectual property rights, family planning, 
culture, and women's and children's issues.  A native of Anqing 
in Anhui Province, Zhao's career began as a professor in the 
Tongji University School of Economics and Management.  She first 
entered the political sphere as a Vice Governor of Nanhui 
District and later moved to the Municipal People's Congress 
Finance Bureau.  Zhao was named Vice Mayor of Shanghai 
Municipality in January 2008. 
CAMP